The Name of the Game Was Murder [Hardcover]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

When her novelist uncle, Augustus Trevor, is murdered soon after writing a manuscript that reveals the darkest secrets of his house guests, Samantha decides to find the manuscript before the others do.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Agatha Christie fans will be quick to recognize the set-up of this surprisingly creaky offering from veteran Nixon ( The Dark and Deadly Pool ; A Candidate for Murder ). Augustus Trevor, a mean-spirited bestselling author, is throwing a weekend party at his mansion on a remote part of Santa Catalina Island. When his high-profile guests (a senator, a former football star, a fashion designer, a movie star and a romance novelist) assemble, Trevor announces his nasty (and rather far-fetched) weekend plans: all will participate in a treasure hunt to locate the unpublished manuscript of the crabby wordsmith's latest book, which reveals the various ugly secrets lurking in his guests' pasts. Predictably enough, the obnoxious author is found murdered just hours after outlining his agenda, leaving his glitzy victims frantic to find the missing manuscript. The celebrities are inexplicably dim, but fortunately Trevor's great-niece Samantha--a plucky aspiring writer and amateur cryptologist--is on hand to help them unravel what turns out to be a fairly obvious mystery. Shallow and disappointing. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Augustus Trevor has written a manuscript that reveals the darkest secrets of his guests. Whoever can solve Trevor's clues can have his story removed from the book.

Trevor's great-niece Samantha is also visiting, and her sleuthing may find the manuscript--if it doesn't kill her. The stakes are higher than even Trevor realized: someone has bludgeoned him to death.

Three-time Edgar Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon is in top form with this engaging novel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 182 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0780741455
• ISBN-13: 978-0780741454
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,058,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely excellent, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Name of the Game Was Murder (Paperback)

You can't put it down.It was my first Nixon book and it got me hooked to her other many books.A suspensful book that will keep you at the edge of your seat. It's not a"look-behind-you-every-5-minutes"book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very suspenseful and hard to put down !!, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Name of the Game Was Murder (Hardcover)

I thought this book was very interesting and I reccomend it to any one who loves mysteries and likes to get a little scared. Samantha goes to visit her aunt Thea and Thea's husband who is a poet that samantha admires.Samantha is expecting a fun trip but Augustus is less than likeable and when the guests arrive to the weekend party and Augustus tells them that he has written a book that describes each of their mistakes from the past everyone gets anxious to find the manuscript so they will have their past stories removed from that horrible book! Will Samantha be able to find the manuscript to help her to find out who killed Augustus? This book was a real page turner and kept me on the edge of my seat.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sam You're Awesome!, January 31, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Name of the Game Was Murder (Paperback)

"If you don't take part, you'll soon regret it," reads the invitation sent out to a group of celebrities. Samantha's uncle, Augustus Trevor, has sent these invitations, and it just so happens to be on the weekend Sam stops by.

Sam is a sweet yet curious fifteen-year-old girl who wants to become an author, but first wants the opinion of her famous novelist uncle so she knows that she can continue with this career. She also wants to visit her sweet Aunt Thea. Her uncle is furious that she had to come but has no choice but to let her stay because her parents are on a trip. Soon, the game starts and Augustus tells his guests that their deepest darkest secrets will be revealed in his new book (already typed) if they do not figure out the clues that he will be giving them. Then suddenly, Augustus Trevor gets murdered, and the murderer is still in the castle on the island. The guests and Sam can't call the police because there is a horrible storm going on that will last for another week. The guests and Sam must find out the clues that lead to the manuscript in order to destroy it before the police find it the day they come to investigate. Soon enough, Sam is pulled into the game and has to help the guests and Aunt Thea solve the clues together. Will Sam solve the clues in the end? How will Sam and her Aunt Thea find the manuscript and read it to find out who murdered Augustus? Will the murderer get away with it?

I enjoyed The Name of the Game Was Murder because there was always something interesting happening and it was very suspenseful. I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful books that will keep you guessing until the end.

P.
Des Plaines, Illinois