Who Killed Darius Drake?: A Mystery

From Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick comes a delicious, fast-paced whodunit about two socially outcast boys who set out to find jewels hidden for a century--and unwittingly flush out a murderer.

In award-winner Philbrick's new page-turning mystery, Arthur "Bash Man" is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius's estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves -- and in the process, they discover that the car crash that killed Darius's parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next?Where are the diamonds? And who is stalking the boys? In his first mystery for children, Philbrick delivers yet another suspenseful, unpredictable tale filled with twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.

Author: Rodman Philbrick
Publisher: Blue Sky Press (AZ)
Published: 09/26/2017
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.66lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780545789783
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.9
Point Value: 5
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 191484 / Who Killed Darius Drake?


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2017
School Library Journal 08/01/2017
Booklist 08/01/2017 pg. 65
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2017
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2018 pg. 86
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2018 pg. 120 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick has written more than a dozen novels for young readers. In 1993, he published his first children's book, Freak the Mighty, which became an instant classic, and was made into a feature film. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. Philbrick's other acclaimed novels include Max the Mighty, The Young Man and the Sea, The Last Book in the Universe, Zane and the Hurricane, and Wildfire. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys. You can learn more about him on his website: rodmanphilbrick.com.