Jun 30 2009
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt, a review
I received this book as a review copy. It’s a young adult book and a mystery. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it because I don’t read a whole lot of young adult books and I don’t read a whole lot of mystery books –I find them to be too formulaic. But Susan Runholt’s novel was fantastic, if you can suspend your disbelief for the few hours that it takes you to read this novel.
This novel is about two 14 year old girls that are best friends - Lucas and Kari. While visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, they notice a mysterious man copying a Rembrandt painting. Their suspicions are aroused when the man yells at them for disturbing him. Thanks to Lucas’ photographic memory, they recognize the same man copying another Rembrandt painting in London (at the National Gallery), even though he is wearing a pretty decent disguise. This confirms that something absolutely wierd and fishy is going on when a third Lucretia painting (the Lucretia paintings were done by Rembrandt) surfaces in Amsterdam and so sets out their plan to solve the mystery of the third Lucretia: is the real thing or a forgery?. Kari’s mother is a journalist who travels all over the world, so this is a perfect set-up for the girls to solve this mystery and break it to the press.
This book was fun and did a great job intertwining international locales, culture and art history. She also includes topics such as women’s rights, the Quarter in Amsterdam (where drugs and prostitution are legalized and sold in the open), and other topics. Surprisingly, she handles them tactfully and explains them in a way that a young adult, teen or tween would understand, but without being too salacious or explicit about what goes on in the “bad” part of Amsterdam. Ms. Runholt tells the story through Kari - it’s told in the first person from Kari’s perspective - and Ms. Runholt doesn’t drop the ball at any point in using this voice. Kari sounds as any American fourteen year old should and Ms. Runholt doesn’t ever trip over the words or the voice. It’s wonderful and refreshing and was done magnificently! I loved the story too - it moved at the right pace. It wasn’t too long or too short and was just plain a joy to read.
I would highly recommend this to anyone with children!
Book 42/100
