Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt (A Kari + Lucas Mystery)

The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (Kari + Lucas Mystery) "This is the story of how two teenagers from Minnesota lived a tale of adventure involving a woman from ancient Rome, a seventeenth-century painter, forgery and murder, abduction and rescue, disguises and deductions, two continents, three museums, four countries, a criminal hideaway, and two nuns from Amsterdam's famous Quarter."
-The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt

I was intrigued by this book from the start. Books with museums, child detectives, art fraud and adventures have always come through for me, ever since I stumbled upon E.L. Konigsburg's The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

I don't want to reveal too much about this book and think that the passage above tells you everything that you need to know. If it intrigues you, then I recommend that you get yourself a copy of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. I'll limit myself to two sentences. The writing, characters, and adventure will not disappoint. I promise. That's it.

If you're not drawn to the book, then it's likely not a fit. No worries - there will be plenty of other books for you and plenty of readers for these Kari + Lucas mysteries. I hadn't mentioned that The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is the first in a series, but it is! I love series books because I can get invested in the characters knowing that even if the book ends the adventures don't. The second of the series came out on August 20, 2009. The third is still in the works.

Though I didn't tell you much about The Mystery of the Third Lucretia, if you'd like to learn more, you might enjoy reading Susan Runholt's post on how the book came about because of her daughter Annalisa. And how Annalisa helped her come up with the book.

Here's a little more about Susan Runholt, from her website:

Susan Runholt shares her teenage heroines' love of art and travel and commitment to feminism. She has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and Africa, and lived in Amsterdam and Paris, working as a bank clerk and an au pair. She's also been a waitress, a maid, a motel desk clerk, a laundress, a caterer, and director of programming for South Dakota Public Television.

For the past two decades she has lived in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she serves as a fundraising consultant for social service and arts organizations. She was named runner-up for the Debut Dagger Award by the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain for The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. Her next mystery in the Kari and Lucas series, Rescuing Seneca Crane, will be published by Viking Children's Books in summer 2009.

Visit Susan Runholt's blog to read about her, her daughter and what she's working on now.

1 comment:

  1. Hi, I found your blog through LT awhile ago and can't believe I wasn't already following you. I've corrected the oversight. :)

    The Mystery of the Third Lucretia sounds fascinating! I haven't read the Konigsburg mysteries either, but I do like the Artemis Fowl mysteries. Thanks for turning me on the some new series!

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