The Horizontal Man: Finnegan Zwake #1 (Finnegan Zwake Mysteries) [Paperback]

Michael Dahl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Series: Finnegan Zwake Mysteries (Book 1)

I DON'T KNOW WHY I FELT SICK. I MEAN, YES, IT WAS THE FIRST DEAD BODY I EVER SAW. BUT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE COMFORTABLE. AFTER ALL, MY WHOLE FAMILY LIKES DEAD THINGS....

Thirteen-year-old Finnegan Zwake is staying with his Uncle Stoppard, a bestselling mystery writer, and still hoping his parents will return from an archaeological expedition in Iceland. They disappeared there several years ago.

Life with his uncle is fairly normal -- until the day Finn discovers a body in the basement. A dead body. It's in the storage area where Finn's parents left behind gold treasure from their last expedition. And missing from the storage space is a magnificent Mayan gold figure, the Horizontal Man....

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 4-8-Finnegan Zwake is a 13-year-old with a nose for mystery and adventure. His parents, archaeologists believed to be lost in Iceland, have left a storeroom full of Mexican treasure and their son in the care of his quirky uncle, mystery-author Stoppard Sterling. The goods begin to disappear, leaving two murders and tons of mayhem in their wake. Finnegan's mind is soon working overtime concocting likely scenarios as he becomes entangled in the complex, tightly woven plot. The author is an able wordsmith and the mystery is chock-full of entertaining conundrums. Relationships such as the gentle rivalry between Uncle Stoppard and fellow mystery writer Mona Trafalgar-Squeer provide literary punch and plenty of opportunity to read between the lines. Though the Finnegan's "what-if" musings get somewhat tiresome and readers will have to wait till the end for most of the action, those with a predilection for detail and drama will enjoy this bouncy tale of mystery and intrigue.
Lisa Denton, J. S. Russell JHS, Lawrenceville, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Dahl's captivating, clever, often funny mystery is a winner. Twelve-year-old Finnegan Zwake has been living with his Uncle Stoppard, a famous mystery writer, since his parents disappeared. The discovery of a rodent-chewed body in a basement storage room plunges both Finnegan and his uncle into a mystery involving Mayan treasures, family secrets, and multiple crimes that continually weave new intrigue into the puzzle. The suspects are a mottled tapestry of tenants, any of whom would make a perfectly believable villain. Finnegan and his uncle are tremendously appealing characters. Eccentric, witty, and ingenious, they work together and separately to unravel subtle clues that keep the plot spinning toward an exciting resolution. Dahl is a skillful storyteller: his gruesomely humorous corpse is a suitable hook for readers; Finnegan's behavior and analyses are both interesting and age-appropriate; and clumsy, brilliant, absent-minded Uncle Stoppard, who tells bad puns, makes an endearing foil to fearless, inquisitive Finnegan. Dahl concludes the story with an invitation to a sequel rich with possibilities. Roger Leslie --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416986685
• ISBN-13: 978-1416986683
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,378,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Dahl is the author of more than 200 books for children and young adults. His nonfiction has won the AEP Distinguished Achievement Award three times. His Finnegan Zwake mystery series published by Simon & Schuster won rave reviews and two of its titles were shortlisted for the Edgar and the Anthony Mystery Awards. He has written The Everything Kid's Joke Book as well as Gotcha Covered! (with Kathleen Baxter from School Library Journal) on nonfiction books that get kids excited about reading. Dahl is the Editorial Director for Stone Arch Books based in Minneapolis, where his books have won national design awards and been selected by the Junior Library Guild. His fantasy series, The Library of Doom, is the most-read series by hi-lo readers across the country. He has spoken at numerous schools, libraries, bookstores, and conferences inn the US and UK, including ALA, AASL, Renaissance Learning, TLA and IRA. He lives in a haunted house.