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bhall237's review against another edition
4.0
"Parker sat up suddenly and stared down at me. “No matter what happens, you’re my best friend, Matthew. I want you to know that.”"
The Dead Man in Indian Creek is a bit of a departure for both my reading of and the normal writings of author Mary Downing Hahn. I have a lot of nostalgia for her paranormal books as a kid, and this was one I did not read or know about until I grabbed it at a thrift store a few weeks ago.
What I liked most about this book was, at its core, it was about the relationship between main characters Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout. These two carry the whole book from the first page to the last, and I could only smile in wonder at the closeness of childhood friends only brought closer by the death of innocence, in this story the death being a literal dead body.
I applaud Hahn for trying something that seemed to be a very different topic from her normal haunted building stories, but one that seemed wholly personal and intimate for her. There isn't a dull moment in this book, and I know it's a kids book, but I was reading a handful of chapters a day due to my investment into the characters of Parker and Matt.
One of my favorites now by Hahn and I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for a suspenseful, quick read.
The Dead Man in Indian Creek is a bit of a departure for both my reading of and the normal writings of author Mary Downing Hahn. I have a lot of nostalgia for her paranormal books as a kid, and this was one I did not read or know about until I grabbed it at a thrift store a few weeks ago.
What I liked most about this book was, at its core, it was about the relationship between main characters Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout. These two carry the whole book from the first page to the last, and I could only smile in wonder at the closeness of childhood friends only brought closer by the death of innocence, in this story the death being a literal dead body.
I applaud Hahn for trying something that seemed to be a very different topic from her normal haunted building stories, but one that seemed wholly personal and intimate for her. There isn't a dull moment in this book, and I know it's a kids book, but I was reading a handful of chapters a day due to my investment into the characters of Parker and Matt.
One of my favorites now by Hahn and I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for a suspenseful, quick read.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
A good scary but not too scary children's mystery. A bit dated at this point, but not horribly so.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS
"When Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout find a dead man at the edge of Indian Creek, their camping trip comes to a close -- and a detective hunt begins. Evans, the creepy new boyfriend of Parker's mom, Pam, was seen at -- the place of the crime -- but there's no solid evidence that he committed the murder. Parker is convinced that Pam's boyfriend is to blame, and he will not rest until he has proof. And when Parker and Armentrout hide out in Pam's antique store and spy on Pam and Evans, they find out more than they bargained for...." (From Amazon)
Another fabulous suspense story from Downing Hahn . Loved this book.
"When Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout find a dead man at the edge of Indian Creek, their camping trip comes to a close -- and a detective hunt begins. Evans, the creepy new boyfriend of Parker's mom, Pam, was seen at -- the place of the crime -- but there's no solid evidence that he committed the murder. Parker is convinced that Pam's boyfriend is to blame, and he will not rest until he has proof. And when Parker and Armentrout hide out in Pam's antique store and spy on Pam and Evans, they find out more than they bargained for...." (From Amazon)
Another fabulous suspense story from Downing Hahn . Loved this book.
ankellogg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
sandylovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I have read other books by Mary Downing Hahn and this one is not one of my favorites. I'm a sucker for ghost stories and this wasn't one. I understand it is written for juvenile readers and I can see a bit of concern for younger kids reading this but I don't think it was that bad to be a challenged book. Parents need to read this before their kids and decide if the book is appropriate for them. I was also confused with the style of writing in this book. It seemed at first that it was written sometime like in the 70s but then the dad was using a computer. I love other books by this author and I think I will stick with the ghost stories.
skysbooknook's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, and Murder
blaarrosir's review against another edition
2.0
I was not very impressed with this book. It was interesting enough, but just didn't seem to truly catch my attention. While I didn't hate it I wouldn't read it again, either.
jasonwith_y's review against another edition
3.0
I let three of my boys choose this book to read with me; the back of the book proclaims it an "ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". It's a murder mystery/my-step-dad-might-be-a-murderer book. It's fast paced but devoid of any rich author's choices to discuss. I used it to practice locating evidence (it is, after all, a mystery) and to talk about how the main characters' relationship develops as pseudo brothers.
abanas's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0