Ellen Raskin (1928–1984)

I don't know how I missed out on reading The Westing Game a kid. Maybe it just wasn't available at my library which didn't have a lot of contemporary (at the time) books. Reading it as an adult, I didn't even feel like it was a watered-down or dumbed-down version of a mystery for younger readers. Very clever. However, it was published in the 1970s, so there are some outdated phrases or views regarding race and disabilities, such as describing an Asian as "inscrutable" or Mongoloid instead of Downs Syndrome. In spite of this, an enjoyable read and Turtle is definitely a memorable character.… (more)

"The Westing Game" is like a 1970s middle-grade novel version of "Knives Out" with a splash of "Mr. Limoncello's Library" - and is so charmingly clever! There is so much that builds a great atmosphere here: the sprawling cast of quirky characters; the Halloween-into-winter setting; the word puzzles and clues that (while tricky) are still solvable by the reader; good old fashioned red herrings; and just this great vein of whimsy that runs through the story. It's goofy at times, but never panders to the audience. It's piled with characters, clues, and facts, but never unnecessarily cluttered. Every word counts and feels important here. If I had read this as a kid my Agatha Christie-loving self would have made it a personality trait.
I think really the only weakness is simply the books datedness, specifically in terms of how Raskin writes about disability. One character has a physical disability that is discussed in fairly ableist terms. Another character works to "cure" the disabled character, and a line near the end mentions future family members hesitating to have their own kids in case the disability is passed on.
Despite that, I think the book has a lot to enjoy, especially if you're someone who likes puzzle-y books with plenty of layers and characters. This is the perfect time of year to read "The Westing Game" and try and solve the mystery!… (more)