The Witch of Agnesi

What a fun read! Our school book club read this and everyone enjoyed it. The characters are an excellent reflection of the public school subcultures. As a teacher I loved the primary character. How many times I have had the same thoughts!! The students loved the mystery and the idea that teens have secrets. Great quick entertaining read.

I loved Bonnie Pinkwater, the math teacher who is the hero of this series. She's in her fifties, she's a middle school teacher and she's a widow. This is not your typical hero. Bonnie is witty, engaging and sparkling with down-to-earth intelligence. I found her relationship with her former student, now the investigating detective in a homicide, charming and believable. Her budding relationship with Armen Callahan, another teacher, is both romantic and laugh-out-loud funny. Adults should love this book. The mystery is well constructed and every step works perfectly. (You'd think the author was a math teacher, or something.) The characters are strong and unique and the high plains of Colorado are beautifully brought to life. Now, about you teenagers. I'm going to recommend this for all teens, because I've read Harry Potter and I know what happens in there. What are few bodies in this book compared to watching Voldemort kill Cedric Diggory? In "The Witch of Agnesi" there are several murders and some very scary, very suspenseful scenes. There are a number of teenagers in the novel, all of them as real as the kids you go to school with. There are no boring stereotypes. This is a story that respects who you are as a teenager. You'll like it. For parents, I recommend this book for teens. There's no love scenes, though there is a charming and very low-key romance and another, sordid relationship that's revealed at the very end of the book. There are witches, but they are neither the spiritual good guys or the evil bad guys. The "Witch of Agnesi" refers to a mathematical curve, which you see on the cover. There are some suspenseful and very scary scenes, but they never tip over into outright gore. You teen will enjoy this novel very much and get a lot out of it. I highly recommend The Witch of Agnesi. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

The author combined all of these features in this clever and engaging book. This is a great mystery with a surprise ending. As the intricate characters and clues are gradually unveiled, you will be further immersed by the unique humor, a budding romance, and the inventive incorporation of the author's multidisciplinary knowledge. You will thoroughly enjoy and look forward to the time you spend reading this book.

I am very picky about my reading choices. I revere books, but I've also learned to let a book go if it's not going to pan out as a good read - I'd rather get onto a better book! Bearing that in mind, I say that this book is a Must Read. I eased into it, but it was never far from the top of my priority list. The further I got into the book, the harder it was to put down. I ended up staying up way too late one night to finish it; I was completely taken in by the action and the story and the writing. I even had been given a few clues and forgot to watch for them as I was reading. This is a book well worth reading and it sits well in the murder mystery genre. There are red herrings, clues disguised in plain view (or East Plains view), and an engaging protagonist. I spent some time pondering the clues vs. the misdirections, almost seeing the answer as a shell game. I would have put my money down, and I would not have come out on top! I also came to really enjoy being in the company of these characters. I am looking forward to his next book and following more adventures of Missus Pinkwater and other East Plains characters. I must mention that I feel this a book for a more mature reader. There is some language and there are some adult themes in the book, so it is probably more appropriate for adults and older or mature teens. Overall, I was impressed with the book and I was pleased that I didn't figure it all out before the final reveal. I'm looking forward to discussing the book with friends or hopefully in a reading group.

In Colorado, East Plains middle school teacher Bonnie Pinkwater works with the intelligentsia, but for the first time in a decade, they failed to finish in the top three at the Knowledge Bowl competition. Just after their crushing loss, the team's thirteen years old star Peyton Newlin vanishes. Everyone presumes that the teen ran away than have to face his abusive martinet of a father Colonel Ralph. Peyton's parents blame the defeat and their son's cowardly reaction squarely on Bonnie. The next morning someone murders brilliant student Stephanie Templeton. Feeling already a bit culpable but not sure why, Bonnie with the help of science teacher Armen Callahan, who is falling in love with her, begin investigating the disappearance and the homicide, which they believe is linked by a scholarship competition, but how is unclear. Other students die including Peyton while Bonnie and Armen seek the truth leaning towards violent student bully Jesse Poole though a coven of witches remain a prime suspect. THE WITCH OF AGNESI is a terrific teenage amateur sleuth starring a likable pairing trying to uncover who is eliminating the geniuses one at a time. The story line is fast-paced yet contains a strong cast though clearly Bonnie is the star. The mystery is cleverly devised and filled with twists and red herrings as Robert Spiller keeps his audience alert at all times as he shrewdly spills clues with multiple possibilities. Young adult readers will enjoy this wonderful middle school mystery Harriet Klausner