Book: Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)
Author: Rodman Philbrick
Genre: MG, Mystery
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Opening lines from the book …
Whatever you’ve heard about Darius Drake is probably wrong. Dead wrong. Some of the stories are lies, some are mistaken, and the rest were invented by Darius himself, to fool his enemies.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) The title definitely brings you in. When you start reading, you’ll notice that Darius Drake is very much alive. Although, he’s an orphan and his parents were killed in a car crash. The thing is, it may just be a matter of some time before, you know…
2) I like that the story is told from the POV of the school bully, Arthur “Bash Man.” But Arthur isn’t your typical bully because he’s more of a thug-for-hire. And he gets paid in chocolate bars. What I like is that he and Darius team up and you find that he’s more than the thug facade he hides behind.
3) I like how Arthur’s step-sister comes into the plot. And she’s a pretty positive influence for the boys!
4) There’s a nice bit of Holmes/Watson in this story. Darius definitely has the personality of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur that of Watson. And there’s a mystery afoot!
5) Darius has a grandfather that turns up with a complicated past. Adds to the mystery of the whole thing. And there’s secret rooms and all sorts of great stuff.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’d definitely recommend this book to people who like mysteries, especially if you like a good Sherlock Holmes’ story. This is kind of like a middle-grade version of that!
YOUR TURN…
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…
Of Maria Antonia 
The title is so awesome. I love mysteries, and I’ll definitely keep my eye out for this one.
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Love the title, plot and the fact that the bully narrates the story. Very unique. And I like mysteries. Thanks for sharing!
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I loved Sherlock Holmes when I was 9 or 10, so this book has lots of appeal. I also like that the thug is the Watson character (and narrator), which is unusual (and likely a great character arc!)
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What a great sounding mystery. The main characters you described won me over, enough so to add this book to my future read list. Thanks for the review and Happy MMGM!
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You’re right about the title. It’s great. I’m going to put this on my list. It sounds like a LOT of fun. Thanks for the post.
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I’ll definitely be putting this one on my list. How can i resist a bully called Bash Man who becomes a detective? Thanks for the review!
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