Candidate for Murder, A [Hardcover]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1991 | Age Level: 11 and up

Cary finds her life in danger when she uncovers a plot to sabotage her father's political campaign for governor of Texas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Busy with school, a serious romance and her father's gubernatorial campaign, Cary pays little attention to a mysterious conversation she overhears at a party. Only gradually does she suspect that a series of strange events--two break-ins, several ominous phone calls and an attempted murder--are related to her inadvertent eavesdropping. Convinced that Cary knows too much, someone goes to great lengths to ensure that she keeps quiet. Because the evildoers' identities are obvious from the onset, and because the few red herrings are not all that misleading, this novel is more a thriller than a mystery . Believable characters and an ever-mounting level of suspense hold the reader's attention to the finish, when Cary--like any up-to-date feminist heroine--rescues herself from a deadly situation. This thoughtfully rendered portrait of a family entering the political limelight brings to mind the work of Ellen Emerson White ( White House Autumn ; The President's Daught e r ). Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-- Cary Amberson's father is running for governor of Texas, and this means many changes in her life. Classmates she thought were her friends start joking about her father, and she has less time for schoolwork and her boyfriend, Justin. She starts getting some odd telephone calls, and has the feeling that she's being watched. Readers, aware of when Cary's problems started, must wait impatiently for her to figure it out. There is no doubt that Cary will eventually be safe, and the suspects presented are clearly red herrings. The only real mystery is what attracts Cary to her wimpy boyfriend. In addition, Nixon leaves a significant flaw in the plot in order to create a suspect. In spite of all the terrifying things that happen to Cary, her parents don't tell her that their butler is really a bodyguard, thinking she'd be frightened by the knowledge. This is, quite simply, unbelievable, and mystery readers deserve more respect. While Nixon does maintain mild interest until the end, this is not one of her better thrillers. For those looking for real suspense, suggest Joan Hess's A Diet to Die For (St. Martin's, 1989), or anything by Barbara Michaels. --Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline Public Library,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 210 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First edition (March 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385302576
• ISBN-13: 978-0385302579
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,249,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An edge of your seat novel!, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Candidate for Murder (Paperback)

When Cary's father announces he'll be running for governer of Texas, she knows she'll be the center of attention. But when she starts getting followed in her car and getting calls in the middle of the night, she begins to realize this sort of thing does not fit in with the tasks of being the governers daughter. After some careful research with her reporter friend, she has the suspects narrowed down to a few people. She also remembers over hearing what may have been a private conversation.Soon she is almost certain who her stalker is. She just doesn't know what to do about it. What she desides to do will keep you at the edge of you seat for the rest of the book. The book had a series of creepy event that eventually lead up to a great ending. I liked the book because it was full suspence and it was really hard to put down. I would recomend it to anyone that likes mysery or suspense. You should definatly read it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Caught my attention, but not Joan Lowry Nixon's best..., March 16, 2004

By 

Willow (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Candidate for Murder (Paperback)

A Candidate for Murder includes everything a good teen book needs - romance, humor, politics, and mystery.

The story starts off with Cary trying to escape from a friend at a party. He kept taking pictures of her, following her, etc. and she decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air. When she was out on the terrace, she heard something that she never expected. She heard voices - not just any voices, pretty creepy sounding voices. And she heard one of them say "...he's gone, up the creek...his nosiness..." She didn't think anything of it, but once the voices found out that she was listening to them, she gets in trouble. Cary feels that she's being watched/stalked, but nobody believes her, until some seriously scary stuff starts to happen.

This book is pretty good. I'm a huge fan of Joan Lowry Nixon, and this is a good book...but it's not her best. I recommend it to fans of her books, but not to people that want to get introduced to a new author (for you guys, I recommend her book 'Spirit Seeker').

Overall grade - B

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I've seen better, October 8, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Candidate for Murder (Paperback)

I have read many of Nixon's books, and this one just wasn't that great. The book was full of mystery, but it wasn't very exciting and was not very interesting. The characters were kind of dull. I didn't enjoy this book very much. If you want a good book by Joan Lowery Nixon, try "Whispers From The Dead," "The Seance," "The Other Side Of Dark," or "Secret, Silent, Screams."