The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #3)

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The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (The Mysterious Benedict Society #3)

by Trenton Lee Stewart (Goodreads Author), Del Roy (Narrator)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 10,163 ratings · 860 reviews

IF YOU FAIL,
ALL IS
LOST.

Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them...more

Audio CD, 9 pages

Published October 27th 2009 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published October 2009)

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May 29, 2013 03KaeleyS rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this mysterious book called The Mysterious Benedict Society and the prisoners dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart. This book is some what Mysterious and Some what adventurous. This story starts with all four children Kate, Reynie, Sticky, and Constance. All these children live in Mr. Benedict's home in a small, quiet town. the house they live in is perfectly guarded, and extremely safe place to life. One fine afternoon Mr. benedict's twin brother pays a visit to try and convince him to use this m...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Ella rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Constance finds out that she is adopted, she runs away out of sadness. She can’t control her emotions, and can’t think of anything else to do. All the grownups in the house go out on a search party to find her, leaving Kate, Sticky and Reynie home alone. All seems well until a mysterious vehicle arrives at the house. They soon find out that Mr Curtain is out to capture them. The children attempt to run away. In the process, they find Constance but unfortunately get captured as well. They ge...more When Constance finds out that she is adopted, she runs away out of sadness. She can’t control her emotions, and can’t think of anything else to do. All the grownups in the house go out on a search party to find her, leaving Kate, Sticky and Reynie home alone. All seems well until a mysterious vehicle arrives at the house. They soon find out that Mr Curtain is out to capture them. The children attempt to run away. In the process, they find Constance but unfortunately get captured as well. They get taken to an abandoned prison, where Constance is able to send “mental messages” to Mr Benedict. He soon finds them, and through all the children’s teamwork, they manage to escape, and send Mr Curtain and the Ten Men to jail.

One theme in my book was power. I think this theme was very important, because Mr Benedict and Mr Curtain both had the power to run a very important machine – The Whisperer. The Whisperer was a machine that could control other people’s minds, and if it got into the wrong hands, it could do a lot of damage. Mr Curtain was the antagonist, therefore he wanted to rule the world, and control people’s minds. Mr Benedict was trying to prevent him from doing this. Mr Curtain also “ruled” certain people, and had a lot of power over them. A quote from the book that shows power is “S.Q.! Come to the rear end of the prison at once – at once S.Q.! Do not make me –““But?” Mr Curtain snapped. “But? You may not say ‘but’ to me, S.Q. Pedelian!” This quote shows power because Mr Curtain obviously ruled over S.Q., and didn't like him very much.

Another theme that shows in the book is rivalry. I think this theme was very important, because there was lots of rivalry between Mr Benedict and Mr Curtain. They were long lost identical twins, but had completely different minds and personalities. They were against each other. Mr Curtain wanted to rule the world and brainwash people, but Mr Benedict was trying to stop him from doing that. A quote that shows rivalry is “How dare you tell me when anything is finished, Benedict? No! No! No! I shall tell you when it is over right now!” And flipping a switch on his wheelchair, he glared at Mr Benedict with such hideous intensity that it was alarming even to look at his face. (Page 354) This quote shows rivalry, because Mr Curtain was getting mad at Mr Benedict, and clearly hates his brother.

Another theme in the book was teamwork. This occurred most in the book, because the whole book was about trying to work as a team, and the children had to work together to escape Mr Curtain. One quote that shows teamwork is “I’m not counting on me this time, I promise. I’m counting on us.”(Page 281) This quote shows teamwork because Kate knew that she couldn’t do it by herself, but she needed the others as well.

I thought my book was engaging because it used very descriptive language. There were many words that I had never heard before, and enjoyed learning, and trying to remember the meanings. Some examples of descriptive words that I learned were: bureaucratic, egomaniac, and naïveté. I had never heard some of these words before, and I learned the meanings!

I think this book is good for a 6th or 7th grader. I think it is a good book because most of the time it was captivating. For example when one chapter was finished, it would sometimes be a cliff-hanger, and leave you wondering what would happen next. I think this is a very good style of writing because it makes you want to read more, and you can’t put the book down. These bits in the book were very exciting, but sometimes the book got a bit boring. The story would slow down, and nothing much would be happening. Luckily, soon the story would pick up again, and make you want more. Another good aspect of the story (as I already said) was it had many descriptive words. The story was filled with vocabulary, and made you want to learn the definition! This means that the book was also somewhat educational as well as exhilarating.
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Dec 11, 2012 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books

This is the third (and final) book in the series. After the Mysterious Benedict Society escaped from the island, life has been pretty dull and boring. Everyone's confined to Mr. Benedict's house for safety. But then Mr. Curtain takes out the whole power system of Stonetown, it's up to the four children to save everyone. But the Ten Men are closing in on them, and Mr. Curtain has his own nefarious plans. Once again, this book has plenty of riddles and puzzles, and I wanted to share a particularly...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Justin Chen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisonner's Dilemma
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Price:$16.99
ISBN#:978-0-316-05777-6

How would you feel if you were threatened by an evil that forced you apart from you family and your friends? Forced to be kept at a safehouse surrounded by security, but luckily, you are with your parents and 4 of your closest friends. In the novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, 4 friends with strange abilities are protected from an evil ca...more Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisonner's Dilemma
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Price:$16.99
ISBN#:978-0-316-05777-6

How would you feel if you were threatened by an evil that forced you apart from you family and your friends? Forced to be kept at a safehouse surrounded by security, but luckily, you are with your parents and 4 of your closest friends. In the novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, 4 friends with strange abilities are protected from an evil called Mr. Curtain; an evil that has tried to get rid of them to get to his twin brother, Mr. Benedict, the mentor of the 4 friends. What the 4 friends and Mr. Benedict don't know is that Mr. Curtain doesn't want them – he wants to possess the Whisperer which is in the hands of his twin brother, Mr. Benedict. If the Whisperer has fallen into the wrong hands – The Mysterious Benedict Society will be no more. Chaos reigns upon everyone, and for the 4 friends they will not let that happen even if it costs one of their lives.

This magnificent book is the last book to a 3-book trilogy that is written by Trenton Lee Stewart, a creative yet challenging author. A writer that makes his words come to life and makes you feel like your there with Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. In the book, the 4 friends come across strange events that are unusual. For example, a shady businessman appears at the safehouse, Mr. Benedict’s house, and claims to be Constance’s father. Confused by this event, Mr. Benedict operates the Whisperer to uncover Constance’s past and to see if that man is really Constance’s father. The Whisperer is a weapon that can tap into anyone’s mind and play around with it; it can be used for good or for evil. As this weird event has happened, Constance is frightened and confused and then runs away from the safehouse. Now Reynie, Sticky, Kate, with their strange abilities have to find Constance before the villainous Mr. Curtain does, but now Mr. Curtain has the right opportunity to steal the Whisperer and use it for his own evil purposes.

While reading this book, I felt a mix of emotions; I felt sad, happy, angry, confused. Yet this book gave me action, mystery, and drama. It was like the book made me play a movie inside my head as I read along with the book. I would recommend this book to any mystery seekers who really want a book that leaves you puzzled and who want challenging vocabulary.

To me this book is an experience that will leave you thinking every time you put down the book. Something you cannot miss out on. It is like a really exciting mystery movie that you have to watch and cannot miss out on. This book sure isn’t a movie, but this is a book with words that come to life and portray a movie in your head. If you have been drawn in by what I’ve said this book is for you – get it now.
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Jul 23, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was sadly disappointed by this book. In book one and two all of the characters grow and mature in someway or another. However, in this final installment I felt that there was very little maturing at all. I loved Constance in the other books, her actions seemed appropriate for her age and she even grew up quite a bit. However, in this final book she's four years old and she acts like she is once again a two year old. It would have been fine if he had left her age at three-I can fathom a three y...more I was sadly disappointed by this book. In book one and two all of the characters grow and mature in someway or another. However, in this final installment I felt that there was very little maturing at all. I loved Constance in the other books, her actions seemed appropriate for her age and she even grew up quite a bit. However, in this final book she's four years old and she acts like she is once again a two year old. It would have been fine if he had left her age at three-I can fathom a three year old occasionally acting like a two year old or a four year old acting like a three year old-but when a child is young like that- two years at that age is a HUGE difference!

I felt that this book also focused too much on just Constance. The other characters seemed just thrown in there- an afterthought. The balance between the four of them is what attracted me to the books in the first place. I do not feel that this book should not have been titled the Mysterious Benedict Society- it should have been titled "Constance Contraire- and the people at her beck and call." I did NOT like the new Constance! Giving her Mind Control seemed a like a terrible way to handle things. I liked the fact that she could figure out patterns of what was going to happen next in book two- it seemed like a feasible, realistic, and intelligent decision. I felt that giving a child like her mind control was a foolish idea- she already has enough demons to deal with (ie her temper, laziness and impatience) with out adding that on top of it. Giving her mind control villianized her, in more ways than one, first- Mr. Stewart undermined one of the very important principles that was so highly elaborated upon in book one and two- freedom of thought and freedom from being controlled. So it was ok, for a willful four year old to use it to her advantage, but not Mr. Curtain, our main villain? I'm not just talking about the Ice Cream incident- I'm referring to using it against her enemies as well. It defeated the whole mission of the Benedict Society.

Another element that suffered, due to the lack of foresight on the part of the author, was the plot. Because Constance was given mind control it made their escapes a lot less ingenious and harrowing. It was lazy and this book was rushed. Don't get me wrong- I loved the first two books. However, in my opinion the reader would be better off just reading the first two and imagining that our characters lived happily ever after, rather than read this sad excuse for a conclusion. I will probably read the prequel though, given the enormous amount of talent that was obvious in the first two books. (less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Indah Widianto rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-books

kamis 5/7 (2:14 pm)

setelah sekiaaan lama, akhirnya semalam gua kelar juga baca buku yang satu ini :p

and menurut gua baca nih seri dari buku 1 lalu lanjut ke buku kedua dan ketiga itu, tepat sekali menjelaskan tentang teori David Ricardo tentang tingkat kepuasan yang menurun :D

artinyaa? yaa.. buku satu bikin bereaksi macam, "huaa, nih buku bagus bangets! jadi pengen baca buku2 selanjutnya!", terus pas baca buku kedua, reaksinya tuh gini, "oh, bagus juga, kira2 selanjutnya gimana ya?" and pas baca...more

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May 19, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this supposedly last book of the MBS series, I thought it was very clever how the title was incorporated into the story. Mr. Benedict continues to try and stimulate the superior intellects of his young charges, and is always giving them clever mind games and puzzles to solve. In the opening pages, the four kids are divided into two teams and presented with a "Prisoner's Dilemma"--they are given 3 scenarios with different consequences, and each team must decide not only which scenario they wou...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Spencer Brokaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently read The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, the third and final book in the trilogy. The story focuses on extraordinarily smart kids Reynie, Sticky, Constance, and Kate. When the power goes off in the city of Stonetown, the children investigate and problems begin to arise. Out of the books, I'd say this is my second favorite, the first being my least. The books gradually got better, although the plot isn't as strong as the second book, which remains my all-time f...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, appealing-characteristic-character, appealing-characteristic-story, audiobook, part-of-a-series, young-adult

I do like Del Roy. I think he's s good match for this series. He doesn't do major voice changes for each character, but he shifts just enough to let you know who's speaking.
Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance are at it again. They've been locked up since the last book, trying to keep them protected from Mr. Curtain. Unfortunately, Mr. Curtain hasn't been exposed as a villain (the government deciding that the general public didn't need to know about his nefarious plots) which means that he has bee...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, my-library, mystery-suspense-read, series

My Summary: Almost 6 months after their narrow escape from Mr. Curtain, the Mysterious Benedict Society find themselves living together in Mr. Benedict's house. Due to the unknown whereabouts of Mr. Curtain and the belief that the children's lives would be in jeopardy, the Society and their families have spent the last few months stuck inside the old house. All is well, if a little boring.

But when the government starts demanding Mr. Benedict return the Whisperer to their custody, things start to...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, youth

A fun, fast read, even for adults. However, I cannot pretend that it is anywhere as good as The Mysterious Benedict Society, or even quite as good as book #2, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. The situations are increasingly strained as far as believability, as well as being simply less weighty than the original book's. Certain elements - Mr. Benedict's narcolepsy at inopportune moments, Milligan's ridiculous tendency towards injury, etc - are becoming rather rote at this...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Shana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I've flown through another one of these books, the last, I think. In some ways, I feel the author is honing his skills but in others, not so much. Trenton Lee Stewart did manage the readers emotions with dexterity, though, naturally, it must be easier given that anyone reading this third book is likely invested in the characters by this point or else they'd have stopped reading the series. Still, it's no mean feat to make your readers really care and, as an extension, really fear for the c...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Lisa Wolf rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s

A terrific end to a terrific trilogy! The Mysterious Benedict Society books are unique in the current children's book market -- a group of smart kids solve problems and basically save the world, and there's no witchcraft, magical powers, or supernatural beings anywhere in sight. The children in the MBS books use brain power to solve puzzles and outsmart their enemies, and the adults in their world trust them and support them enough to let them do what they need to do. I love the fact that the ch...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Bryan Murdock rated it 5 of 5 stars

Still trying to keep up with what my 10-year old is reading. This may be the best book in the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. It's more concise than the previous two and gets right into the action. As I got near the end last night I couldn't put it down. The society is on their game in this one, and they have to be because so are the bad guys. It still makes you think to solve some riddles, but there is more of just, "how are they going to get out of this one?"

I hesitated a little to recomm...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Ciara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books, read-in-2011

i thought this, the final book in the trilogy, was a lot stronger than the second one. it is set about six months after the conclusion of the last book. the children are living with their families in mr. benedict's house because mr. benedict is concerned that mr. curtain will try to kidnap them again. mr. benedict also knows that mr. curtain wants to steal back the whisperer in order to control the world. he's set up all kinds of alarm systems & guards to protect the children & the whisp...more i thought this, the final book in the trilogy, was a lot stronger than the second one. it is set about six months after the conclusion of the last book. the children are living with their families in mr. benedict's house because mr. benedict is concerned that mr. curtain will try to kidnap them again. mr. benedict also knows that mr. curtain wants to steal back the whisperer in order to control the world. he's set up all kinds of alarm systems & guards to protect the children & the whisperer. he is also setting constance various tasks to see what she can do with her telepathic abilities.

an evil associate of mr. curtain's visits to inform mr. benedict that he is constance's real father. constance flips & demands to have her repressed memories of her real origins extracted by the whisperer. mr. benedict relents, as it's the only way to avoid having constance stolen by the evil associate. i thought constance's back story was super interesting. unfortunately, it discombobulates her & she ends up running away. one of mr. benedict's guards is a spy for mr. curtain & lets her go, thinking it will be easier for mr. curtain to abduct her this way.

while the adults are out searching for constance, mr. curtain creates a city-wide power outage. kate, sticky, & reynie take cover in the cellar of the house across the street while mr. curtain's henchmen bulldoze over mr. benedict's fence & steal back the whisperer...while replacing it with a sabotaged decoy to get mr. benedict in trouble with the government. the kids manage to get their mitts on some clues that lead the way to mr. curtain's next nefarious rendezvous, & constance sends reynie a telepathic message about her whereabouts, but the kids are in too much trouble for running off to the cellar to share their information with any adults. they finally have to slip off again undetected, & reunited with constance, but realize too late that the clues they broke are part of a trap. mr. curtain manages to successfully abduct them.

i won't go into the rest in order to avoid spoilers, but it was all pretty fast-paced & reasonably exciting. i am still not crazy about this book series, but i think it finished well.(less)

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Feb 26, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Mysterious Benedict Society is a society that consists of the smartest children: Reynie, Stickie, Constance and Kate. They are part of Mr. Benedict's secret society that stops his twin brother from creating trouble in the world. In previous books, Mr. Benedict's brother, Mr. Leodroptha Curtain, created a horrible machine called, "The Whisperer." It brainwashes you and makes you forget your memories. When you forget those memories, Mr. Curtain takes advantage of you and turns you bad. The poi...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Dixie Thamrin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Prepare yourself for another wild yet amazing adventure! This time Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are back again to save The Whisperer from its wicked inventor, Mr. Leodroptha Curtain.

The story begins with an explanation of the prisoner's dilemma, which I found quite interesting. The problem started when Constance was missing. Her runaway was followed by a total blackout in the town, causing chaos everywhere. The chaos was used by Mr. Curtain and his gang, The Executive, to trap the childr...more Prepare yourself for another wild yet amazing adventure! This time Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are back again to save The Whisperer from its wicked inventor, Mr. Leodroptha Curtain.

The story begins with an explanation of the prisoner's dilemma, which I found quite interesting. The problem started when Constance was missing. Her runaway was followed by a total blackout in the town, causing chaos everywhere. The chaos was used by Mr. Curtain and his gang, The Executive, to trap the children with findable clues and breakable codes. Unfortunately, the children got into the trap and they were kidnapped.

When they found out that they were brought to a faraway prison that was under renovation, they began to set some tricks to get out. Again, the luck wasn't on their side. The Executive found them and locked them again in a tower. Not running out of ideas, Constance used her ability to send the news by vision to Mr. Benedict, and she got a vision back from him, telling her that he and all the agents would save them.

Okay, I won't tell you the rest of the story. All I can say is, this book is breathtaking. It reminds me of Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, where Harry and his friends were got into Voldemort's trap (just like the children were got into Mr. Curtain's trap), fought against the Death Eater and Voldemort himself (in this case, The Executive and Mr. Curtain), and got help from the members of the Order of Phoenix (just like the children got help from Mr. Benedict's agent). The difference between Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix and this book is, it's MUCH better than Harry Potter, because no one died in the end and they all had happy endings.

I should give the author more credit, though, for making such genius riddles in this book. The riddles were brilliantly made, and it definitely adds to the excitement. I read the riddles and couldn't stop wondering the answers, and when they were revealed, I was flabbergasted. They're just smart, genius, and brilliant!

When I finished reading this book, I felt some satisfaction. What satisfaction? Well, when when everything turned out to be okay, it's enough to make me satisfied. I recommend you to read the two previous books before reading this one, or you'll get confused because the story is continual.

Happy reading and enjoy the adventure!(less)

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Oct 30, 2010 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

In their third adventure, the Society (and powerful machine known as the Whisperer) are under heavy guard at Mr. Benedict's house. The government wants the machine, as does the nasty Mr. Curtain, who is not above kidnapping the children to get it. Fearing the worst and frightened by her new mental powers, Constance runs away; it is then that Curtain’s Ten Men strike, and the children are on their own, hoping to save the day.

As with the previous entries in this series, I enjoyed immensely the mi...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Lsk added it

I was just reading a negative review of The Mysterious Benedict Society and felt a wave of consensus rushing over me. I have a 9-year old daughter who keeps falling asleep when I read her this book. While she was away for the weekend, I finished it and thought I understood the problem: it's written for the parents not the kids, at least the parents who want to feel clever for grasping a plot about 'grown-up' problems like bureaucracy, mind-control, and subliminal messages. Far superior to this s...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Jacob Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jacob Slade 805
A question that I considered while reading the book The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, was what qualities make a person so evil or mean or annoying that others are never willing to forgive them or even talk to them ever again. I noticed that with children ages 4-16 might over exaggerate the things they say such as, I never want to see you/talk to you again, but that led me to wonder if that at that actual moment the child was serious and never wanted to ta...more Jacob Slade 805
A question that I considered while reading the book The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, was what qualities make a person so evil or mean or annoying that others are never willing to forgive them or even talk to them ever again. I noticed that with children ages 4-16 might over exaggerate the things they say such as, I never want to see you/talk to you again, but that led me to wonder if that at that actual moment the child was serious and never wanted to talk to/see them again. I think that they probably don’t really mean that and are just saying it out of anger if it is someone very close to you or in your family. If it is someone you might not know as well and are constantly making you frustrated or annoyed then you might mean it. The book that I read is the third book in a series about four child prodigies, Reynie, Constance, Kate, and Sticky, who in the first book were all orphans and saw an ad in a newspaper that wanted gifted children. They were the only four to pass all the tests that they were confronted with and were all adopted by a man named Mr. Benedict who needed them for a special undercover mission. Mr. Benedict’s brother, Mr. Curtain had invented a machine called the whisperer that could erase or restore any memories of any person on the receiving end of it. Mr. Curtain owned an institute for children where he secretly brainwashed the kids into thinking whatever he wanted them to think and to get more people to come to the institute. What Mr. Benedict wanted the child to do was go to the institute and learn as much as they can about the whisperer and how it is used without getting brainwashed. By the beginning of the third book Mr. Benedict is in possession of the whisperer, but it is once again stolen by Mr. Curtain and his henchmen. The person that was writing about in the first paragraph was Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain had captured the children multiple times, he has also bargained, stolen, and hated the children and Mr. Benedict his entire life, but at the end of the third book, when Mr. Curtain is in jail, the children and Mr. Benedict are still willing to visit him and even offer him cookies. I really didn’t understand this. It was my impression that they would hate Mr. Curtain for all he had done to them but they still seem almost happy about it. The only reason I can come up with for the book is they felt as though they were triumphant and came out on top so they were either rubbing it in his face or just relieved so they were actually being nice. In conclusion I think that the only reasons that someone would be nice to someone else after the second person had done something horrible to the first, is if they had come out on top and were gloating or if they were just a generally really nice person.

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Nov 17, 2009 Jelinas rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Prisoner's Dilemma is the third book in the Mysterious Benedict Society series.

For those not in the know, The Mysterious Benedict Society is a children's series by Trenton Lee Stewart. It follows the escapades of four specially gifted children as they work with their mentor, the wise and benevolent Nicholas Benedict, to thwart the plans of his evil twin brother, Ledroptha Curtain.

I think it’s easily the best new series to hit children’s lit since the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (that’s r...more

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May 14, 2012 Limau Nipis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, e-books-save-trees, on-nook, children

The last book for The Mysterious Benedict Society has a full packed action as before.

Even though there are not many clues as the previous two books, I was grateful because finally, they were able to catch the bad Mr. Curtain, finally, there were lots of in depth characters and actions with the ever bad ass Ten Men (it was kind of funny reading their fights, because the Ten Men were really really horrible).

I am so glad that I have finished this trilogy. I wish a movie will be made soon, because t...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Dhara Mehta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last book in the series the Mysterious Benedict Society’s in filled with character development. In the pervious volume, three of the four characters find out their family yet Constance remains family-less. Her adoption papers are lost and her existence is shrouded in mystery. Her gifts are elaborated in this book. She can not only read people’s mind but also change them by imposing her thoughts on them. Mr. Curtain had invented an instrument called the Whisperer’. This instrument was capable...more

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Mar 17, 2010 Charlyn Trussell rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers of the series

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, fiction, mystery, series

The Mysterious Benedict Society--Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance--once again face that formidable foe, Ledroptha Curtain as he continues to plot to regain control of the Whisperer and use it for his own nefarious agenda. Curtain's influence on government puts Benedict and the children in even more risk. Benedict is apparently using the Whisperer to find a cure for his narcolepsy, an illness which his twin brother Curtain also suffers. Benedict is rushed to complete his research with it when...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, childrens

The third book in the Mysterious Benedict Society series, is pretty much perfect. We solve all sorts of mysteries like Constance's past and Number Two's real name while trying to stop Mr. Curtain at the same time.

I love how these books are so smartly written. He doesn't write down to children at all. There's so much conflict and a lot of it isn't even Big Bad conflict, it's bureaucracy and government red tape. They're, for lack of a better word, grown-up problems, the kind that make you really...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Annagail rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma didn't begin as good as the first two did, but it got better later on.

In this book they revealed that Constance could could change minds as well as read them or mental telepathy but it made her sick if she did, I mean REAL sick. In the end of this book, Mr. Curtain was finally captured, partly because he didn't have any thing to run away for, because Mr. Benedict had destroyed the Whisperer. Mr. Benedict had been working on curing his na...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Elisha Condie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens

I really loved the first book in this series, the second a bit less, and this third one by far the least.
It's got the same characters I loved before, but now they are no longer regular, clever kids - Sticky sits down to memorize the entire library catalog in case they need it, Reynie starts to have some mysterious sixth sense where he can sense something is wrong, and Constance, this one killed me-she's venturing into Obi-Wan Kenobi territory by reading minds and pulling Jedi mind tricks. My...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Dani Noviandi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fyechildrenlit, it-s-mine

Setelah berpetualang keliling Eropa, anak-anak Persekutuan Misterius Benedict diputuskan untuk tinggal bersama-sama di kediaman Mr. Benedict. Hal ini dilakukan mengingat Mr. Curtain, si musuh bebuyutan, terus memburu Sang Pembisik yang berada di kediaman Mr. Benedict. Mengingat Mr. Curtain merupakan seorang penjahat nerdarah dingin yang tidak segan-segan untuk mencelakakan siapapun demi mencapai tujuannya, keselamatan anak-anak pun terancam. Hal inilah yang mendasari Mr. Benedict guna menempatka...more Setelah berpetualang keliling Eropa, anak-anak Persekutuan Misterius Benedict diputuskan untuk tinggal bersama-sama di kediaman Mr. Benedict. Hal ini dilakukan mengingat Mr. Curtain, si musuh bebuyutan, terus memburu Sang Pembisik yang berada di kediaman Mr. Benedict. Mengingat Mr. Curtain merupakan seorang penjahat nerdarah dingin yang tidak segan-segan untuk mencelakakan siapapun demi mencapai tujuannya, keselamatan anak-anak pun terancam. Hal inilah yang mendasari Mr. Benedict guna menempatkan anak-anak beserta keluarganya di kediamannya di Stonetown.

Judul buku ketiga dari trilogi Persekutuan Misterius Benedict ini ialah Persekutuan Misterius Benedict dan Dilema Sang Tawanan. Dilema Sang Tawanan sendiri merupakan sebuah metode yang digunakan polisi guna menginterogasi sebuah kelompok penjahat yang berhasil tertangkap. Dilema Sang Tawanan ini langsung hadir dalam simulasi yang diadakan oleh anak-anak Persekutuan di awal buku. Prosedur “Dilema Sang Tawanan” ini ialah apabila ada dua penjahat yang tergabung di dalam sebuah kelompok, polisi kemudian menginterogasi mereka satu per satu dalam kondisi yang terpisah. Dengan adanya tiga kemungkinan pada saat interogasi tersebut, maka hukuman dapat diputuskan terhadap para penjahat itu. Kemungkinan-kemungkinan dalam “Dilema Sang Tawanan” ini ialah:
1. Salah satu penjahat mengkhianati penjahat lainnya, maka si penjahat yang berkhianat mendapat hukuman yang lebih ringan dibanding si penjahat lainnya.
2. Kedua penjahat saling mengkhianati, maka kedua penjahat mendapat hukuman yang sama-sama berat.
3. Kedua penjahat tak saling mengkhianati, maka kedua penjahat mendapatkan hukuman yang sama-sama agak ringan.
Konsep khianat-mengkhianati dalam hal ini ialah apabila salah satu penjahat menyebutkan opsi A, sementara penjahat lain menyebutkan opsi B, dimana opsi B merupakan suatu kebohongan, maka dapat dikatakan penjahat pertama telah mengkhianati penjahat kedua, begitu pula sebaliknya. Nah, dengan cerdiknya, anak-anak ketika melakukan simulasi Dilema Sang Tawanan ini berhasil memilih opsi yang berbeda, lain daripada yang lain, dan tak terbayangkan, sebuah opsi yang mencerminkan kecerdikan mereka.

Petualangan anak-anak kali ini berada di seputaran Stonetown. Penjahatnya pun masih Mr. Curtain dan kaki tangannya yaitu para Manusia Sepuluh. Selain dari itu, pihak pemerintah pun mulai agak mencampuri urusan dengan alat Sang Pembisik ini. Mereka menginginkan alat tersebut diserahkan oleh Mr. Benedict kepada pemerintah, tanpa menyadari bahwa alat tersebut lebih aman berada di dalam kediaman Mr. Benedict karena hanya ia yang mengetahui cara menangkal apa-apa yang mungkin akan dilakukan oleh Mr. Curtain guna merebut kembali Sang Pembisik. Memang, makin kesini cara-cara yang dilakukan Mr. Curtain semakin canggih dan lihai. Kali ini ia menggunakan listrik sebagai senjatanya. Cara yang ia lakukan ialah memadamkan listrik dan penerangan seluruh Stonetown! Akibat ulahnya ini, ia berhasil merebut Sang Pembisik, bahkan menyandera anak-anak. Tidak ada jalan keluar untuk kabur bagi anak-anak kecuali dengan satu hal, yaitu memanfaatkan keahlian Constance yang mulai terlihat walaupun belum begitu terasah.

Seperti telah disebutkan, kemampuan Constance makin terkuak di buku ini. Anak-anak pun diminta oleh Mr. Benedict guna membantu Constance dalam meningkatkan kemampuannya. Selain itu, bakat Constance lainnya yaitu ia dapat meramal sesuatu yang akan terjadi, tentunya hal ini akan sangat berguna apabila akan terjadi hal-hal yang tidak diinginkan.

Masih dengan petualangan yang agak keras, kejahatan Manusia Sepuluh makin menjadi-jadi di buku ini. Mereka masih berdarah dingin dan tega melukai anak-anak dengan senjata-senjata yang mereka miliki. Belum lagi sarung tangan perak Mr. Curtain yang dapat melumpuhkan, tak segan-segan ia gunakan terhadap anak-anak. Maka seperti buku sebelumnya, buku ini saya rekomendasikan hanya kepada anak-anak yang telah berusia di atas sepuluh tahun, karena kekejaman-kekejaman tersebut menurut saya masih agak mengerikan untuk ukuran anak-anak. Mengenai isi ceritanya sendiri, saya bisa katakan buku ini agak membosankan dibanding kedua buku sebelumnya. Memang, masih banyak teka-teki dan kode-kode yang menarik untuk dipecahkan, namun bagian awal hingga tengah buku terkesan bertele-tele, dan inilah yang membuat agak membosankan. Bintang empat saya pikir cukup untuk buku ini.
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Mar 03, 2011 Louize rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since their last adventure, after saving Mr. Benedict and Number Two, the foursome have been spending a lot of time together at Mr. Benedict’s in Stonetown. Now they dread the day that they will have to say good-bye to each other. Plus, something fishy is in the air. The children (Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance) have feelings that a plot is somehow taking place involving Mr. Curtain and the Whisperer. A plot that they have to stop with their gifts and cunning if they want to stay together.

Th...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I actually liked this one the best. Stewart has definitely gotten better at keeping the story moving and avoiding the slow repetitious elements in the previous two books. Either that, or he got assigned a better editor when the series became a huge success. Whichever it is, it earned him an extra star from me this time.

The weakness of this book is in the predictability. There really isn't anything new to learn about our young foursome in this tale. They are taking the skills they have ma...more I think I actually liked this one the best. Stewart has definitely gotten better at keeping the story moving and avoiding the slow repetitious elements in the previous two books. Either that, or he got assigned a better editor when the series became a huge success. Whichever it is, it earned him an extra star from me this time.

The weakness of this book is in the predictability. There really isn't anything new to learn about our young foursome in this tale. They are taking the skills they have mastered over the last 2 adventures, putting them fully to use, and succeeding where they have failed before. And let's be clear, it is very much Constance's growth and the development of her special ability that pushes the team to this point. The others really haven't done anything - no growth, no change, no improvement - this makes them a bit dull. It is as if they are only there to, quite literally, carry Constance around and make sure she gets where she needs to be, and does what she needs to do. Reyney comes up with the idea, Kate does all the physical stuff, and Sticky does any memorizing or pulling of obscure facts from out of no where. But without Constance and her gift, it would all have been for naught.

Keep in mind that I review this as an adult who enjoys reading along with her grade school children. This story is enjoyable, and my daughter looked forward to this 3rd and final installment. I think I wish I had found these a year ago. She had already proven herself capable of long-ish novels such as Harry Potter, but struggled when the story became more challenging and involved. I was hoping these would fit the bill, but it is the opposite. These books are good ones to use to test if your child is ready for the more difficult and longer children's fiction. The stories are fairly simple, with few characters to keep track of, even if the first 2 drag in the middle. If your 7 or 8 y.o. can happily read through these without getting discouraged at the slower parts, then they are ready for the bigger leagues.(less)

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About Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series for young readers, as well the adult novel Flood Summer. He lives with his family in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Books by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #2)

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #0.5)

The Mysterious Benedict Society Collection (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1-3)

The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums

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“Now listen, we need to be quiet as mice. No, quieter than that. As quiet as...as..."
"Dead mice?" Reynie suggested.
"Perfect," said Kate with an approving nod. "As quiet as dead mice.” — 53 people liked it

“You've read half the books in this house? This whole house?"
"Well, approximately half." Sticky said. "To be more accurate, I suppose I've read more like" - his eyes went up as he calculated - "three sevenths? Yes, three sevenths."
"Only three sevenths?" said Kate, pretending to look disappointed. "And here I was prepared to be impressed.” — 36 people liked it

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The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (The Mysterious Benedict Society #3)

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