Two Mysteries: The Other Side of Dark & The Name of the Game Was Murder

by Joan Lowery Nixon, Mary Higgins Clark (Introduction)

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Caroline Cooney, and R.L. Stine comes two Edgar Award winning novels in Two The Other Side of Dark & The Name of the Game Was Murder from four-time Edgar Allen Poe Young Adult Mystery Award winner Joan Lowery Nixon.
 
The Other Side of Dark
 
EDGAR AWARD WINNER
 
        Stacy wakes up in a room that’s not hers, in a body she doesn’t recognize, to discover she’s been in a coma for four years. Her mother is dead—murdered—and Stacy, recovering from a gunshot wound, is the only eyewitness. But the killer is not about to let her reveal his identity….
 
“The compelling premise…and Nixon’s mastery of suspense are gripping.” – Publishers Weekly
 
“Tense and dramatic…[ The Other Side of Dark has a] quick pace, and the determined protagonist should attract and hold readers.” – School Library Journal
 
The Name of the Game Was Murder
 
EDGAR AWARD WINNER
 
        Samantha is shocked when she meets her great-uncle, the famous novelist Augustus Trevor. He’s a mean-spirited man who has just invited—blackmailed—a group of celebrities to come to his island mansion and participate in a “game.” But when Augustus is found murdered, it’s up to Samantha to join the game—and win.
 
“Another successful page-turner.” – School Library Journal

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 30, 2005

About the author

Author of more than one hundred books, Joan Lowery Nixon is the only writer to have won four Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Juvenile Mysteries (and been nominated several other times) from the Mystery Writers of America. Creating contemporary teenage characters who have both a personal problem and a mystery to solve, Nixon captured the attention of legions of teenage readers since the publication of her first YA novel more than twenty years ago. In addition to mystery/suspense novels, she wrote nonfiction and fiction for children and middle graders, as well as several short stories. Nixon was the first person to write novels for teens about the orphan trains of the nineteenth century. She followed those with historical novels about Ellis Island and, more recently for younger readers, Colonial Williamsburg. Joan Lowery Nixon died on June 28, 2003—a great loss for all of us.

Reviews

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT STORIES!!!

IN THE 1ST STORY:"THE OTHER SIDE OF DARK": STACY McADAMS,HOUSTON TX's "SLEEPING BEAUTY" WAS SHOT WHEN SHE WAS 13 YRS OLD & HER MOTHER WAS MURDERED. NOW 4 YRS LATER, SHE WAKES UP OUT OF THE COMA, BUT DOESN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE HER OWN BODY!!! SHE STILL THINKS THAT HER MOTHER IS ALIVE AND SHE'S STILL 13!!!

BUT AFTER LEARNING THE TRUTH, SHE MUST TRY TO REMEMBER WHO SHOT HER & HER MOTHER BEFORE THE KILLER COMES BACK TO FINISH HER OFF ONCE & FOR ALL!!! AMAZINGLY AWESOME STORY!!!! IT LITERALLY HAD ME GOING FROM BEGINNING TO END & THE FACT THAT STACY CAN RISE ABOVE HER SORROW TO BECOME THE HERO!!! LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, THIS STORY!!!

NOW ON TO THE SECOND STORY: "THE NAME OF THE GAME WAS MURDER": 15 YR OLD SAMANTHA BURNS DREAMS OF BECOMING A GREAT AUTHOR, JUST LIKE HER GREAT AUNT THEA'S HUSBAND, AUGUSTUS TREVOR. WHILE VISITING GREAT AUNT THEA & AUGUSTUS ON THEIR ISLAND MANSION, SAMANTHA MEETS SOME OF THEIR RICH & FAMOUS GUESTS. A SO CALLED "FUN GAME" TURNS TO MURDER & SAMANTHA SETS OUT TO NOT ONLY WIN THE GAME, BUT TO ALSO FIND THE MURDERER.

FUN, FANTASTIC, & WONDERFUL CAT & MOUSE TYPE OF STORY. THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY FOR ALL AGES!!!

[Feras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you imagined yourself with many famous actors and signers and suddenly one of them gets murderd? Sam the main character if the book has an aunt which her husband is a famous writer who's name is Augustus she wanted help from him because she wants to be a writer. When she arrived at the island she discovered there will be guests coming and Augustus rejected helping her. When the actors came they had been threatened by their past mistakes. Someone from the guests wanted revenge so he decided to kill him. And the story continues.

[Courtney Chappell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was basically two in one. Both were very cheesy. The first one had an interesting premise, yet the ending became a love story, which annoyed me so much. The second story was okay but I had an idea of where the manuscript was the entire time. And then in the end, it was destroyed as the cops came. I wouldn't read this again.

[Ashtinh le · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was also a good book. Not as good as other ones i have read but it was still pretty good. It has a lot of mystery. BOO!!!

[Jacob Cronk]

it's boring me. I'm just reading it until I can find a new book to read.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very dated.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

not to trust people you thought you knew....

[Katie Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just really couldn't get into it. Ended up skimming it.