Murdered, My Sweet [Paperback]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2004 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Jenny Jakes and her mother, a famous mystery writer, travel to San Antonio to see their cousin, Arnold Harmony, who's made his fortune in the chocolate business. Harmony, an eccentric millionaire, wants his will read publicly before he dies; since everyone wants a piece of the pie, this announcement causes quite a stir. When Harmony's son is murdered just before the reading, Jenny's mother decides to spring into action as a real-life detective. But Jenny's mother doesn't have a clue about solving a real crime, so it's up to Jenny to use her wits, not only to save her mother's reputation, but also to keep herself from being killed.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10. Not one of Nixon's better productions. Jenny, 15, accompanies her mystery-writer mother, Madeline Jakes, to San Antonio for a distant relative's birthday party. When the elderly man's son is murdered, Madeline and Jenny spring into action. To the delight of her fans, including the homicide division's Detective Sergeant Sam Donovan, Madeline takes on the persona of her fictional female detective. However, it's her bright, capable daughter who really solves the case, feeding her flaky mother ideas and possibilities in a desperate attempt to protect the writer's reputation. While the famous-writer-mother scenario has distinct potential, it's overdone. Madeline's ineptness and Jenny's insight and intelligence are carried to ridiculous extremes. Detective Donovan; Jenny's love interest, Carlos; and the suspects are all stock characters. The whole complicated setup reads like a poor episode of Murder, She Wrote. This is less than adequate fare for an author of Nixon's caliber. Follow Jenny's advice: refer mystery-loving teens to Sue Grafton or Mary Higgins Clark.?Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

An overweening mother who's meant to be scatterbrained and a murder that never matters are at the center of this clich‚-filled mystery from Nixon (Search for the Shadowman, 1996, etc.). Jenny Jakes and her mother, the famous mystery writer Madeline Jakes, are in San Antonio for a visit: A distant cousin, billionaire Arnold Harmony, plans to celebrate his birthday by having his will read aloud to the beneficiaries. His plans are interrupted when his son, Porter, is murdered at the hotel. Madeline's fans believe she can crack the case, but Jenny knows better: Her dithery mother considers herself an expert on the criminal mind, but can't figure out a mystery she didn't create. Instead, Jenny solves the murder, always careful to credit Madeline as the sleuth. The premise of Jenny's covering for her mother is funny, but it goes so smoothly that it becomes boring; when the murder is reported in the newspaper, Jenny's bell-hop romantic interest, Carlos, also ensures that the story spins Madeline's way. Nixon treats the San Antonio setting as a place readers know, dropping names without describing the place; meanwhile, the characters simply chase around inside the hotel. For savvy mystery-lovers, the detective work is sloppy: The murder scene isn't sealed off, the real detective puts up with contemptuous witnesses, and he allows Madeline (and Jenny and Carlos) in on his investigation. That no one thinks to protect Logan, a character who announces that he knows all and is then murdered, is irresponsible. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (January 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440419883
• ISBN-13: 978-0440419884
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,761,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery Writer or Detective?, April 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Murdered, My Sweet (School & Library Binding)

Jenny Jakes and her mother, Madeline Jakes the mystery writer, get invited to their very rich cousin's, Arnold Harmony, reading of his will even though he isn't dead. Right before of the reading will they found out that Porter Harmony, Arnold's son, has been murdered. Jenny's mother decides to help solve the case like a real detective even though she isn't. Just when Madeline and Jenny think they've solved the mystery, something unexpected happens! I liked this book very much. The reason why is because it was suspenseful and it made you keep guessing till the end of the book. It also had no boring parts, it always had action in it. I would give this book 5 star out of 5 stars. Another book that is just as good as this book is Secret, Silent Screams, by Joan Lowery Nixon. It too is very unpredictable and always keeping at the edge of your seat.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars B McCrary, September 28, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Murdered, My Sweet (Mass Market Paperback)

Murdered, My Sweet is a very good mystery book, especially for a child like me. The book a based on a mother and a daughter going to a reunion like for her grandfather and he is rereading his will. Then his son gets murdered before the grandfather reads his will. Then the mother which is an author for writing mystery books is trying to solve the crime mystery on why and who killed the son of the grandfather.

Well there is an investigator and he is like askin everybody that was in this room what happened and then the mom was trying to help him out and there was people that was saying she was the best mystery solver. Then there is this secret code name "Tea Pot" and it had to do with the grandfather when he would die that they would like take over the company, see the grandfather is the owner for this chocolate factory and he is very wealthy. The daughter found out about it and the two people that were involved they were saying that they weren't going to do it anymore. They had to tell the investigator that and so they would see if they had killed the son.

The most of the book at the end is basically saying what happened about the murder and what happened about the will. That is why I like this book because I really like mystery books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murdered My Sweet, May 4, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Murdered, My Sweet (Paperback)

This book is very exciting and gets you out of your seat. It makes you want to keep reading.I'll give this book a 5 because I like mystery books and this was a good one that I read.