Who Killed Darius Drake?
The Blue Sky Press
ISBN 9780545789783
eISBN 9780545789806
ASIN B06X9G41KP
A month ago I was having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said this Freak the Mighty, no hesitation, no pause just an immediate answer. I looked it up later in the day and discovered there was two books in that series and also a movie. While working on the review of the first Mighty book, I found at least a dozen I was interested in just from the titles. So this is the fifth volume by Rodman I have read in as many weeks, and every time I read one the list of ones I want to read grows! I have now compiled a list of all books published by Philbrick, under his various pen names. I enjoyed that first one so much I had picked up 3 other volumes by Philbrick before I even finished it! And by the time I had read three I had picked up nearly a dozen.
I have been publishing reviews for 21 years now, first in papers and magazines and then on my blog and other platforms. I continue to read and write reviews because I must. I am a dyslexic bibliophile. I have tagged Scholastic over 450 times on my blog for reviews of books, or for my Top Ten Lists each quarter or year. I was greatly surprised I had not encountered Philbrick, it was absolutely my loss. Back to the book at hand. The description of this volume state:
“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.”
The back cover of the print edition of the book states:
“For Arthur Bash, the mystery all begins with a letter, written in blood, threatening his geeky classmate Darius Drake. For the price of two candy bars, Arthur agrees to his usual job of thug-for-hire, but in this case, Darius is secretly pulling him into a much more dangerous task than scaring kids at school. Orphaned when his parents were killed in a car crash, Darius uncovers clues that lure both boys into a web of lies, corruption, and conflicting tales about Darius’s family and their long-ago connection to a still-missing treasure worth millions. Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick presents a page-turning story that will absorb readers as it reveals the complexities of greed, deception, family ties, and friendship. Who killed Darius Drake? And why?”
About the author in another volume we are informed:
“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.”
This story is a little book school story, a little bit buddy story, a little bit broken family and a whole lot of mystery. This is a fast paced mystery. The events appear to take place over a few days, at least the main story. We are led by the indomitable Darius Drake who receives a letter in blood asking who killed him? SO he grabs the school goon who works for chocolate bars, a thug for hire, Arthur Bash. But soon Arthur finds himself drawn into a story a hundred years in the making. The missing Dunbar diamonds, parents killed in a car crash 10 years earlier, A grandfather not long out of jail. When we throw in a step sister and rick business tycoon and a scared and disfigured Excon, you end up with one awesome story. But in their rush to find the diamonds the kids just might forget about safety. Read this excellent story to find out what happens.
This is another excellent story from Philbrick’s masterful pen. It reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements or Gordon Korman, Tony Abbott, and Dan Gutman. All of whom I loved and have read numerous stories. Because of the various genres he writes in I am beginning to think of him as an American Arthur Slade. I am really surprised I had not encountered the author previously. These first five books are so great; I might just end up reading everything from the author. After reading more Philbrick I am also being reminded more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.
This is one of those excellent stories for middle grade or tween readers. It is even strong enough for us older folks for I am in my mid 50’s and could not put it down and read it over an afternoon, over several mugs of tea. It is an excellent story, one I can easily recommend. And I know I will be reading more by Philbrick and the various names he publishes under!
Books by Rodman Philbrick:
Max the Mighty Series:
Freak the Mighty (1993)
Max the Mighty (1998)
…
House on Cherry Street Series: (with Lynn Harnett)
1. The Haunting (1995)
2. The Horror (1995)
3. The Final Nightmare (1995)
…
Werewolf Chronicles Series: (with Lynn Harnett)
1. Night Creature (1996)
2. Children of the Wolf (1996)
3. The Wereing (1996)
…
Visitors Series: (with Lynn Harnett)
1. Strange Invaders (1997)
2. Things (1997)
3. Brain Stealers (1997)
…
Wild Series:
1. Wildfire (2019)
2. Wild River (2021)
3. Wild Wave (2024)
4. Wild Blizzard (2026)
…
Other Books:
Shooting Star (1982)
The Black Moon (1989)
Brothers and Sinners (1993)
The Fire Pony (1996)
Abduction (1998) (with Lynn Harnett)
The Mighty (1998)
Dark Matter (2000)
Rem World (2000)
The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds (2001)
Coffins (2002)
The Young Man and the Sea (2004)
Lobster Boy (2005)
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009)
Listening To Kids In America (2011)
Zane and the Hurricane (2014)
The Big Dark (2016)
Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)
We Own the Sky (2022)
…
Written as William R Dantz:
Pulse (1989) (as by William R Dantz)
The Seventh Sleeper (1991) (as by William R Dantz)
Hunger (1993) (as by William R Dantz)
Nine Levels Down (1995) (as by William R Dantz)
Written as by W R Philbrick:
The Big Chip (1990) (as by W R Philbrick)
…
J.D. Hawkins Series:
1. Shadow Kills (1985)
2. Ice for the Eskimo (1986)
3. Paint It Black (1989)
4. Walk on the Water (1991)
…
T.D. Stash Series:
1. The Neon Flamingo (1987)
2. The Crystal Blue Persuasion (1988)
3. Tough Enough (1989)
…
Written as by Chris Jordan:
Randall Shane Series:
1. Taken (2006)
2. Trapped (2007)
aka Lost
3. Torn (2009)
4. Measure of Darkness (2011)
…
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