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REVIEWS OF THE
MYSTERY
OF THE THIRD LUCRETIA
In May 2009, Booklist named The Mystery of the Third
Lucretia
one of the past year's Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth
Booklist and Book Links
Starred Review
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. Runholt,
Susan (Viking 9780670062522).
While visiting a Minneapolis art museum, 14-year-old best friends Kari
and Lucas are reprimanded by an artist copying a Rembrandt painting.
Then, while visiting London with Kari's journalist mother, the girls
see the same man, recognizable despite a disguise, copying another
Rembrandt. When international reports herald the discovery of a
previously unknown Rembrandt painting, Kari and Lucas, both talented
artists themselves, recognize the work of the "Gallery Guy." Their
suspicions lead them to Amsterdam , where, along with Kari's mother,
they uncover an international forgery scam that implicates a top Dutch
curator. Like Blue Balliet's Chasing Vermeer (2004), Runholt's debut is
a clever, well-structured mystery that seamlessly folds art history
into its exciting premise. The forged painting tells the ancient Roman
story of Lucretia, signaling a theme of women's rights that Runholt
carries throughout the book, from the girls' innocent questions about
Amsterdam's Red Light district to the strong female characters who
drive the story. The pacing occasionally lags, but by the story's end,
Runholt skillfully pulls in what seemed to be peripheral narrative
tangents. Kari's authentic narration, her strong realistic friendship
with Lucas, the cosmopolitan settings, and the carefully plotted
mystery combine in a winning read that ends with the suggestion of
continued adventures.
Book Sense Picks, Summer 2008
First-time author Susan Runholt delivers a
crackingly good mystery, complete with smart and savvy heroines (Kari
and Lucas—yes, Lucas), a long-lost Rembrandt painting (or is it?), and
enough wonderful background info on great art and art-Museum cities to
fill a guidebook. I couldn't put it down!
—Reviewed by Barb Bassett, The Red Balloon Bookshop,
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Kliatt
Starred Review
An exciting mystery, featuring two smart 9th-grade girls and their
travel to Paris, Amsterdam, and London. Lucretia is the Roman wife
Rembrandt and other painters featured in their art. Two famous
paintings by Rembrandt are of Lucretia, and the third Lucretia of the
title is in fact a forgery. Kari and Lucas (a girl) are given the
chance to follow Kari's mother as she travels as a reporter/editor for
The Scene, which covers European fashions. But their mystery starts
right at home, at the Art Institute of Minneapolis. Both girls are
artists themselves, and are gifted, to say the least. They notice a man
they call Gallery Guy copying one of the two Lucretias; nothing wrong
with that, except this fellow is especially secretive. As the girls
travel to Europe, they see this same Gallery Guy in London and Lucas is
nearly run down by a speeding car. The girls unfortunately have to tell
a pack of lies to Kari's mother in order to get the freedom to
investigate their suspicions. When they get word that a third Lucretia
has been discovered in Amsterdam, they are almost certain this is a
forgery, somehow related to Gallery Guy. They then tell Kari's mother
and get her help as they change their plans and go to Amsterdam to see
this third Lucretia for themselves. Kari's mother is kidnapped and the
girls have to do all kinds of brave things before this story is
finished. By the way, it looks like we will see more mysteries
featuring Karl and Lucas. Lots of action, authentic emotions,
friendship strains, mother-daughter conflicts ... Runholt gets it all
just right in this novel. Claire Rosser, KLIATT
J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of
particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.
*—The asterisk highlights exceptional books.
-Reviewed by Claire Rosser
Kirkus
Mystery fans will enjoy this clever, engaging story of two girlfriends
drawn into a dangerous puzzle involving international art fraud and
murder. The adventure begins when ninth-graders Kari and Lucas visit
the Minneapolis Art Institute to see an exhibit of Rembrandt's Lucretia
paintings and notice a creepy man they christen "Gallery Guy" copying
the paintings. The plot thickens when Kari and Lucas accompany Lucas's
mom to London , where they spot the same man copying another Rembrandt
Lucretia in the National Gallery. Kari convinces the skeptical Lucas
that it's more than coincidence and they start to investigate,
realizing his scheme when they read news of the discovery in Amsterdam
of a "lost" Rembrandt painting—a third Lucretia. Runholt subtly
interjects fascinating art-history facts throughout the story without
sacrificing suspense. Kari and Lucas are appealing young sleuths;
Kari's intuitive approach is a good complement to Lucas's photographic
memory and analytical mind. Readers will no doubt look forward to
reading more adventures of these teen detectives. (Fiction. 11-15)
School Library Journal
Gr 4-7—At the opening of this art mystery
reminiscent of Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic, 2004), teen
art enthusiasts Kari and Lucas encounter a foul-tempered man painting
secretively at an exhibit of Rembrandt's famous Lucretia at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The strange episode proves significant
when the best friends embark on a trip to London with Kari's mother and
bump into the same unsociable painter in the Rembrandt room of the
National Gallery. They realize the man is more than what he seems and
make it their mission to discover what he is painting with such intense
secrecy. Disguise and hilarity ensue, but before they know it, Kari and
Lucas find themselves in real danger. The situation spirals when a new
Lucretia painting surfaces unexpectedly, and the two sleuths must piece
together the clues before the painter catches up with them—or before
Kari's mom discovers that they have been spending their sightseeing
time spying on a criminal. Kari narrates in a believable, contemporary
voice, straightforward and humorous, reflecting the foibles and fears
of an average 14-year-old. The story is carried by its continuous
action and likable characters, not by the mystery, which remains a bit
flat, without many twists. Nevertheless, the clarity of the plot, as
well as the relative lack of violence, makes this a worthwhile choice
for readers newly acquiring a taste for the mystery genre.
—Reviewed by Emma Runyan, The Winsor School , Boston
, MA
ArmchairInterviews.com
Do you remember Judy Bolton? Perhaps you remember Trixie Belden? No?
You would if you grew up in the 'olden days.' Well then, how about
Nancy Drew? Even young girls recognize Nancy's name.
If you've read every Nancy Drew ever written and longed
for more excitement in solving mysteries by a young person, you HAVE to
read Susan Runholt's The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. I
want to call her book the Nancy Drew of the twenty-first century, but
somehow that doesn't seem to do Runholt's novel justice. It's in a
league all of its own because it's not just a mystery. It's an exciting
travel lesson and an art class—and the heroines have VALUES that
surface regularly but do not slap you in the face with them.
Kari Sundgren and Lucas Stickney are fourteen. They are
from St. Paul, Minnesota, love art and are best friends. Kari's
mother's job takes her all over the world and Kari and Lucas get to
accompany her occasionally. The girls love to travel so it's a perfect
set up. Kari needs a guardian while her mother is gone and Lucas
escapes her dysfunctional family.
Kari and Lucas spend a day at the Minneapolis Institute of Art where
they encounter a crabby man painting in the room where the famous
painting of Lucretia is hung. Indelibly embedded in their minds is his
secretiveness and anger as he snarls "Go Away" when they try to see his
work. A year later, they see the same man in London. He looks
different, but his voice and the words, "Go Away" are the same.
The girls put together some clues, and with their
intelligence, artistic talent and gutsy determination, they decide to
solve the mystery of the Gallery Guy using a few things like disguises,
fake accents and the little 'ole snake they use for diversion. What
begins as an exciting 'game' while traveling becomes a dangerous
mission. It could be deadly if the adults in charge don't believe two
'kids.'
I hope that this is just the first in a long series of
Kari and Lucas adventures.
Armchair Interviews says: The Mystery of the Third
Lucretia is a must read.
—Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
NEICBA, a booksellers' listserv
Core audience: girls 11-14
Notable for plot, art appreciation
Kari and her girlfriend, Lucas, keep running into a mysterious man they
call "Gallery Guy" whenever they are in an art museum - first in
Minneapolis then London 's National Gallery and the Rijksmuseum in
Amsterdam ! He is always copying from a displayed Rembrandt "Lucretia"
painting! He seems to snarl "go away" a lot too and wears disguises.
Since Karri's single Mom travels a lot for her job writing magazine
articles she invites Lucas to go on trips with her and Kari during
vacation weeks. It doesn't quite give her the peace of mind she
envisions as the two savvy girls keep putting together facts they've
read about stolen and forged paintings and get into a spot of trouble
here and there. The suspense doesn't let up. Foreshadowing at the ends
of most chapters keeps the pages turning. These two modern sleuths,
dutiful to Mom, but very gutsy, are forces to be reckoned with. Readers
will wonder what they get into next! Fans of all these wonderful new
art-centered
mysteries will savor this one.
—Reviewed by Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford
Over My Dead Body! online
Ages 11 and up; 5th grade and up
Ninth graders Kari Sundgren and her best friend Lucas
Stickney just want to enjoy a day at the art gallery, but somehow they
become involved with an international art crime. Kari begins the story,
as her English teacher taught her, at the very beginning—6th century
BCE Italy. A lady named Lucretia was married to a Roman soldier. While
he was away, she was raped by a powerful man after she scorned his
advances. Back then when that happened, women felt dishonored, as
though they had done something wrong. Lucretia took her own life.
Moving right along to the 16th century, a painter named Rembrandt,
enthralled with her story, painted two portraits of Lucretia that are
now worth millions of dollars. And that is why, says Kari, everything
else happened.
The girls met in an art class when they were ten. Kari's
dad is an artist, and she thought she had talent, until she saw Lucas's
work. The girl was a genius! Lucas, who is a girl whose father wanted a
boy, comes from what some would call a privileged background, but she
might disagree. Her father is a mean-spirited lawyer, her mother a
spoiled, self-absorbed Southern belle. At least her grandmother, a
strong-willed activist, does love and support her, but she feels more
at home in the modest abode Kari shares with her single mother.
When Kari's mom lands a job with a popular teen magazine that requires
her to travel to Europe, the girls are thrilled. Their first trip comes
soon after that fateful day when they visited the Minneapolis Institute
of Art to see the two Lucretias, owned by different museums, exhibited
together for the first time. They observe an odd, secretive gray-haired
man copying one of the paintings. They name his The Gallery Guy, and
promptly forget him, until he crosses their path again in the National
Gallery in London. The girls are sure he's up to something illegal, and
they combine their talents to find out what it is. They make a good
team: Lucas has a photographic memory and an analytic brain, and Kari
is creative, and daring. Their investigation takes them to other
European cities, including the red light district of Amsterdam, a side
trip Kari's mom does not at all approve of, and which almost proves
fatal.
This is a great book for young readers. The characters
are likable, quirky and funny. Kari provides bits of interesting
history and art lore along the way, and there is plenty of detail about
the cities and cultural aspects of the places they visit.
—Reviewed by Shirley Wetzel
VOYA
AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 15.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is a fun and educational mystery for
adolescent readers. Although the plot is original and absorbing, the
novel's greatest spark is in its female protagonists, Kari Sundgren
(whose spry narration keeps the story amusing) and Lucas Stickney. The
prose is...generally rich, while remaining steady enough easily to
follow. It is a refreshing and ultimately rewarding read.
—Reviewed by Emily Petit, Teen Reviewer
REVIEWS OF Rescuing
Seneca
Crane
Booklist
Runholt follows The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (2008) with another
art-themed whodunit starring intrepid 14-year-old amateur sleuths Kari
and Lucas. This time, the girls travel with Kari's journalist mother to
Scotland, where they meet and befriend Seneca, a teenage piano prodigy,
just before she is kidnapped. Following instincts and clues, the girls
tour through cities, moors, and castles in search of the young pianist.
Readers will suspect the criminals' identities long before they are
caught, but as in Lucretia, Kari's spirited first-person voice, the
girls' friendship, and the colorful, well-developed characters and
setting make for an enjoyable, nuanced mystery. Grades 5-8.
—Reviewed by Gillian Engberg
Kirkus Reviews
Adventure compels despite a slow start with too much exposition as the
two girl detectives from The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (2008) leave
the art world behind and befriend a classical pianist, Seneca Crane, at
the start of her concert career. Explanations about the previous
episode, home backgrounds and preferred slang of the two is necessary
to orient readers but drags on too long. The action starts in
Edinburgh, where, at a music festival, Kari and Lucas find the teen
virtuoso both awe-inspiring and pitiable for the lack of normalcy in
her life-but that's before she's kidnapped. As events get rolling, the
girls' attempts to foil the kidnappers and rescue Seneca keep the pages
turning. These girls are newly discovering the appeal of the male sex,
which supplies much of the humor. It's all more than a bit unrealistic,
as much of their independence is based on their free use of a wealthy,
indulgent parent's credit card. While the mystery will puzzle no one,
the clues and the choice of rescue plans are both eminently logical.
(Mystery. 8-12)
BookReadersHeaven.blogspot.com and
Rescuing Seneca Crane
A Kari + Lucas Mystery
Rescuing Seneca Crane, Susan Runholt's second book in the Kari + Lucas
Mystery series is even more exciting than her first book (The Mystery
of the Third Lucretia)! And Kari and Lucas are on their own to solve a
kidnapping!
The "Gleesome Threesome," Kari and her mother, Gillian, and Lucas, who
got that name after starting to travel together, are now in Scotland,
where Seneca Crane, a gifted, young girl of 15, would play solo with
the Orchestra Pacifica.
Seneca had been very sheltered by virtue of her talent as well as her
tutored schooling, so when she met Kari and Lucas, she was thrilled to
be able to do things that other girls did, like stay overnight
together! During every free moment Seneca had, the girls were together
so that by the time the rehearsals were over and the first concert was
to take place, it was quite natural for Seneca's parents to invite Kari
and Lucas to stay with Seneca while Kari's mother took a short trip to
visit with an old friend.
Through a series of small changes-like Kari leaving her mother's phone
in Seneca's room, Kari and Lucas committing to baby-sit for the parents
of a small boy they had met, and Gillian's friend coming into town
earlier than expected which allowed an earlier start—resulted in Kari
and Lucas being alone after Seneca was kidnapped!
Kari and Lucas continuously tried email to reach Gillian, but one of
the kidnappers had stolen Kari's phone and was routinely texting to
Gillian that everything was fine!
But it wasn't!
Using their intelligence, logic, and the clues they had, Kari and Lucas
figured out that Seneca was being held captive in a castle in the north
of Scotland. Knowing that the note left about Seneca had warned against
contacting the police, Kari and Lucas felt they had no other
choice—they set out to rescue Seneca—and they did!
But the whole trip was dangerous and though they finally discovered and
saw that Seneca was held captive, high in an old castle, there was no
way to reach her because their were guards watching and waiting. Until
after much thinking, Kari came up with a plan to use one of her more
unusual skills!
Once Seneca has been kidnapped, the book is very fast-paced and action
filled. Both Seneca and the little boy, Parker, both help in getting
the girls started in the right direction by providing clues to who is
involved in the kidnapping. What they find out, though, forces them to
act totally on their own, at least until they meet Robbie and Jamie—two
very cute "older" guys for whom the girls quickly develop crushes.
Fortunately, the boys saw them as younger sisters and were worried
enough to help them when the final crisis occurs!
Readers will learn a little about the extensive practice, rehearsals
and performance activities of concert pianists, but this book, the
kidnapping has the biggest, exciting part! Don't miss Rescuing Seneca
Crane, Second Kari + Lucas Mystery, by Susan Runholt. What a winner!
—Reviewed by G.A. Bixler
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