Poison Most Vial

by Benedict Carey

Murder in the lab! The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighborhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Science Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Benedict Carey was a health and medical reporter for the Los Angeles Times starting in 1997. In 2004 he became a science reporter for the New York Times.

Reviews

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby Rose's father is going to jail. That is if she doesn't solve the mystery of Dr. Ramachandran's death, a forensic scientist who works at the DeWitt Lab. Her father is a janitor there and with him being the one giving him tea that day plus the vials found in his locker he is the prime suspect. Ruby knows her father didn't do it... well mostly didn't think he did it.

Rose moved about a year ago but still hasn't settled in. She still thinks of Lillian often, her best friend, and is sad that she hasn't called at her anymore. She goes to the DeWitt school. There the "little gods" are treated superior to the regular kids. You can get demoted there if you have anger issues, hack online databases... you know things like that. She has one friend there: Rex who actually looks like a T-Rex. Small arms, big head, wickedly evil smile. So there in it together throughout. Some other characters get added to the mix later. Mrs. Whitmore a.k.a. the Window Lady. She never leaves her house and she just happens to be a forensic scientist so she knows a little bit about poison. The three of them will help solve the case and save Ruby's dad.

There are a couple of suspects. Roman the day janitor who's angry in a quiet way and Dean Touhy or Dean Tubby like everybody calls him who's job depends on Ramachandran. There are four grad students too: Lydia who is a mess and was the one who was supposed to bring tea to Ramachandran, Victor who wants to take over the Lab, Grace who maybe has a drug problem, and Wade who despised Ramachandran's rules. Who's the killer?

I felt it was rushed in the beginning. Instantly she was trying to solve the case. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get to know Ruby but as soon as Mrs. Whitmore came in the scene I felt better. Her perspective of the kids helped me get into the story more. Then I grew fond of Ruby and Rex. Ruby who took charge when her father needed her and Rex her loyal companion who even went to the Davenport Towers with her as well as Mrs. Whitmore who was supposed to have a glass eye that could fall out in any moment. It was actually a very good mystery. I didn't really know what to expect going into it so it was interesting to see how it all unfolded. It was pretty good. I did like it. It just didn't blow me out of the water. I actually expected it to be sillier but it was actually very intricate. It was all in all a good kid's mystery that made you wonder.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a famous forensic scientist dies at the lab where Ruby Rose's father works as a janitor, the evidence seems to point to him as the murderer. Although he seems to have had no motive to kill Dr. Ramachandran, police find vials of deadly poisons in his locker. Ruby, who sorely misses the rural area from which her family has moved, bands together with Rex, another resident of the housing projects where she now lives, and Mrs. Whitmore, a reclusive elderly woman who has a few secrets of her own that will help her solve the crime and free her father. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second one since all that climbing up and down in hidden portions of the building while someone else follows them seemed rather absurd. When the real criminal is revealed, I was not able to buy the big reveal or motivation for murdering Dr. Rama. I know the academic world can be deadly, but I never realized it could be so murderous. My favorite part of this uneven scientific mystery were the interviews with Mrs. Whitmore that bookended the story. My least favorite parts were the stilted dialogue, the references to Ruby's past, and her father's seeming helplessness. Still, many middle graders will enjoy this title.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

At it's best, this book is a contemporary remix of Flavia De Luce meets Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, meets Harriet the Spy. There are some good moments of forensic deduction for CSI fans and the intellectual crowd and some tense chase scenes for the action seekers. What struggles a bit is the dialogue and point of view. The dialogue attempts to capture the rich diversity of the neighborhood, but sometimes just reads clunky. The point of view while steadily third person dips in with first person thoughts of Mrs. Whitmore a few times without context. The story here is decent, not great, but a passable mystery. This seems like it could be the start of a series, and Ruby is certainly a strong enough character to carry one, she just needs a little bit tighter writing from her author.

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a good idea but I wouldn't recommend it. It's got no flow throughout the book and there are so many inconsistencies that reading the book seems impossible. Many logical fallacies always has me questioning "how is this even happening". Honestly it's just really unrealistic . I guess due the author's experience with crime in real life, the line of thought to solve the crime makes sense but the writing style fluctuates too much.

[Emmmm (HAPPY GAY MONTH FELLOW GAYS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 stars


It gets .75 stars because I finished it


I HATED THIS BOOK


If it were more than 200 pages, I would of dnfed.

I doubt this book had an editor because there are SO SO many grammatical errors. Like my god, if you aren't going to get an editor, at least get Grammarly. The characters had no character development; they were so flat and had nothing to them other than names. Like all I knew about Rex was that he had short arms was kinda chubby, and had a lot of siblings. Safe to say I hated it.

[Jennifer Sveda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brushing up on my middle grade fiction so I can do RA at my library, and this one probably wouldn't get a recommendation from me. Good pacing, but there's a lot of characters to keep track of for such a short book, and the plot is kind of hard to follow. I'm not sure if this is a series and I missed a book, but it feels like the author takes for granted that the reader is already familiar with the characters and DeWitt. A nice little mystery, but not the best middle grade fiction has to offer!

[Mary Wyman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this back in either the beginning of High school or the end of middle school. Can't remember, but I do remember not liking it.
Liked the cover, but I was fooled. Still a good book, but no dice.
Enjoy :)

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as exciting as Island of the Unknowns by the same author but the use of chemistry to help solve a murder makes the novel interesting.
I hope the author writes more of these books with math or chemistry or other science as a tool for solving problems.

[Hussein · Rating 5 out of 5]

was an amazing book. lots of mysteries and adventures. highly recommend

[Bundles of · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Poison Most Vial
Author: Benedict Carey
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books (Abrams)
Age Group: 9- 13 years old
Hardcover: 240 pages
Source: Publisher

Book Summary: Murder in the lab! The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighborhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy.

Author Info: Benedict Carey is a science reporter for the New York Times who covers such topics as neuroscience, genetics, and personality. He previously worked for the Los Angeles Times. He lives in the New York City area.

My First Thoughts....: When this book came in from the publishers, I didn't know much about it. After I did some reasearch, I was really looking foward to reading this one! I found that it was a science mystery, and there isn't a lot of straight science fiction books within the YA genre. In the end, I was glad I got a copy and couldn't wait to see what the mystery was all about!

Story Line: The story follows a girl named Ruby Rose, who's custodian dad is accused of murder. Dr. Ramachandran (still don't know how to pronounce that) the scientist famous for his many successful experiments, is found dead and the only suspect is Ruby's dad! After the autopsy, they say that Dr. Ramachandran was poisoned. Ruby knows that her dad did not do it, and she is determined to prove that her father is innocent! As more and more people become involved in this case, Ruby finds herself to be more and more confused! She knows that her dad is innocent...but who can she prove is guilty?

Overall Thoughts: This book was a little below my expectations. The mystery became a little too complicated for me, and around every corner it seemed like more and more characters were being made up. There were some high points of this book! The story line was very intelligent and very well developed! Will appeal to mystery-loving, science-crazed middle grade students!


3 cupcakes!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Rose's father works in the great DeWitt forensics lab as a janitor. He's been accused of killing the great forensic scientist, Dr. Ramachandran in the lab. But Ruby knows he didn't do it, he had no reason to do it. She just has to prove it. And to prove it, she needs the help of her friend Rex. And Rex suggests the old lady in the window. She's rumored to have been famous for working with chemicals or something. But he's scared of her, he's heard from "The Minister of Information" or Jimmy Woods, that she has a glass eye and he's scared if she sneezes it'll come out. There's a very comical scene when they are visiting the woman, Mrs. Whitmore, and she sneezes. Rex, still fearing the glass eye turns the coffee table over and runs to the other side of the window while Ruby yells at him and Mrs. Whitmore just looks on in shock.

Between trying to save her father and finding clues to his innocence, Ruby reminisces about her life in Arkansas and the best friend she left behind. She's missing the country and the wide open spaces. The city is crowded and unfamiliar and dangerous. And her best friend hasn't emailed her. She misses her old life, her old friend, the old way of doing things. But, Ruby doesn't dwell on it. If anything, I don't think she dwells on her situation enough. Her father could go to jail, he's drinking too much, they have no income since he lost his job and she's far from what she considers home. She feels that everywhere is strange and that she doesn't belong. And she's right when it comes to her investigating the crime. But she's smart, too, and in investigating the crime, she begins to learn more about herself, her surroundings and the people that are in her daily life.

There are some very clever ways that Mrs. Whitmore helps Ruby and Rex and by extension her friends figure out what they need to free her father. And in return Mrs. Whitmore gains a sense of something more. And Ruby and Rex make two new friends that are living on the other side of the world from the projects where they live. It's a great mystery and fun reading about Ruby and Rex and Mrs. Whitmore.

This is a very clean read and great for Middle Grade and up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Heather

I received a review a review copy of this from the publisher Amulet through Net Galley free of charge. This did not affect my review in any way.

[Vanya D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book to review from Netgalley. Here are my thoughts:

This is a middle grade book, and I know what you're gonna say, but honestly - the story is quite intriguing and really funny. It's got some awesome mystery, a murder case, and a great exploration adventure.

The only reason why I'm giving it this rating, is because the world building could've been more detailed. I mean, the whole time I was reading, I was wondering where the action was taking place. It felt like the States, but was it? It also had a tiny feel of dystopian, but again, I can't really tell. It seemed to be some sort of a closed community, somewhere. There apparently were different neighborhoods, and then everybody working at the university/school/lab lived in the same building (called the Terraces). Other than that, I don't know anything. I don't even know if anything else existed outside of this little village(or was it a town).

But, leaving that aside, I think that any kid 8-15 (and perhaps older readers as well) would enjoy the story very much. The murder case was presented pretty neatly, and got me sucked in right away.

To be honest, from my viewpoint, most of the adults felt like mannequins, doing almost nothing. But hey, it's a kids' story, so the teen characters are those who truly matter.

The characters:

*Ruby Rose - she was a lively kid, full of ideas, and devoted to her dad (dunno where her mom is). She's also talented in drawing and critical thinking. She was the real investigator, though at one point she was quite surprised to find herself in charge. Loved that about her, being modest and all.

*Theodore, aka T-Rex - he was a Jamaican boy, Ruby's only friend. He also has good ideas sometimes, pushing the investigation onwards. His sheer size saved the two not once. I also loved his slang, it sounded pretty genuine.

*Mrs. Whitmore - I think that's the name - was the old lady who never went out of her apartment. Legends were told about her, that mostly scared children. In truth, this woman was the puppeteer who controlled the young investigators from afar, giving them clues and new ways to think.

[Charlie' (MyBooksAreCorrupted) · Rating 4 out of 5]

MURDER IN THE LAB!

The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighbourhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy.

Ruby is trying to prove her father's innocence, she knows that he couldn't have killed his boss, but the evidence is staking up against him. Ruby along with her friend, T-Rex, and the reclusive former forensic scientist who in the apartment above there's who never goes out and watches everyone from her window.

The plot itself is pretty good. I wasn't expecting the story to be really in-depth since I knew it was a children's book. However, it still have real life situations, such as when Ruby and T-Rex almost get caught by cops breaking into the crime scene. They receive help from the reclusive woman, Mrs Whitmore who used to be a forensic scientist. She even gives them little science lessons along the way. This books leaves you questioning who could have killed Dr. Ramachandran all the way through.

The characters.. Ruby and T-Rex. They have a slightly odd friendship but one that fits in with both of their personalities. They have a back-and-forth banter which I love and it's something which kept the book interesting. Both of them appeal to the nerdy kid inside all of us.

Overall...... I did really like this story. I would have given it five stars if it had been set for my age group, or if I had ready this book when I have been between the ages of nine and thirteen. Alas, I am not so it is four stars simply because I loved the characters, the plot and how the book ended.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poison Most Vial is a classic young sleuths mystery that brings out the nerdy detective in the best of us. Ruby and Rex are determined to find who really killed Dr. Ramachandran and clear her father's name. But these two are lacking in experience so how in the world are they going to solve a mystery that's too confounding for even the police? And what are they going to do to disprove the clear evidence against her father? Rex and Ruby will find that things are not always as they seem and help can come from unexpected places.

Rex and Ruby are pretty average elementary students--they're even placed with "The Regulars" at the DeWitt Lab School. They live in the projects and walk home from school together. Their slightly odd friendship fits both of their personalities and they're probably the last pair you would expect to solve a murder case! I liked their back-and-forth banter and how their slightly odd personalities seemed to complement each other. I don't think that anyone could NOT like Ruby. She has quirky little OCD habits like counting her steps (three plus one) and she's sharp. Both of them appeal to the nerdy kid in all of us.

The story itself, while not the most fast-paced murder mystery, is steeped in authentic situations where our young sleuths narrowly escape danger (although luckily for them, the danger is never TOO dangerous). The help that they receive from the elusive Mrs. Whitmore (aka The Window Lady) helps them more than they ever expected it to and she gives us all little science lessons along the way.

While I won't say this is my personal favorite read of the year, I think that it will hold a lot of appeal for the young audience at which it is aimed. If you've got a late elementary reader looking for a mystery with a little nerdy science thrown in (even if they don't ask for that second part--sometimes you just know), then Poison Most Vial is a great go-to book.

[Stephanie (Gorelenore) Cover2CoverBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Background: Ruby Rose is in a bind; her father is the prime suspect in the murder of a very important forensics lab. She and her friend Rex are on the hunt for clues about the murder, which her father did not commit. Ruby and Rex, with the help of a shut-in Mrs. Whitmore are trying to re-trace the steps of all of the people that could have been involved with the murder and why they did it.

Review: This was a very quick read, and I am not really sure of what age group it is intended for. The storyline is wonderful, we start right where the action is, Ruby’s father is being accused of murder and Ruby is trying to sleuth her way through the details to find out who-done-it.

My few issues with the book were that, like I said, I am not sure what the target age group is. If is for young readers, some of the information is a little dry and wordy, for example there are places where the author goes into the scientific names and properties of poisonous plants, and how various equipment in the lab is used. I think the best attempt at this making this information more kid friendly was an example of mass, the author conveyed this through blowing beads across a tray, but otherwise the remainder were dense. If it is for an older youth, I think the main characters seem a bit too young for the teen reader, they are 8th graders. (Upon searching around, I have found that it is geared for ages 9-13)

Target audience aside, I am a twenty-something that loved this read. I think that the science inlaid was nice for older readers, and the action and conflict was at the right level throughout. I love a good mystery from time to time and this was a fast paced one. Ruby and Rex were very funny kids, I think that Ruby’s father gave her a little too much leeway as her parent, but I think that her resourcefulness was very Nancy Drew. A fun read.

**ARC from Netgalley/ABRAMS, Amulet Books-- Publication date 4/1/2012**

[Alice in Readerland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby Rose needs to do some detective work of her own to prove that her father didn’t murder the famous Dr. Ramachandran. She’s going to need help. But from who? From her friend, T. Rex? From the mysterious “Window Lady”? From the girl who is said to have hacked into the school computer? From the boy who has the map of the catacombs beneath the library? From Bernie Diaz, the lawyer who seems to support Ruby’s sleuthing?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Poison Most Vial is a fun mystery with adventure, humor, and science. This book starts off with the statement to the court from Mrs. Whitmore (the “Window Lady”) in script form, which draws the reader in. From there, we meet Ruby, who’s still adjusting to her new home. We get to watch the drama unfold and we get to see Ruby slowly begin to work well with her new team she assembles (speaking of which, can I just say how happy I am that there’s girl hacker?). Ruby makes an excellent detective, taking notes from the meeting with the lawyer (Ruby used the excuse that she was drawing) and searching for evidence among the items of the late doctor’s suspicious grad students. And, of course, there’s those vials of poisons to figure out.
Some of the dialogue is downright hilarious and the scenes are well written. The tension and discovery as Ruby and her friends venture into the catacombs seems real, the characters are unique, and the plot is well-crafted.

For a fun read, pick up Poison Most Vial today!

To see more, visit my blog 'Alice in Readerland' at http://aliceinreaderland.wordpress.com/
Direct link to my 'Poison Most Vial' review on 'Alice in Readerland': http://aliceinreaderland.wordpress.co...

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Ramachandran is a famous forensic scientist and teacher at DeWitt Polytechnic University and has been found dead from poisoning. Ruby Rose attends Dewitt Lab School which is connected to the university. Her father is a janitor at the university.
Murdered in his office, the prime suspect is Ruby’s Father, Mr. Rose. Feeling that police aren’t doing anything to solve the case, Ruby and her friends try to piece it together with the help of a 70 year old recluse from their apartment building.
Very thorough investigation by the kids and the Window Woman of the case. The story line kept you reading and excited to find out what would happen. Geared toward 9-13 year olds I think that they will enjoy this book.
I struggled to find an age for Ruby, and what grade she was in. The Dewitt Lab School didn’t make a lot of sense to me that it was connected to the university but was it a high school or grade school? I needed a bit more early on information to have the setting lined up for me to visualize. I think if the staging for the story could be made plainer this would be a five star book, but with my confusion I am giving it a 4.
I received a copy of this book from Abrams books in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Rose and her father have moved from the rural south to a sketchy neighborhood in the big city, where her father works as a janitor in a lab at the nearby university. Unfortunately, when the head of the lab, Dr. Ramachandran, is found murdered, Ruby's father is the main suspect. Along with her friend Rex and a reclusive former forensic scientist who lives in their building, Ruby starts to investigate, to try to keep her father out of jail.

I enjoyed this book, and the mystery was well-constructed, with lots of clues and action. I think it will have wide appeal to mystery fans. I do think it's another book that has suffered from the publishers' fear of exposition and world-building as opposed to action, though. The author tries to build his world, and manages reasonably well in the confines of an action-packed book, but it still feels quite surface, and as if a lot of it were missing. I don't get a good sense of what most places look like, and the world of the sketchy neighborhoods feels skimmed over at best. There's a lot of depth that could have been here but isn't, and the story felt rushed to me.

[2017izzym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poison most vial by Benedict Carey is a fascinating murder mystery about a 7th grader, her dad, and her band of "friends". When somehow Dr.Rama, the head of the lab, is poisoned and murdered, Ruby's dad becomes the prime suspect of the murder. It is now ,after layer and layer, that Ruby decides to take matters into her own hands, with the help of Rex, Sharon, and Simon. Now this isn't just an ordinary group of middle schoolers Sharon can hack almost any database the school has, Simon is like a super secret spy that holds maps and escape routes to anywhere. While Rex he just kinda big and sometimes a little dumb, and Ruby she is smart and has a great eye for clues and never skips a moment to write down notes and sketch. Here comes in Mrs.Whitmore the "retired" toxicologist who knows everyone in her field hand has a nerve for solving mysteries.
The kids take great measures, such as crawling through ceilings, traveling in the mazes of the morgue and so much more. I had a great time reading this book from all of its plot twist to mysterious characters, while it is no Nancy Drew I think Carey did a wonderful job with this book.

[Tyler Jing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Ramachandran has been poisoned, murdered. And Ruby's dad is the prime suspect. Ruby knows that this is a terrible mistake, and that her dad would never do anything that bad, and has no reason to. Her, along with Mrs. Whitmore, her friends Rex, Sharon and Simon, risk everything to prove that Ruby's father is innocent. They gather evidence, clues and proof, and find that these paths may not lead them where they want to go.

The cover seemed interesting, (Yes, I judge the book by it's cover.). I saw the book many times on the shelves, but never borrowed it because I wasn't a big fan of mystery. But I decided to read it anyways.

The story was very good, and I thought that how some clues take them nowhere was very cool, and it makes you continue reading the story until you get to the part where you see the investigation solved.

I recommend this book to Raechell, who I observed likes books with big attitude, and I think this book is a good choice for her.

[Ms. Yockey · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Abrams web site:
"Murder in the lab! The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighborhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy."

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read but a surprisingly interesting one. I thoroughly enjoy mysteries. Give me Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars in a death match show down and I'm having a good time. This story had a lot of fun elements - quirky sidekick, mysterious old woman who is this crazy amazing source of intel, hidden (or at least, overlooked) passageways and, of course, MUUUUURRRDDDEEERRRR! I enjoyed the twists, the building urgency, and the simplicity of a good clue-hunt-style mystery. Great for middle school. I, however, got a little stuck on details, which were sometimes lacking. If I was, in fact, a middle-schooler, I would probably be giving it 5 out of 5 golden suspects, but, as an adult, I will give it a solid 3.5.

[Natalie S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is a good book when you have nothing to read and need to get reading done. It follows two people, Ruby Rose and Rex (his name because he looks like a T-rex). They try to investigate the murder of Dr. Ramachandran, one of the best known forensic scientists in the area. When Ruby's father is the number one suspect, Ruby and Rex try to set things right. Then things get interesting. They find a mysterious old woman who helps them solve the case. She is a specialist in chemicals and she used to be a forensic scientist as well. She helps them figure out that it is not Ruby's dad (the night janitor), but the day janitor. This is a great read and people's hearts should definitely speed up a pace.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable "real" science mystery for middle grades with a real crime and clues. A forensic toxicologist is murdered and Ruby Rose, the janitor's daughter, is desperately gathering information to keep her father from being arrested.

Ruby and her four odd-duck friends, are likable, well-drawn characters with a carefully crafted mystery to solve. The mystery is filled with science-based clues, but can be solved with attentive reading. A fun stand-alone, but this would be a great first book for a series.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast and easy read considering the mystery story is pretty in depth. Poison Most Vial is definitely a book that engages your brain, and even though there is a murder, there is nothing gruesome to be seen. If you have a child who likes science, this is definitely the book for them! Carey, a science reporter for the NY Times actually makes a topic I disliked in school, fun.
It would also be a great book to use for integrating language arts in middle school and to connect with science classes.

Originally published on the Hopeful Heroine.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

For elementary kids I would give this 4 stars, but for myself it was just 2.5 stars. This is a story about a little girl and her best friend and how they solve a mystery to help the little girl's dad. It was cute enough. I thought the setting needed to be established a little better for the younger audience, but overall it was good enough.

[Mrs. Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! A mystery for youth... and it's not just a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys story. Although, the same format..."if it weren't for those pesky kids!" Even if the details are a bit contrived and the story line sometimes seems rushed and not completely filled out, it's a mystery and if that's what you're looking for, you'll be happy with this one!

[Read Ribbet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carey is a science journalist but this book is paced too slow actually needs more CSI moments and may be too sophisticated in its topic and characters for intermediate level. I had a hard time getting engaged in the story. It seemed to move at a snails paced -- plot driven with limited character development.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect for Dr. Ramachandran’s poisoning, but Ruby knows he didn’t do it. But she needs to know more about it, and with T. Rex, her best friend, she asks the woman upstairs for help. That woman used to be a forensic scientist, and her advice and hints and questions guide Ruby and Rex as they work to solve the crime before her father goes to jail.

[Kaylee C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Poisen Most Vial is a good book for people who like mystery books. The book gives you a limited amount of detail. They give you the clues just you have to put them together yourself. The settings of the book is kind of confusing. By confusing I mean its hard to tell where they are all the time. Over all i give this book 3 stars