The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma [Hardcover]

Trenton Lee Stewart (Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Mysterious Benedict Society

Reynie, Kate,Sticky and Constance are back - but so is Mr Curtain, with another devious scheme! Can the Mysterious Benedict Society thwart Mr Curtain's plans, even whilst held prisoner? Join them on their adventure as they face all sorts of dilemmas, in a bi to save Stonetown. The third book in the New York Times bestselling series

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Product Description

Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before.

Filled with page-turning action and mind-bending brain teasers, this wildly inventive journey is sure to delight.

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From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—Reynie, Kate, Constance, and Sticky return for a third adventure. This time, the megalomaniac Ledroptha Curtain schemes to regain his deadly Whisperer machine. As Constance develops her powers of mental telepathy, Reynie and the others use their gifted minds to puzzle through Curtain's master plan even as they fall prey to his kidnapping attempt. Imprisoned by well-meaning and sinister characters alike, the Society members face choices that test their loyalty as well as their intellect. Sequels sometimes lack the intensity of the original works, and Prisoner's Dilemma struggles with this syndrome at times. The children's unique talents, long since revealed, are past the startling sparkle of their introduction. As character development yields to a dominant plot, the story lacks the facile agility of its predecessors. On the other hand, the opening gambit is fresh and frightfully funny, as is Constance Contraire always and forever. The writing is replete with rollicking metaphors. Finally, as in the best of E. L. Konigsburg's novels, Stewart's introspective characters examine the significance of their experiences. Unlike most adventurers, these special children see the world surrounding their story and share it with readers. If this is the last Society installment, readers had better, as Reynie says, "acquire a taste for the bittersweet."—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT END

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316045527
• ISBN-13: 978-0316045520
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

TRENTON LEE STEWART, author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling The Mysterious Benedict Society series and the adult novel Flood Summer, lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with his wife and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Kate Had Finally Figured Out a Good Rhyme for Constance", October 10, 2009

By 

George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (Hardcover)

If you're a fan of the series, that alone should persuade you pick up a copy of this book, eh? Well, if that's not enough, than on with my real review...


"The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma" begins with Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire reunited once again. Yet, as with the beginning of the previous installment ("The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey,") all is not entirely well. The children are prisoners of a sort. Not that they are in prison, but they and their families have been uprooted from their normal homes and, for protection, are being housed by Mr. Benedict, as it has been deemed necessary to keep them under ground due to the continued schemes of the evil Mr. Curtain.

The beginning of the story sees the group being tested with a classic conundrum known as the "Prisoner's Dilemma." I was familiar with the concept going in through the show "Numb3rs," but for those that don't know, Sticky provides an excellent explanation of it in the book-- two prisoners, partners in crime, are arrested, but the police do not have needed evidence against them, so they try to get them to talk. If one talks and the other doesn't, the one that talks goes free, while the other receives a harsh sentence. They can choose to both remain silent, in which both receive a very light sentence. Or if they both betray the other, they both receive a middle of the road sentence. If you're familiar with this series, you may have guessed that the monkey wrench in the works here is Constance, but that the Mysterious Benedict Society comes through in the end.

With events taking place in Stonetown with everyone together, the supporting cast of the series is explored in greater depth than ever before. Also to be found in this book are answers to long-awaited questions regarding a couple of the key mysteries of the series. The book begins with a growing tension until, about halfway through, the other shoe drops and The Mysterious Benedict Society faces their greatest test yet. The group will have to rely on their combined talents and friends, as well a most intriguing new power of Constance's that is almost supernatural.

So many plot threads are seemingly resolved in this book that it feels very much like this book is intended as a finale to the series. If this is the case, then I am pleased to see the series ending in fine form. If I am, in fact, mistaken, then I will be delighted to discover so.


At 391 pages, "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma" is actually a fair bit shorter than either of the books that preceded it. Despite this, the novel sizzles with the sharp wit and growing tension of the previous "Mysterious Benedict Society" stories, leading towards a most satisfying conclusion. Don't miss the bus! Read "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Priosoner's Dilemma" to discover what's in store for this group of talented children.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is AWSOME!!!!!, October 10, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (Hardcover)

I love this entire series! They are my favorite books. I love solving the mysteries and the characters are fun! I've read # 1 29 times, # 2 19 times and #3 only 1 time. I'm in the 6th grade.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, October 27, 2009

By 

R. Fletcher "book reading mama" (Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (Hardcover)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (and the two that precede it), are three of our family's favorite books! We couldn't wait to start the next book as we finished each. When we finally read this last installment, my son said, "It's a shame that we're done reading the best three books in the world!"
We found the stories to be exciting and full of twists, the characters well written and we enjoyed each of their quirky personalities. In fact, we raved so much that my husband read them when we finished, and he enjoyed each just as much. If more people knew about Reynie, Sticky, Constance and Kate, my kid's Halloween costumes would make more sense! I wish Trenton Lee Steward had more children's books like these. We would highly recommend these books to anyone, young or old, that enjoys a good read!
A word of warning (does not spoil): A few times during the series one of the main characters has nightmares about the "Old Hag" and I thought that would suggest things to my kids that had never occurred to them, things like thinking they are going to have nightmares. Thankfully, this is only mentioned very minimally and isn't an integral part of the story so it was easily skipped while reading aloud to my children. That aside, They're great! Read them!