P.C. Hawke Mysteries: The Surfing Corpse - Book #2 [Paperback]

Paul Zindel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1900 | Age Level: 1 and up | Series: P.C. Hawke Mysteries

P.C. And Mackenzie`s junior class trip ends in disaster when practically all the kids witness classmate Timmy Warner plunge to his death over a 300-foot waterfall. But several months later, the class vice president swears that he`s seen Timmy at Venice Beach, California. P.C. And Mackenzie follow a trail of clues that evolve from deception to abduction to a second murder - and a life-and-death chase along the cliffs of Malibu Canyon.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-Graduates of the Cam Jansen or Something Queer series of detective stories who are too young to move into adult who-dunits or who have weak reading skills make a likely audience for this addition to Paul Zindel's P.C. Hawke mysteries. The stand-out feature of this audio version of The Surfing Corpse (Hyperion, 2001) is the narration by Jeff Woodman whose impeccable diction and enormous talent for using slight shadings of voice, accent, and tone manage to convey a different personality for every voice in the story. The plot, range of characters, and current teen language make this a book that will appeal to young teenagers whose reading tastes are not too sophisticated. The likable main characters, P.C. and his friend Mackenzie Riggs, come complete with a sure-fire personal quirk to warn of things not right that will remind readers of brace-tapping or photographic memory gimmicks from the series mentioned above. The teen characters have absolute freedom to pursue their suspicions by plane, motor scooter, and surfboard with no qualms whatsoever on the part of parents or school. A fairly gruesome crime scene early in the story is not described in any detail, but the implications are there for listeners to discern, so this might not be a good choice for readers below middle school even though the story line would make it appealing. For collections that need current teen reading for lower reading and comprehension levels, this title will work well and make entertaining listening.
Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, Painted Post, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Paul Zindel is the best-selling author of many books for teens, including the classic The Pigman. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his play, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-on-the-Moon Marigolds. Most recently, he has turned to writing his very popular horror novels, including Loch, The Doom Stone, Rats, and Night of the Bat. Paul Zindel lives in New Jersey. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Paperback: 167 pages
• Publisher: Volo (January 1, 1900)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786817119
• ISBN-13: 978-0786817115
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #882,719 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 A Guaranteed Read-Aloud Hit, November 4, 2001

By 

"mhsmedia" (Kinnelon, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Surfing Corpse (P.C. Hawke Mysteries) (Paperback)

I am reading this title aloud to my 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students. They moan and beg for just a little more everytime I tell them that we are out of time and they will have to come back next week to find out what happens in the next chapter. They love the snappy dialogue and are now borrowing every Paul Zindel book we own or can borrow from other libraries.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The thrilling second book in the series., July 7, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Surfing Corpse (P.C. Hawke Mysteries) (Paperback)

P.C. and Mackenzie, along with the rest of their class, saw Timmy Warner fall to his death over a three hundred foot waterfall. But unlike the others, they don't accept it as a simple accident. When they suspect his angry mother may be involved, they follow her all the way across the country to L.A., where they meet Timmy's sister and discover that his mother is trying to use the supernatural to contact her dead son. Then one day at the beach, they see a shocking site. The dyed hair doesn't fool P.C. and Mackenzie. The surfer they saw is Timmy. At first they think the death was staged in order to collect insurance money. But the real reason will truly shock them. Fans of the first book about P.C. and Mackenzie won't want to miss this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Book review for: The Surfing Corpse (By Paul Zindel), March 14, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: P.C. Hawke Mysteries: The Surfing Corpse - Book #2 (Paperback)

I thought this was a very good book. I'm gald I decided to read it, it was well worth my time. What made the book most interesting was it's plot and especially it's characters.

This book is abut two kids named PC and Makenzie. they live in New York City and work together in solving mysteries. When they're on a field trip at a waterfall, a student supposedly falls of edge of the falls. PC and Makenzie think the kid's mother did it at first, but when they take a trip to Las Angeles to investigate, they are convinced otherwise...

One of my favorite things about the book was it's main characters. PC Hawke and his 'partner', Makenzie were just two regular middle schoolers, but they did lots of crime investigations and got to go to lots of places.

I thought they were really lucky when they got to go to L.A. to solve a murder mystery.I liked how PC and Makenzie were extremely nosy and were always getting themselves into trouble. The other characters made the story interesting, too. I thought that the mother of the student who fell of the waterfall was very entertaining and sort of funny.

The other thing that made the book great was the plot. It had all sorts of unexpected twists and turns.The whole story you had no idea of what was going to come next. My favorite part of the entire story was at the very end, when PC and makenzie were trying to be killed by a group of people.It was very intense, but turned out good.

I strongly recomend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery book with twists and turns all throughout it. It's a great book and i'm happy I read it.