The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game is a mystery involving a group of possible heirs to Sam Westing's fortune. Through a strange game set up by Westing before he was murdered, the characters must determine the murderer in order to inherit his money. As the reader, you are privy to the clues each heir receives. There are other inconsistencies, details, and clues in the text so that you can solve the mystery.

As a reader, I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters but I didn't feel the need to try and solve the case before it was revealed to me in the story. I noticed some of the details that would have helped me figure it all out, but I was content to keep reading and let the characters do the work.

The plot is full of twists and turns and pulls you in successfully. At the end of the first, 4 page chapter, the text reads: "Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person." (p.5) At this point, I was eager to figure out who the bookie, burglar, bomber, and mistake were.

For a light-hearted read that engages, this book does the trick. I remember reading it in school and really enjoying it. In fact, it is one of only a handful of things I even remember reading as a school assignment prior to AP English. I think it has the potential to engage even reluctant readers with the plot twists and clues.