Customer Reviews

Clue Mysteries: 15 Whodunits To Solve In Minutes

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I tried to like this book - the old series was very good. But in the end it just wasn't very good. Strike one is the lack of evidence before giving the solution. A good mystery should have an solution that is obvious when you reread it. Many of the solutions here rely on information which is never given and only make sense when extra evidence is given in the solution. Strike two is the lack of believability. I realize that Clue mysteries have always been light, but it loses something with the "I killed him because he made a mess of the house" or "Look he's dead - anyone want to go for coffee" style. And strike three is that the stories seem to drone on without really developing the story.

It could have been made so much better with a little effort.

Clue Mysteries is a great book. I love how the character names and motives are the same ones given in their character descriptions on the insert in the game box. But, the comedy falls short to the comedy in the now out-of-print book series created by A.E.Parker. The mysteries are well written, and much longer than those of the original series. I really love the way Cameron describes the discovery of Mr.Boddy's body in each chapter. It's like,"Oh look. Here's John with a big, bloddy dagger sticking out of his back. Let's have some tea." So casual. Plus, at the end of each mystery, one suspect will point to another and accuse them just like in the board game. To make a long story short, too late, I'm looking forward to the sequal due out in September, and will definitely be buying it!

I must say that it's interesting that out of all six suspects Professor Plum is guilty the least amount of times. between both books he is only the killer in five stories 3 in this one and only 2 in the sequel. However Ms. Cameron compensates by using Plum's typically rotten luck for comic relief in almost every story he is:

1. Bullied another suspect.
2. Taken advantage of because of his naivete.
3. Doing something nice for another character only for it to backfire.
4: Insulted by either Mrs. White or Miss Scarlet.
5. Getting into feuds with unruly pets.
6. Unwittingly allowing Mrs. Peacock to attempt to set him up with Miss Scarlet.

Because it's written at a level appropriate for younger readers, this book is not the kind of thing many adults could enjoy, but "kids under 13" should have fun with it. The only time I would buy it for an adult is when the intended recipient can definitely still appreciate reading material of that level. It's a bit on the silly, simplistic side for many adults.