Something Wicked

In this entertaining mystery, Horatio Wilkes (who made his debut in Gratz's Something Rotten) returns to detecting when a man is murdered at a Scottish Games festival. The mystery works beautifully even if the reader is clueless about MacBeth, but those how know the play will have fun finding references to Shakespeares' work. Horatio is a wisecracking, snarky kind of guy, but only in the style of a smart and irreverent teenager. He's a sympathetic character who loses his heart easily and has a strong sense of right and wrong, loyalty and friendship, and readers will root for him to unravel the crime.

Horatio Wilkes makes his follow up appearance in Something Wicked (his first being in Something Rotten). In this hard to put down tale, Horatio is attending the Scottish Highland Fair with his best friends Mac and Banks. Things go horribly wrong that first night, with the brutal murder of the game's founder, Duncan MacRae. Duncan's son's name, Malcolm, is written in his father's blood right beside his dead body, making all indications that Malcolm is the killer. However, something just doesn't add up and Horatio is going to find exactly what is going on. His best friend, Mac, and his "evil" girlfriend Beth, are acting even stranger than normal. Both Mac's and Beth's fathers, who just happen to be business partners, are acting very suspiciously. Exactly what is going on and who is really the murderer? Horatio plans to find out and hopes to make a mysterious acting "pixie girl" his. Something Wicked is a wonderfully written and entertaining story. Considered to be geared toward young adult, I would put the age to be 14 and up. I think that boys of this age would especially enjoy the story. As just a warning, there are some sexual overtures (though nothing remotely explicit) and swearing. That being said, I greatly enjoyed Mr. Gratz's work and found him to be a wonderful storyteller. The characters were very well written and I especially enjoyed the character of Horatio - he was intelligent, kind and belivable. The story was very smooth and hard to put down. For those who have not read Something Rotten, the first in this series, you can easily understand Something Wicked and not feel lost. I can say this with confidence, as I did not read Something Rotten prior to this and had absolutely no trouble getting into this story. I recommend Something Wicked to anyone looking for an entertaining story and I greatly look forward to reading more by this author! *overall rating: 4/5

High school junior Horatio Wilkes attends the annual Highland Fair near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at the invitation of his friend Joe Mackenzie; his family is major participants every year. Fortune teller Madame Hecate informs Mac that he will be king of the mountain and his cousin Wallace Banks will own Mount Birnam. Joe's college girlfriend Beth Weigle is excited while Horatio is cynical. Horatio sees booth employee Megan Sternwood and is attracted to her. When her uncle asks him to watch over her, he is excited because he has a reason to meet her. However, Horatio has a different issue when he enters a tent to find the Highland Fair owner Duncan MacRae murdered. Unable to resist Horatio investigates not realizing the passion some have for this mountain and the danger the clues will lead to. Although the amateur sleuth whodunit starts a bit late (almost halfway into the book), young adult readers will enjoy the plot due to the cynical mouthy hero who is caustic towards almost everyone at the Fair; surprisingly he didn't get his face rearranged. The story line is fun to follow even more so when the murder occurs as fans will feel they attend the Tennessee Highland Fair. Some profanity seems inappropriate even if much of the targeted audience uses the words and it fit the moment but that may be this reviewer's ancient outlook. SOMETHING WICKED is an apt title just don't wear kilts near the wickedly sarcastic Horatio unless your thick skinned or a bruiser. Harriet Klausner

This book has it all - mystery, murder, snark, wit, and a touch of romance. Horatio is a very cool character and one I want to read more about. This is a modern retelling of Macbeth but you don't need to know the play to enjoy the book. It is a whodunnit in its own right and has these amazing one-liners that make you laugh out loud. Read it!