Synopsis
From his favorite perch in a cherry tree, Rob sees a murder committed, but when he tells his preoccupied family, no one will believe him. "Taut with suspense, this spell-binding story carries the reader along".--Booklist, starred review.
Children's Literature
Librarians, check your shelves! Middle school teachers, reexamine your reading lists! If you don't have the 1975 original of this fast-paced mystery, rectify the situation with this attractive new edition. Students will love the frantic and sometimes funny efforts of eleven-year-old Rob as he tries to stay alive through the weekend of his oldest sister's wedding. Rob has witnessed the murder of his elderly neighbor, and the murderer is now after him. In a refreshing change for children's literature, the young protagonist does not appear to be devoid of parents. Rob sees his parents, especially his father, as a source of salvation. Unfortunately, Rob's father is called away from the house to mediate Uncle Ray's legal troubles. His mother is too busy to discuss anything except the wedding. Rob's decision to pursue this mystery alone is made out of desperation rather than typical curiosity. The climax finds Rob outmaneuvering the killer with a jar of spiders in the upstairs of an old house, while a fire burns downstairs. Readers will delight in the constant action and suspense of this spirited mystery. 1998 (orig.