The Object: Play to Win

Thanks to my late grandmother, I do love to pick up a "Whodunit" book every once in a while.  To me, the queen of these books will always be the late, great Agatha Christie, but it's difficult to get a child to sit down and read something like And Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express.  So Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game is a great way to introduce someone.

One of the things that I love about Christie's books is that she leaves you unsure of which way is up.  When the reveal occurs, you go back digging in the book to try and figure out where she gave you a specific clue. Raskin does the same thing.  So let me set the scene.

Reclusive Sam Westing has died.  He calls sixteen people who seem to have no relation or connection to him whatsoever together at the library of the Westing Mansion.  There, the heirs are told that Mr. Westing's life has been taken--by one of them!   They are split into eight pairs and each pair is given a set of cluses.  They're told that it's not what they have that's important, but what they don't have.  And the game is afoot.  The heirs include Grace Windsor Wexler, her husband Jake, and their two daughters, Angela and Turtle (not her real name).  There's secretary Sydelle Pulaski and Angela's fiancee, Dr. D. Denton Deere.  Jimmy Shin Hoo and his wife, Sun, and Mr. Hoo's son, Doug.  There's brothers Theo and Chris Theodorakis, Judge J.J. Ford, Berthe Crow, Sandy McSouthers, Mrs. Flora Baumbach,  and Otis Amber round out the hodgepodge group.

These sixteen individuals are given clues that appear to be random words, and are told to figure out a  mystery.  But what Westing has done is paired up people who can help each other in some way.  For instance, Turtle and Mrs. Baumbach.  Turtle gains someone who cares for her like a daughter, something that her mother doesn't do.  Mrs. Baumbach gains a surrogate daughter, but not one to replace the daughter she lost.  That's just one example of these pairings helping both partners.

When the heirs recieve a second note, delivered by the wonderful Otis, have they solved the riddle?  Not one bit!  But there is someone who puts it all together!

I definitely reccomend reading this book as an adult, but share it with your friends, and  your kids, or kids you know.  It's engaging and funny, and despite the twists and turns gives a satisfying ending for all the characters.  Well, except the poor, deceased Mr. Westing!