The Westing Game

ellen raskin jeff woodman

As Samuel G. Westing's 16 heirs gather for the reading of his will, they are elated to find that one of them stands to inherit a cool $200 million. In order to collect it, all he or she has to do is expose Mr. Westing's murderer, who also happens to be one of the heirs. As they are paired up and furnished with a set of clues, each scrambles to unravel the murder mystery. In a contest where nothing is as it seems, someone could wind up very rich—or very dead.

Ellen Raskin's imaginative use of subterfuge, illusion, and word games will fascinate anyone who loves a clever challenge. Jeff Woodman's smooth narration guides listeners through a maze of bombings, thefts, and strange clues as they play along with the characters. Readers are guaranteed a good time as they attempt to solve the mystery before the characters do.

An unabridged production on 6 CDs (6 hours, 30 minutes).

Genres mysteryfictionyoung adultmiddle gradeclassicschildrensmystery thrillerschoolaudiobookbook club

7 pages, Audio CD

First published June 1,1978

Literary awards

newbery medal, banta award, vermont golden dome book award, boston globe-horn book award, national book award finalist, virginia readers choice,

Places

westingtown, milwaukee wisconsin,

This edition

Format: 7 pages, Audio CD
Published: January 1, 1998 by Recorded Books
ISBN: 9780788749391
ASIN: 0788749390
Language: English

Characters More characters

About the author

ellen raskin

Ellen Raskin was a writer, illustrator, and designer. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up during the Great Depression. She primarily wrote for children. She received the 1979 Newbery Medal for her 1978 book, The Westing Game.

Ms. Raskin was also an accomplished graphic artist. She designed dozens of dust jackets for books, including the first edition of Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time.

She married Dennis Flanagan, editor of Scientific American, in 1965.

Raskin died at the age of 56 on August 8, 1984, in New York City due to complications from connective tissue disease.