The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Reviewed by Christian C.

When you think of games, what do you think of? Having fun? Playing with your best friends? Or maybe even video games? Well, this is a whole ‘nother level.  The sixteen heirs of  millionaire Samuel W. Westing have been invited to stay at an apartment building by a man named Barney Northrup. Among them is a possible murderer who might have killed the millionaire, and their goal is to figure out who that might be. 

In The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, sixteen equally important heirs come to solve a mystery that can lead to millions of dollars. They receive a letter from a mysterious man named Barney Northrup, inviting them to stay at Sunset Towers. Next to Sunset Towers is a huge mansion owned by Samuel W. Westing. Rumors say that Samuel Westing is lying dead on the floor of his house. Turtle Wexler, an heir, has been dared to go into this “haunted” mansion on Halloween night if the rumor is true. She spots the corpse and screams running as fast as she can outside. Her experience goes onto the newspaper that the dead body has been found. This is the start of the game, The Westing Game. The heirs are  invited to go to the Westing House to listen to the reading of his will. Eight pairs of heirs are made and each pair has been given a clue to who the murderer might be. Will they find out who the murderer is, or not?

One reason why I loved this mysterious book is because of its unpredictability. For example, in one of the clues Samuel Westing wrote, “It is not what you have, it’s what you don’t have that counts.” So as the heirs think they know who the murderer might be, they again realize that it is what they don’t have that counts. I never knew what was going to happen next, even though I sometimes thought I did.

Another reason why I enjoyed this wonderful book is because of its humor. At first, when I got recommended this book, I thought that it would be too serious. But later on in the story it became extremely funny and I was laughing out loud. For example, as a bomber nearly kills people, the heirs have to figure out who that might be. One of the heirs suggests that the heir Flora Baumbach was the criminal,  because the start of her last name had what sounded like the word bomb!

I would give this exciting book a 10/10 and would recommend this book to murder mystery lovers. It is an intriguing book and keeps you wanting to read. I personally loved this book, and you will too. So don’t wait before it’s too late -- go grab this fabulous book at your local library or online!

Puffin Books, 182 pages