Never Trust a Dead Man [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

When Selwyn is accused of murdering his rival, Farold, he is sealed in the village burial cave with Farold’s moldering corpse to await starvation—or worse. Worse comes along quickly in the form of a witch who raises Farold from the dead. Selwyn thought he disliked Farold when he was alive, but that was nothing compared to working by the dead man’s side as they search for the real killer.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this Edgar Award winner set in medieval times, Anora chooses to marry the obnoxious but wealthy Farold instead of Selwyn, thus making Selwyn the chief suspect when Farold is found murdered. Ages 12-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-A medieval mystery with a touch of the supernatural. Fellow villagers wrongly accuse Selwyn, 17, of murdering fellow teen Farold and leave him to die in a burial cave alongside his supposed victim's "moldering corpse." During Selwyn's first evening in the chamber, Elswyth (a witch) appears and offers to help him escape if he agrees to work as her servant. Wanting to first clear his name, he asks her to bring the victim back from the dead to reveal his true killer. Unfortunately, the resurrected Farold (who mistakenly ends up in the body of a bat) does not know who killed him and the two enemies who have fought over a shared love interst become unlikely partners in the search for the murderer. Elswyth provides magical disguises so that they may return to their village unnoticed. At one point, the two travel (hardly inconspicuously) as a pilgrim and his bat. Selwyn soon discovers that Farold's shady character has earned him numerous enemies but he eventually solves the mystery and wins his freedom. Vande Velde successfully weaves humor with suspense throughout the story. Selwyn and Farold's jocular banter typifies a friendly antagonistic relationship and Elswyth provides comic relief with her penchant for sarcasm. Filled with engaging characters, witty dialogue, and lots of action, this is an entertaining blend of fantasy, whodunit, and comedy.
Laura Glaser, Euless Junior High School, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• ISBN-10: 0152018999
• ASIN: B000J3EHA2
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,248,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy/Humor/Murder Mystery, this book has it all!, June 9, 2000

By 

Book Woman (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Trust a Dead Man (Hardcover)

Selwyn is accused of murdering Farold, a romantic rival, and sentenced to be "buried alive" in the burial cave with his alleged victim. Selwyn is innocent, and fortunately for him, he meets a witch named Elswyth who has entered the cave from a secret entrance to obtain spell-making materials. She agrees to help him, but whacks him on the head every time he asks a stupid question (which is frequently) and asks him to pledge years of his life in service to her as payment. He agrees, and asks her to bring Farold back to life so he can ask him who the real murderer is. Unfortunatley, he muffs his part of the spell, and instead of being magiked into his own body, the Farold is installed in the body of a bat. And, since he was stabbed in the back, (a fact Selwyn somehow overlooked) he has no idea who killed him. Eventually the three (Selwyn, Farold and Elswyth)come up with a plan to find the real murderer and clear Selwyn's name.

I thought this book was fabulous. The characters are fully-realized, and the plot zips right along. My favorite thing about it is the relationship between Selwyn & Farold, who were enemies in life, but grow to be friends after Farold's death and transformation into a bat. Their banter is hilarious, and I also loved Elswyth, who is probably the smartest, and certainly the most sensible character in the book. Highly recommended for fantasy/mystery fans age 10 and up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, September 18, 2005

By 

Neker (Duson, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Never Trust a Dead Man (Mass Market Paperback)

Young adult book about seventeen year old, Selwyn Roweson. The story begins with Selwyn being accused and convicted as a murderer. It's kind of hard to protest when they've gagged your mouth and you have no say in the matter. Because there is no executoner in the small town and the townspeople don't want to have to wait for the authorities, they decide to bury Selwyn with the dead body in a local burial cave. The dead, Farold, was never a friend of Selwyn. As a matter of fact, the two boys were both vying for the hand of the same pretty girl. (She chose Farold.) But when a strange witch shows up inside the dark cave and shows Selwyn the way out (after agreeing to payment), Selwyn finds himself with a chance to find the real killer (with the help of the witch and the dead Farold).

Wittily told. I laughed throughout.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now My Favorite Book, February 11, 2001

By 

NO (Portland, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Trust a Dead Man (Hardcover)

I am about 2-3ds into this book. It is now my favorite book no matter what happens at the end. Poor 17-year old Selwyn is accused of murder because he loved a girl Farold loved. After Selwyn found out that the girl had chosen Farold to be her husband Farold was found dead and stabbed in the back;with Selwyn's knife! Some villigers put him to death in a place he would starve. He met a witch there and now they are trying to figure out who the REAL murderer is. GREAT BOOK!