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102nd out of 1,047 books
—
1,939 voters
The Morgue and Me
by
John C. Ford (Goodreads Author)
Christopher just needed a job to kill time the summer after high school graduation. He didn?t expect it to be in the morgue. Or that he would accidentally discover a murder cover-up. Or that his discovery would lead him to a full-blown investigation involving bribery, kidnappings, more murders . . . and his best friend. And he certainly could never have predicted that Tina...more
Hardcover, 313 pages
Published
June 25th 2009
by Viking Juvenile
(first published May 22nd 2009)
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the book i read was the morgue and me by john c.ford . this book was amzing. even though i didnt get to finish it yet, i think its a really ood book. i would recommended it to anyone who likes mystery and a little bit of troubled romance.
the book starts off with this guy christopher newall, who is trying to get a job at the planetarium where his parents work. well he ends up getting arrested for one little mistake. he was caught in the planetarium. now instead of working in the place he always...more
the book starts off with this guy christopher newall, who is trying to get a job at the planetarium where his parents work. well he ends up getting arrested for one little mistake. he was caught in the planetarium. now instead of working in the place he always...more
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Sep 29, 2012
Beverly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
13-15 year olds
Recommended to Beverly by:
Best Books for Young Adults/ala.org
Shelves:
good-reads-for-reluctant-readers
The Morgue and Me is an excellent YA introduction to the classic murder mystery with a reluctant but determined hero, his misfit sidekick, quirky family members, plenty of suspects and plenty of bad guys. The Morgue and Me could be a good gateway into the adult mystery genre. Author, John C. Ford says his inspiration was Elmore Leonard, but protagonist, Christopher, reminds me more of Spenser in the Robert Parker books. Christopher is smart, but shy. His best friend accuses him of spending too m...more
Fun mystery book especially for a teen boy!
I found it delightfully refreshing especially since it wasn't about high school girls falling in love with football players or goth kids being bullied. It is nice to hear about high school relationships from a somewhat clueless 'boy' perspective. The love story elements are off beat and keep you guessing and there isn't the sex scenes that you might find in an adult mystery story. It had several twists and turns that I couldn't anticipate which kept me...more
I found it delightfully refreshing especially since it wasn't about high school girls falling in love with football players or goth kids being bullied. It is nice to hear about high school relationships from a somewhat clueless 'boy' perspective. The love story elements are off beat and keep you guessing and there isn't the sex scenes that you might find in an adult mystery story. It had several twists and turns that I couldn't anticipate which kept me...more
This is really more of a 2.5. A fairly predictable murder mystery to me, so I'm disappointed that we placed it on the Peach Nominee list BEFORE I got the chance to read it. If I had, I would have argued against it in favor of something better. Maybe I just don't love the murder mystery as I did when I plowed through all the Agatha Christie's when I was a tween. So contrived, they feel.
Anyway, just a few words more: a dude graduates high school and takes a summer job in the local morgue, thinking...more
Anyway, just a few words more: a dude graduates high school and takes a summer job in the local morgue, thinking...more
Chris wants to be a spy. Really? How many people do you know who actually say they want to be spies when they grow up? The thing is, John C. Ford really made me believe in Chris' dream right along with him. This could have been a completely cheesy novel; instead it was completely enjoyable.
From the start, we learn that Chris is a little on the outside of, well, everything. Doing life with an injured ego, a secret crush, a delightfully quirky family, and a "past", Chris is determined to pursue h...more
From the start, we learn that Chris is a little on the outside of, well, everything. Doing life with an injured ego, a secret crush, a delightfully quirky family, and a "past", Chris is determined to pursue h...more
Christopher Newell didn't plan to spend his summer working at the morgue, but when he sees the ad in the paper, he decides it might help him with his dreams of working as a spy someday. From day one, Christopher is sucked into what looks like a murder cover-up. The police appear to be involved, leaving Christopher, along with the femme fatale journalist, Tina, to carry on an investigation of their own. Under the guise of "innocent" journalism, the pair manage to uncover a scenario of events invo...more
Although this is a young adult book it might be a good crossover to adult fiction as well. Enter murder, bribery, gumshoeing, and love confusion, with enough red herrings and a cast of suspicious characters throughout to prove them worthy of a whodunit. this book is really a bit better than 3 stars, but maybe not quite 4. Even so, i would thank this author for his first novel and for a good read for this reader. And, i am way past young adult. It's always about the story and the characters for m...more
I made a mistake with this book. I flew through the first 60 or so pages before falling asleep. I loved the book. For some reason, after that I had a very difficult time picking up the thread of the novel, and had to force myself through the second section. I really don't think this was the book's fault, but rather my ability to focus. I should have tried to read straight through.
I quite enjoyed the story. Sure, some, perhaps even most, of the characters were cliched, but I suspect that had a gr...more
I quite enjoyed the story. Sure, some, perhaps even most, of the characters were cliched, but I suspect that had a gr...more
This is a Gateway nominee for 2011-2012. Interesting little mystery.
Review from School Library Journal:
The summer before Christopher Newell is set to start college, he gets a job in the morgue because it's his life's goal to become a spy and working there should teach him about forensic pathology, if nothing else. Instead he discovers a murder cover-up that points to town officials and close friends. As he works to discover whodunit, the plot thickens with bribery, blackmail, murder, and revenge...more
Review from School Library Journal:
The summer before Christopher Newell is set to start college, he gets a job in the morgue because it's his life's goal to become a spy and working there should teach him about forensic pathology, if nothing else. Instead he discovers a murder cover-up that points to town officials and close friends. As he works to discover whodunit, the plot thickens with bribery, blackmail, murder, and revenge...more
The book was a classic mystery, something you don't find enough of nowadays. The story moves at a fast pace so none of the scenes feel boring or unneccesary. I definitely liked the twists and turns that brought you to the climax.
At first, I thought Christopher was an unreliable narrator--mostly due to the fact that he tended to let his imagination run away with him-but it turns out he was on the right path all along. The book surprised me when it was revealed who did the murder, which is a good...more
At first, I thought Christopher was an unreliable narrator--mostly due to the fact that he tended to let his imagination run away with him-but it turns out he was on the right path all along. The book surprised me when it was revealed who did the murder, which is a good...more
May 29, 2011
Elaine
added it
This is the first of the YA books I have read for the summer. It is a nominee for this year's Georgia Peach Award and definitely a good start.
Christopher (not Chris) is a classic example of "curiosity killed the cat" and "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." He took the job in the morgue because he wanted to be a spy when he grew up. He figured he could learn something about forensic pathology while he was there.
When the first dead body arrives, he sneaks a look at the corpse after every...more
Christopher (not Chris) is a classic example of "curiosity killed the cat" and "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." He took the job in the morgue because he wanted to be a spy when he grew up. He figured he could learn something about forensic pathology while he was there.
When the first dead body arrives, he sneaks a look at the corpse after every...more
Christopher has a job at the morgue for the summer. He cleans part-time, and finds the job pretty uneventful, until the body of Mitch Blaylock shows up at the morgue. That same day, Christopher finds $15k in cash in the medical examiner (his boss)’s office. He quickly figures out that something’s not right about the investigation into Blaylock’s murder. He joins young reporter Tina (who’s also hot) to find out why Blaylock’s murder is being covered up.
With a solid mystery and suspenseful plot tu...more
With a solid mystery and suspenseful plot tu...more
3 1/2 stars
While some what incredulous, I couldn't put this book down. Christopher has taken a summer job cleaning the morgue in Petoskey, Mi. While working he sees the medical examiner and the sheriff huddled over a body on the table in the autopsy room. Christopher tells them he left something in the office. After rummaging through the doctor's desk, he finds his briefcase stuffed with hundreds of dollars. This is a pretty weak link to get it started, but what follows is great following up on...more
While some what incredulous, I couldn't put this book down. Christopher has taken a summer job cleaning the morgue in Petoskey, Mi. While working he sees the medical examiner and the sheriff huddled over a body on the table in the autopsy room. Christopher tells them he left something in the office. After rummaging through the doctor's desk, he finds his briefcase stuffed with hundreds of dollars. This is a pretty weak link to get it started, but what follows is great following up on...more
This first novel reads like a classic pulp mystery, with an anti-social teen detective, fast-talking femme fatale journalist, and plenty of corruption to go around. It is the summer after senior year, and Christopher takes a job cleaning the morgue because he thinks he wants to be some kind of investigator, CIA or something. Well, contrary to his expectations, Christopher finds himself knee-deep in a murder with the medical examiner and the sheriff in on the deal. Joined by a foxy newspaper repo...more
There aren't enough young adult mysteries out there, especially ones as enjoyable as this! The mystery zips along, but not so quickly that there isn't enough time for well-drawn characters, especially the main character, an Every Guy who dreams of catching bad guys and jumps at the chance to catch some in his small Michigan college town. The progression of the mystery hung together well for me, although it got a little garbled at the end. The other characters were well fleshed-out and as much fu...more
The Morgue and Me is an action packed, fast paced page turner that will leave you hanging until the last page.
Christopher is a recently graduated student who stumbles upon a job at the morgue in the hopes of preparing for a career as a spy. While at the morgue he becomes entangled into a murder cover-up and black mailing ring. With the help of a few unlikely allies, he discovers a story that will change the way the inhabitants of his little town of Petoskey, Michigan will live forever.
I highly r...more
Christopher is a recently graduated student who stumbles upon a job at the morgue in the hopes of preparing for a career as a spy. While at the morgue he becomes entangled into a murder cover-up and black mailing ring. With the help of a few unlikely allies, he discovers a story that will change the way the inhabitants of his little town of Petoskey, Michigan will live forever.
I highly r...more
Christopher finds himself being the only person who suspects that an accidental death is actually a murder, and he sets out to solve it. It starts a little slowly, but begins to pick up steam as prominent people in the town start looking like suspects and he has to be careful about the information he shares. The colorful female reporter that he teams up with really overstepped some bounds in coming on to a teenager, but being less respectable may have made her lack of willingness to involve auth...more
Good characterization, good plot, with a young male narrator who is a dynamic character who changes positively by the end of the novel. The mystery-suspense part is satisfyingly plotted, with plot twists, suspense and jeopardy thrown in. There is a bit of PG13ishness (one incident with a drunk female reporter), but nothing happens and nothing is particularly explicit. (I do wish writers wouldn't throw in scenes where they're vertical on each other, even though nothing occurs--teasers, sort of, s...more
Christopher is sort of a dorky character -- he'd rather lose himself in crime novels and dream of becoming a forensic detective than hang with friends, of which he has few. So, he gets a job at the local morgue, so he can have some "experience," to add to his resume. Of course, his job there is as a janitor, not a medical examiner's assistant, but he stumbles upon a mystery anyway, when he goes snooping through the drawers and discovers lots of cash - a pay-off, he decides. From there, Ford deve...more
I already didn't think much of this book, but when one of the main female characters twisted her ankle running away from the bad guy, I was officially done with John C. Ford and his first novel.
Initially I just chalked it all up to it being a first novel. The characters were a little wooden, the protagonist kind of stupid and infinitely naive. But anybody who pulls out a cliche like the ole twisted ankle should be ashamed of themselves.
And to think this book has either won or been nominated for...more
Initially I just chalked it all up to it being a first novel. The characters were a little wooden, the protagonist kind of stupid and infinitely naive. But anybody who pulls out a cliche like the ole twisted ankle should be ashamed of themselves.
And to think this book has either won or been nominated for...more
This was quite an entertaining book. The twists and turns kept me confused and on the edge of my seat the whole time. The characters, while unique, felt a little unrealistic. I really have to give Ford credit for using quite accurate guy-girl dynamics without making his mystery into a romance. I enjoyed this book a lot, although I always felt one step behind Christopher as he was making connections, especially at the end. WARNINGS: a little strong language, several instances of teen drinking, ne...more
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
A summer job at the morgue? It's not for everyone, but it's just right for Christopher. Mystery, intrigue, and some day working as a spy are what fill his thoughts.
When Christopher overhears his boss agreeing that a recent death at a local motel was the result of suicide, he doesn't think too much about it. That is, until he gets a peek at the body. There are five gunshot wounds in the guy's chest. That's hardly what most medical ex...more
A summer job at the morgue? It's not for everyone, but it's just right for Christopher. Mystery, intrigue, and some day working as a spy are what fill his thoughts.
When Christopher overhears his boss agreeing that a recent death at a local motel was the result of suicide, he doesn't think too much about it. That is, until he gets a peek at the body. There are five gunshot wounds in the guy's chest. That's hardly what most medical ex...more
3.5 stars. The summer after high school graduation, Christopher starts a part time janitorial job at the local morgue, where his hours are flexible and the work repetitive. When Christopher secretly discovers that a body has arrived riddled with bullets and the ME was paid off to rule it a suicide, he starts investigating the case on his own to find the real killer. Tina, a local reporter, is his sidekick in this investigation and the only person he trusts as the suspect list continues to grow.
T...more
T...more
The summer after senior year and before college, Christopher finds himself working at the local morgue. With ambitions of becoming a CIA operative, he can't help but notice when a body with 5 bullet holes is listed as "suicide" on the death certificate. Christopher's curiosity leads him to a beautiful reporter, a bribery scam and a falling out with his best friend. This is a great read for teens who love mysteries and would be especially good for boys.
I actually liked this more than I expected. There were plenty of ridiculous decisions, but at one point the protagonist picks up the phone to call his parents at a completely logical time. A time when it was the most difficult for him but also the most necessary. I spend so much time reading youth books where the author jumps hoops to keep the protagonist from contacting a responsible adult that this was completely refreshing.
This book was surprisingly good. Out of the pile of my books I got from the library I thought this one was going to be the worst, but it was actually the best. The crime was not too complicated to follow, but there was enough going on to stay interested. There were so many people involved and there were always surprises coming during the case that made me continue reading. I never even thought that the murder of Mitch Blaylock was the person.
The Morgue and Me is an exciting thriller about a boy named Christopher who finds $5,000 in his boss's desk. He realizes that the body they just brought in was not a suicide, but a murder! With the help from Tina, a girl who works at the newspaper, can he figure out who killed Mitch Blaylock? And, who's next!
Well played Mr. Ford! I think you might have an Edgar Award winner on your hands.
The Morgue and Me is a page-turner, keep you at the edge of the your seat, plot-twisting murder mystery for anyone who loves a good mystery. This story had me guessing right up until the bitter end (which I did not see coming)!
The Morgue and Me is a page-turner, keep you at the edge of the your seat, plot-twisting murder mystery for anyone who loves a good mystery. This story had me guessing right up until the bitter end (which I did not see coming)!
I'm not a big fan of mysteries, but this one is great. Christopher is working in a morgue, when he discovers six bullet holes in the body of a man who the Dr. claimed died from a suicide. He teams up with an Erin Brokovich look-alike (does he have a HUGE crush on her, YES!) and together they start an investigation. Great characters and great story!
The Morgue and Me has been nominated for the Missouri Gateway Reader's Award for 2011. So far, it is my favorite of the nominees. It started a little slow, but really got to moving about a quarter of the way in. It is a murder mystery with a couple of twists I never saw coming. Really enjoyed this one.
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| Character Education | 1 | 2 | Oct 28, 2011 06:56am |
Hi Good Reads!
I grew up in the great state of Michigan before attending Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School. Try not to hold the law school thing against me.
My hometown is the same as that of crime-fiction great Elmore Leonard, so maybe that's where I get my love of mysteries. But probably not, since I've never met him. In any case, when I'm not writing I'm also a (very)...more
More about John C. Ford...
I grew up in the great state of Michigan before attending Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School. Try not to hold the law school thing against me.
My hometown is the same as that of crime-fiction great Elmore Leonard, so maybe that's where I get my love of mysteries. But probably not, since I've never met him. In any case, when I'm not writing I'm also a (very)...more
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