THE BODY THIEF

Silas Winterbottom is a conniving, greedy, evil man—and he’s dying of heart failure, so he invites three young relatives to vie for a massive inheritance. He calls for nieces Adele, unfortunate daughter of a mad scientist, and Isabella, an accomplished thief, and nephew Milo, who hates Silas for his role in his parents’ horrible death. They must stay with Silas in his mansion, which is surrounded by swamp and guarded by alligators and has trap doors and a murky, cavernous basement. It soon becomes apparent that the children are held captive by Silas and his pet crocodile and that he is up to something terribly sinister; he’ll do anything to stay alive…forever. Silas has an array of servants working for him and as the plot thickens, degrees of evil are revealed. This entertaining mystery is suspenseful, sometimes a little icky, funny and rife with twists, fake saves and eccentric characters—good old-fashioned gothic adventure meets Agatha Christie for middle readers. (family tree) (Mystery. 8-14)