Who Killed Darius Drake?: A Mystery

by Rodman Philbrick

In award-winner Philbrick's new page-turning mystery, Arthur "Bash Man" is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius's estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves -- and in the process, they discover that the car crash that killed Darius's parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next?Where are the diamonds? And who is stalking the boys? In his first mystery for children, Philbrick delivers yet another suspenseful, unpredictable tale filled with twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Fiction, Family

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

Aka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper'. And 'Nine Levels Down'.

Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen in 1998 as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson.

Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is the author of a number of novels for young readers, including 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds' and 'The Young Man And The Sea'. His recent novels for adults include 'Dark Matter', 'Coffins', and 'Taken'. He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review from Edelweiss

Rodman Philbrick knows how to write to his readers. His characters are memorable and sweetly developed, but not too sophisticated for the middle grades audience.

This book runs at a clip over an alluring premise: there's a creepy abandoned house, a disfigured caretaker, and a case of a missing diamond necklace. While more mature readers will call out tropes as they see them and find the ending predictable, for younger and less experienced readers there's a delight in watching the story unfold.

Aside from some unnecessary plotting about a character's grandfather's background, this book has a clear plot and defined characters. It's an easy purchase for elementary and middle school collections, including fans of the author and those looking for a quick mystery/suspense tale.

[Rosava Doshchyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Детективна книжка на півтори годинки. "Ботан" та "силач" вплутуються у небезпечну справу з пошуку легендарного діамантового намиста.
Книжки на середній шкільний вік можуть бути універсальними (тобто однаково цікавими і для дорослих), а можуть говорити більше до ЦА, і це, мені здається, другий випадок.
Попри простенький стиль оповіді весь час симпатизувала Артуру і була вражена його вчинком у фіналі. Автор ще й так класно розв'язав проблему з переїданням у хлопчика!
Загалом, люблю цей троп, коли лихий з виду хлопець виявляється насправді хорошим. Манґа "Легенда про янгола" в цьому тренді — золотий стандарт.
Цікаво, що Артур усвідомлює вплив своєї зовнішності і вирішує плисти за течією. Крім того, зручніше вселяти страх у інших, ніж бути заляканим. Зрештою йому доводиться пізнати, що означає бути по-справжньому сильним.

[Marguerite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це було круто! Взяла цю книжку щоб розслабитися й не прогадала, сюжет гарно побудований, а про пригоди й пошук скарбів завжди читати цікаво й інтригуюче. Хоча книжка ведеться від особи Артура, як на мене головний герой все-таки Даріус Дрейк.
Всі події гарно складаються в пазл, а герої гарно прописані. Не в усіх книжках таке знайдеш, але тут нема нічого зайвого ) Особливо класною була загадка діамантів адже базується на історії. Не скажу що фінал був неочікуваний, але принаймні позитивний))

[vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable (though slightly predictable) mystery. I think younger readers would enjoy many aspects: the friendships that develop, the creepy abandoned house, the mystery of an expensive piece of jewelry missing. I also enjoyed Rodman Philbrick's writing (his book Freak the Mighty was one of my faves growing up).

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A month ago I was having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said this Freak the Mighty, no hesitation, no pause just an immediate answer. I looked it up later in the day and discovered there was two books in that series and also a movie. While working on the review of the first Mighty book, I found at least a dozen I was interested in just from the titles. So this is the fifth volume by Rodman I have read in as many weeks, and every time I read one the list of ones I want to read grows! I have now compiled a list of all books published by Philbrick, under his various pen names. I enjoyed that first one so much I had picked up 3 other volumes by Philbrick before I even finished it! And by the time I had read three I had picked up nearly a dozen.

I have been publishing reviews for 21 years now, first in papers and magazines and then on my blog and other platforms. I continue to read and write reviews because I must. I am a dyslexic bibliophile. I have tagged Scholastic over 450 times on my blog for reviews of books, or for my Top Ten Lists each quarter or year. I was greatly surprised I had not encountered Philbrick, it was absolutely my loss. Back to the book at hand. The description of this volume state:

“From Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick comes a delicious, fast-paced whodunit about two socially outcast boys who set out to find jewels hidden for a century--and unwittingly flush out a murderer.

In award-winner Philbrick's new page-turning mystery, Arthur "Bash Man" is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius's estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves -- and in the process, they discover that the car crash that killed Darius's parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next? Where are the diamonds? And who is stalking the boys? In his first mystery for children, Philbrick delivers yet another suspenseful, unpredictable tale filled with twists and turns that will leave readers breathless.”

The back cover of the print edition of the book states:

“For Arthur Bash, the mystery all begins with a letter, written in blood, threatening his geeky classmate Darius Drake. For the price of two candy bars, Arthur agrees to his usual job of thug-for-hire, but in this case, Darius is secretly pulling him into a much more dangerous task than scaring kids at school. Orphaned when his parents were killed in a car crash, Darius uncovers clues that lure both boys into a web of lies, corruption, and conflicting tales about Darius’s family and their long-ago connection to a still-missing treasure worth millions. Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick presents a page-turning story that will absorb readers as it reveals the complexities of greed, deception, family ties, and friendship. Who killed Darius Drake? And why?”

About the author in another volume we are informed:

“Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick has written more than a dozen novels for young readers. In 1993, he published his first children's book, Freak the Mighty, which became an instant classic, and was made into a feature film. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. Philbrick's other acclaimed novels include Max the Mighty, The Young Man and the Sea, The Last Book in the Universe, Zane and the Hurricane, and Wildfire. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys. You can learn more about him on his website: rodmanphilbrick.com.”

This story is a little book school story, a little bit buddy story, a little bit broken family and a whole lot of mystery. This is a fast paced mystery. The events appear to take place over a few days, at least the main story. We are lead by the indomitable Darius Drake who receives a letter in blood asking who killed him? SO he grabs the school goon who works for chocolate bars, a thug for hire, Arthur Bash. But soon Arthur finds himself drawn into a story a hundred years in the making. The missing Dunbar diamonds, parents killed in a car crash 10 years earlier, A grandfather not long out of jail. When we throw in a step sister and rick business tycoon and a scared and disfigured Excon, you end up with one awesome story. But in their rush to find the diamonds the kids just might forget about safety. Read this excellent story to find out what happens.

This is another excellent story from Philbrick’s masterful pen. It reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements or Gordon Korman, Tony Abbott, and Dan Gutman. All of whom I loved and have read numerous stories. Because of the varios genres he writes in I am beginning to think of him as an American Arthur Slade. I am really surprised I had not encountered the author previously. These first five books are so great; I might just end up reading everything from the author. After reading more Philbrick I am also being reminded more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.

This is one of those excellent stories for middle grade or tween readers. It is even strong enough for us older folks for I am in my mid 50’s and could not put it down and read it over an afternoon, over several mugs of tea. It is an excellent story, one I can easily recommend. And I know I will be reading more by Philbrick and the various names he publishes under!

[Tristan Leerhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the very beginning of the book, we are introduced to Arthur Bash or “Bash man.” We are shown that he is the narrator, arguably the main character, and a bit of a gun-for-hire as well. Next, we meet Daris Drake, a nerdy and red haired boy, as well Arthur’s sister, Deirdre, who is a tennis loving teenager. After that, we are introduced to the setting, an older town with a lot of history, that has a “good side” and a “bad side”. Finally, we are introduced to the problem, someone wrote Darius a letter that read “Who killed Darius Drake?” and Bash Man is supposed to help him figure out who it was.
The author uses changes in speed to increase mystery and suspense. Through the beginning of the book, it is at a fairly average pace. Then everything speeds up super fast and a whole story changes. Then it goes slower and slower, until it jumps back up to normal pace. That stays for a couple of chapters and finally, everything goes super quick again and the book ends.
I thought this book was an ok. The writer definitely wrote this book for a younger audience, so the writing was very childish, but the writer did a good job for hat they were trying to do. This book had some plot twists and changes of pace, especially at the end, which added some good suspense to the book. The point of view also added some suspense because the main characters were all kids, and it made them seem more vulnerable and like anything could happen to them. The plot was definitely an interesting concept, but it has been used before by many other books. For a children’s book it did have quite a bit of suspense, which allowed children to be introduced to the mystery genre. Overall, this book was pretty good, but not the most original idea for a novel.

[Cam F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darius Drake hires a big bully, Arthur, to be his body guard. He hires him to uncover a threat that was written in blood on a letter. They end up uncovering information about Darius's frandfather. He was imprisoned for telling false information about a lost dimond necklace that is worth millions. But, as they get closer and closer to uncovering the truth they start poking there heads where they are not suppose to. This causes them to get stalked and learn very interesting information. What will happen to these two supposed detectives?

A theme for the book is if people poke their heads around in the wrong places they may not like the concequenses. The boys poke their heads into Darius's grandfather's past, and they find out about the dimond necklace and how his grandfather was imprisoned for it. This necklace puts them in danger from other people looking for the necklace. Darius also finds out some interesting information about his parent's car crash. This accident killed Darius's parents but he survived. The also find out that the crash wasn't an accident. This is why this is a theme for the book.

I thought the book was pretty good. It was intense and crazy. It was also full of twists and turns. I loved how it was worded and how the boys are so determained to get answers. This book was fun to read! It was awesome!

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

After orphan Darius Drake receives a mysterious message “Who killed Darius Drake?”, he bribes Arthur Bash, one of the local strong boys at school, to be his companion and “bodyguard”. The two together go through plot twists, peril and many red herrings to solve the mystery of who sent the threatening message to Darius and exactly where the Dunbar Diamonds are located.

Philbrick’s first mystery for children demonstrates his knowledge of writing for the genre. Told in first person from the viewpoint of Darius’s sidekick Arthur, the reader knows only what Arthur knows (think Watson in Sherlock Holmes books). Darius reads like a mini-Sherlock. At 192p., it would read quickly if it was full of action. Instead, Philbrick spends a lot of time on character development and rehashing clues presented in the book, making it slow the first half of the book. Once Arthur’s stepsister Diedre teams up with the boys, the action picks up and moves forward toward the logical conclusion. This might be a fun readaloud, but know that there are a few places that may be a bit violent for sensitive readers (including Art being shot in the abdomen by the villain). Fun mysteries are difficult to find for children. While not essential, it would be a fine addition to any collection. NOTE: Reviewed from ARC

Recommended for grades 4-7

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur Bash has gained a reputation for toughness at his school, and he's usually paid in candy. When Darius Drake hires him to protect him from the students at school, Arthur isn't particularly interested in the job, but a Snickers bar or two help sweeten the deal. But Arthur quickly realizes that he's signed up for much more than he expected as someone seems intent on killing Darius. As the two boys combine their wits to solve a mystery concerning some missing diamonds, they are joined by Arthur's sister Deirdre. The closer they come to the truth, the more dangerous things become, and it is clear that someone wants those diamonds badly enough to do anything, even killing someone. As Darius wonders who he can trust and doubts his own grandfather and his helper, Mr. Meeks with his scared face, the youngsters realize that they may have suspected the wrong folks. After all, greed can make humans behave in ways they never would have dreamed. I liked reading this mystery with touches of romance and tragic love threaded throughout. It's a good thing that Darius decided to hire Arthur, but it's a toss-up as to which boy benefited most from their partnership.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darius Drake is clearly a young Sherlock Holmes. He's clever and aloof, brilliant but solitary until one day he hires Arthur Bash to help him solve his first crime, who killed Darius Drake. The chapters are short and the book does a great job of introducing and explaining all kinds of wonderful vocabulary. But it drives me nuts that the narration is told in present tense. I also dislike how many times the main character puts himself down about his weight and not having any friends. Arthur might end up a hero in the end of the book, but it saddened me to read just how many terrible things he called himself because of his weight.

The mystery aspect was good. It was hard to pinpoint who the criminal was and the search for the diamonds was exciting. I just had a bit of trouble getting over the present tense writing and the fact that the main character weight-shamed himself throughout the entire book. It was painful to read and a I would feel nervous handing it to a kid because of the way the weight situation was handled.

[Lauryn G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a buy named Arthur who was hired (with candy bars) to come back up with a weird boy named Darius Drake to a return address that sent him a threatening message “Who killed Darius Drake?” written in blood. When they get there, using Darius’s quick wit, they discover information about a local legend, the lost Dunbar Diamonds, and how Darius’s grandfather was involved with discovering them. The book was well written and very engaging. It is not hard to connect with the characters because there seems to be someone that the kids could relate to since their problems are realistic. The way that they came to conclusions were kind of cheesy and predictable, but it is appropriate for a younger audience. This book also may teach kids to be cautious and mindful of what they are getting themselves into before doing something. Even though it seems appealing, there may be things that come up that make everything more dangerous than it may seem.

[whatbooknext · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age – 9+

It all begins with a letter – written in, could it be…blood? When Arthur Bash is shown this letter by oddball, sticky-up haired, orphaned, brainiac, weirdo Darius Drake, he’s not sure whether he wants anything to do with it. Arthur might look big and scary and mean, but it’s all just for show.

Arthur is available for hire to anyone at school. If you want anyone to leave you alone, or you want to scare someone, Arthur is your man, well at least, 12 year old boy. Payment is in chocolate bars.

With three Snickers bars up for grabs, Arthur says yes to helping Darius figure out who sent the mysterious letter. But there is so much more to be discovered, and a mystery that deepens the more they dig.

A spooky house. A disfigured man. A convicted felon. A pretty step-sister. A man who looks like a movie star. And a very famous lost diamond necklace. Were three Snickers bars worth it?

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Bash is the toughest kid in his school and is known for being a thug-for-hire if you have enough candy bars. The nerdiest kid in school, Darius Drake, hires Arthur after he gets an anonymous letter written in blood that asks, “Who killed Darius Drake?”

They track down the return address to an abandoned house in a scary part of town. Darius has a slightly dangerous plan to find the mystery man who owns that house and pulls Arthur along for the ride.

When Darius was 3 years old, his parents were killed in a car crash. Darius was in that accident too and they had to restart his heart, so maybe that’s what the letter is about.

As Darius and Arthur investigate, they learn about a possible connection to the Dunbar diamonds that are worth a fortune…a connection that leads them back to Darius’s own grandfather who is in jail for fraud, forgery and tax evasion.

Can Darius and Arthur solve the mystery before they become the latest casualty of the Dunbar diamonds’ curse? This is an action-packed story that kids will love reading. It’s full of quirky, memorable characters and a fast-moving plot.

[Abi Morrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love book with mystery elements in them. I am one to gravitate to mystery and thriller-based novels or books. When we were assigned to do the readers theatre project, I saw this book and wanted to do it instantly. When I read it, was so simple, but I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the character of Darius and could relate to him in ways. Also, the bully or tough guy teaming up with the class nerd or smart kid was and interesting dynamic to rad through. I always go for book with a mystery because I like to figure it while reading it like the characters. I also enjoyed performing the scene in front of the class and thought it was a very enjoyable experience. I would use this book in a classroom to teach children to enjoy mystery books even in there simplest forms. I would like to do a project like the readers theatre project in my own classroom.

[Story Monsters Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur “Bash Man” is the school thug, paid with candy to bully and threaten other students. When genius orphan Darius Drake employs Arthur to help him discover the origin of a suspicious threat, written in blood, they uncover a mystery that involves Darius’s estranged grandfather, who was imprisoned for forging evidence in a search for a long-lost diamond necklace worth millions. The boys make the dangerous decision to search for the jewels themselves and in the process, discover that the car crash that killed Darius’s parents was not an accident at all. Who will be next? I found Darius to be a character much like a young Sherlock Holmes and was delighted that this story was written from the point of view of Arthur, not Darius. What kid doesn’t enjoy a good mystery?

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun--Arthur Bash, a kindly, heavy kid with a trumped up (by him) reputation for thuggery helps nerdy Darius Drake solve the mystery of his parents' death and legendary missing jewels, hidden by one of their town's founders. Combines sleuthing with historical details.

A few points--I liked that Art's pretty and affluent step-sister turns out to be a clever asset, seeing things from a different perspective and contributing critical ideas. Also, Darius's methodical ways blind him to people's motives sometimes. The author does a good job of capturing his hidden anger & sadness at his losses.

Suspenseful, funny and touching.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two pre-teens team up in this relatively short, fun story about a mystery involving a missing diamond necklace. The twist is that they are a rather mis-matched pair; Darius is a highly intelligent but eccentric kid with few friends who enlists the help and protection of Arthur, an overweight boy whose external "bully" bravado masks his actual timidity and good nature. Their growing friendship is enjoyable to read about (much like the characters in Philbrick's Freak the Mighty) and the plot twists and turns will keep readers' interest.

[Karen Piedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets a four star rating because students in 4th-6th grade, in my opinion, will enjoy this mystery despite its predictable and slightly implausible ending (adults search for treasure for decades, yet kids find it within a very short period of time.)

There's a bad guy in the story, a mysterious, hidden diamond necklace worth millions, a secret burial site, memorable characters, and plenty of storyline to keep the pages turning. Some young readers may be confused by terminology used surrounding grandfather's charges such as investment fraud. Overall, it is a worthwhile book to read.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like his Newbery Honor masterpiece, "Freak the Mighty," this mid-grade mystery teams up two unlikely partners in an adventure. Tall, skinny red-haired genius, Darius and heavy, Snickers bar addict, Arthur Bash use deductive reasoning and unexpected bravery to solve a hundred-year old mystery and uncover surprising truths in their own lives. Short chapters and just 192 pages makes this an ideal choice for reluctant readers who will relate to this engaging page-turner.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well written. The characters are so relate able and you can really picture it in your mind. This book never stops the excitement you just cant stop reading. I would recommend this book to anyone

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How was I sleeping on this book?! It’s been in my classroom library for years and now that I’ve read it, it’s going to be one of my strongest recommendations! Love the Sherlock Holmes kid friendly retelling feel to it!

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoured this in one sitting. Such fun! The mystery was really great but the friendship between Darius, Arthur and Deidre was just awesome. This short novel will be an easy sell!

Grades 5 and up.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reading books to see if they might be of interest to my grandchildren. This one was written by a good author. It was an interesting read with random characters a mystery and a treasure hunt too.

[pati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple mystery.

[Mr. Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story. Nothing particularly outstanding about it, but I think kids would enjoy it. Bonus points for having a conclusion slightly different than most similar books.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story by the author of one of my favorite books, Freak the Mighty. Humor, mystery and a great story about friendship and differences.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one. It's an okay mystery. I think kids will like it.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two outcasts team together to solve a mystery.
Good story for 4th and 5th grade.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery for middle grade readers.

[Sara-Zoe Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worst cover ever. An ok book in the end, but the characters remained flat and pretty stereotypical. Would kids even care about this mystery?