The Weekend Was Murder [Paperback]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1994

Mary Elizabeth can't wait for the weekend to begin at the Ridley Hotel, where a famous mystery writer and a troupe of actors are coming to enact a murder mystery for 150 amateur sleuths.



Mary Elizabeth's role is to discover "the body" in Room1927, which is supposed to be haunted. But nothing prepares her for the real body that she finds in Room 1927....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest offering from the prolific Nixon is a masterfully constructed, engaging read that will delight mystery fans and challenge readers new to the genre. Tall, klutzy Liz Rafferty is hoping to fade into the scenery during the Hotel Ridley's "murder mystery weekend." But instead of simply performing her mundane summer-job duties as the hotel's health club monitor, she finds herself the center of attention. Being drafted by the acting troupe's leader to be the make-believe witness who discovers the "body" is bad enough, but when a real corpse shows up, Liz has to put aside her insecurities to help solve both murders. Ingeniously plotted, fast-paced and lighthearted, this mystery manages to blend an engrossing double murder brainteaser with the blossoming of a self-conscious teen into a self-assured young woman. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-9-- Mary Elizabeth, main character from The Dark and Deadly Pool (Delacorte, 1987), returns to find another dead body at the place of her employment, the Ridley Hotel. A famous mystery writer and a group of actors come to stage a murder-mystery weekend at the hotel. The fun takes on dangerous overtones when Mary Elizabeth discovers that a real murder has been committed in the midst of the game. In this something-for-everyone story, there are also a ghost and a mysterious woman who is being guarded as she enters a witness-protection program. Mary Elizabeth still has her short but clever boyfriend from the earlier book, and her mother is still very slow on the uptake. Characterization is minimal at best, with most of the adults appearing as silly or foolish or both. Mary Elizabeth herself is a clumsy but cute teen who bumbles her way to the solution of the real crime, with a little help from the ghost, who coincidentally inhabits the room where the murder takes place. The plot is fast paced but overburdened with too many twists and turns. Readers may find themselves confused as the real and imaginary murders merge with each other and with the problem of the woman in witness protection. Mystery fans will probably enjoy trying to solve the various crimes, but the novel is not as satisfying as the previous book. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440219019
• ISBN-13: 978-0440219019
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,092,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Mysteries

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than "The Dark And Deadly Pool.....", July 7, 2002

By 

T (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weekend Was Murder (Paperback)

I really liked Joan Lowery Nixon's "The Weekend Was Murder!" This book is the sequel to her previous book, "The Dark and Deadly Pool," which is another hit! I felt that "The Weekend Was Murder" was better than the first, but was a bit confusing towards the beginning. There are so many names to remember and keep track of, that it takes away from the storyline...

"The Weekend Was Murder" is about a girl named Mary Elizabeth (Liz). She works at the Ridley Hotel as a summer job. One weekend, the hotel hosts a murder-mystery weekend in which a couple hundred people act as sleuths and try to uncover a pre-determined mystery. Liz is one of the actors and is supposed to "find a dead body in one of the hotel rooms." When she finds a real body, it starts to become all too real! Who's the murderer? Is it one of the mystery weekend guests? Could it be the famous mystery author who is running the mystery weekend? Did she get caught-up in her stories and decide to commit real murder? Liz finds herself intertwined in a real murder-mystery in "The Weekend Was Murder!"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Weekend Was Murder!, November 29, 2002

By 

Rain Porter (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weekend Was Murder (Paperback)

Liz Rafferty works at the glamourous Ridley Hotel for another year. She thought nothing could happen as awful as it did last year, but she is wrong. When a Murder Mystery Weekend is set up at the Ridley Hotel, everything seems okay. Except for the night when a real murder takes place! And a ghost lurking inside the room! Liz must find out, with her boyfriend, Fran, and her best friend, Tina, who has been planning the evil happenings at the hotel and what's the deadly secret is lurking inside that room.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ainslie, March 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Weekend Was Murder (Paperback)

I loved this book it was exelent! I hate to read but this book was just so good i would read it again