Mystery & Suspense - Exodus Books

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Sometime in the last four or five decades the Powers That Be decided every movie mystery would follow basically the same plot so that viewers wouldn't have to worry about the outcome and would be able to enjoy the movie all the way through. Fortunately for those who prefer to let the future unfold itself, there are still mystery novels.

A mystery is simply something you don't know or can't understand. By the time you understand it, it's not a mystery anymore. Part of the fun of detective stories is not knowing what's going on (at least, not for sure) until the end, when sudden light dawns in the midst of the darkness and you fancy yourself a bit dull for not having picked up on the clues earlier.

Trying to figure the solution before the main characters get there is pretty fun, too, though there's another kind of satisfaction from waiting till Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes or Lord Peter Wimsey reveal the criminal by name, the extent of his or her crimes, and the motivations that led them to kill, steal or lie. Though in the end, most of us probably end up in both categories, trying to figure everything out but still surprised by the truth.

Modern mystery novels tend to focus on criminal evil, fascinated by the depths humans are capable of sinking to. While older ones certainly didn't hesitate to point out man's depravity and capacity for wrongdoing, they were even more concerned with justice and the good guys who overcome the bad guys through superior wit and reason.

These are the ones we like. We don't admire Sherlock Holmes only for his formidable genius, but also for his commitment to employ it for the forces of good. Miss Marple doesn't need to solve crimes, but she does—and we rejoice every time she triumphs over a shady perpetrator. In the real world things might not always wind up so neatly, but it's nice to know in some books they always will.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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	Alvin's Secret Code by Clifford B. Hicks, Illustrated by Bill Sokol from Weekly Reader for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Alvin's Secret Code Alvin #2 by Clifford B. Hicks, illustrated by Bill Sokol from Bethlehem Books for 3rd-6th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $9.00 (1 in stock)
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	Case of the Etruscan Treasure by Robert Newman Second Printing from Atheneum for 4th-8th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Case of the Gasping Garbage by Michele Torrey 2^nd edition from Sterling Publishing Co. for 3rd-6th grade in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI) $6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Chasing Vermeer Balliet Art Mystery Series by Blue Balliett, Brett Helquist (Illustrator) from Scholastic Inc. Mystery & Suspense for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett 1^st edition from Scholastic Press for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Cliff-hanger National Parks Mystery #03 by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
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	Deadly Waters National Parks Mystery #4 by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
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	Door in the Dragon's Throat The Cooper Kids Adventure Series #1 by Frank Peretti from Crossway Books for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $3.00 (1 in stock)
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	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg 37th printing from Atheneum for 4th-6th grade 1968 Newbery Medal Winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg 35th Anniversary Edition from Atheneum Mystery/Suspense for 4th-7th grade 1968 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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	Hunted National Parks Mystery #05 by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Incredible Detectives by Don & Joan Caufield, illustrated by Kiyo Komoda from Harper & Row for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $5.25 (1 in stock)
	Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson First Edition from Dutton Juvenile for 5th-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.50 (1 in stock)
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	Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayres Reprint from Yearling for 4th-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Mysterious Bender Bones by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Ib Ohlssohn from Doubleday & Company for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $3.75 (1 in stock)
	Mysterious Christmas Shell by Eleanor Cameron, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krush from Little, Brown & Company for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Mystery at the Doll Hospital by Elizabeth Honness, illustrated by Velma Ilsley from J.B. Lippincott Co. for 4th-7th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $43.50 (1 in stock)
	Mystery at the Shoals by Duane Bradley, illustrated by Velma Ilsley Second Printing from Lippincott for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $3.00 (1 in stock)
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	Mystery of the Musical Umbrella by Friedrick Feld, illustrated by Doris Jackson, translated by W. Kersley Holmes from Random House for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.50 (1 in stock)
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	Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Terry Fan from Simon and Schuster for 3rd-7th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.00 (1 in stock)
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	Tombs of Anak The Cooper Kids Adventure Series #3 by Frank Peretti from Crossway Books for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $3.00 (1 in stock)
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	Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea The Cooper Kids Adventure Series #4 by Frank Peretti from Crossway Books for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea The Cooper Kids Adventure Series #4 by Frank Peretti from Crossway Books for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $3.00 (1 in stock)
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