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Kari + Lucas Mysteries #1
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia
If it hadn't been for Lucas's photographic memory, they might not have remembered the man. It had been almost a year since she and Kari had noticed him copying the famous Rembrandt painting in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. But now in the National Gallery in London, they're sure it's the same guy, copying another Rembrandt. What is going on?
The International Herald Tribune gives them their answer. A never-before-seen Rembrandt painting has been discovered in Amsterdam. The mysterious man must've been working on a forgery! Convinced that no one will believe them without more evidence, the teenage sleuths embark on a madcap adventure to find the forger. But is bringing the criminal to justice worth the price of their lives?
The International Herald Tribune gives them their answer. A never-before-seen Rembrandt painting has been discovered in Amsterdam. The mysterious man must've been working on a forgery! Convinced that no one will believe them without more evidence, the teenage sleuths embark on a madcap adventure to find the forger. But is bringing the criminal to justice worth the price of their lives?
278 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
11 people are currently reading
1202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 30, 2025
Such a good little middle grade or maybe YA feminist mystery!!!!!! Featuring 2000s magazine and news journalism, an actual Cool Mom, and 2 girl best friends. I looooove Lucas as a character; she reminds me of myself as a little girl. Same with our main character! The scenes describing both the Twin Cities and European cities were also so delightful. Just all around a wonderful delight to revisit. I’m glad my fourth grade (??) self had such great taste in literature. Not much changes it seems!
Docked one star for the random brown face scene ?!??
Docked one star for the random brown face scene ?!??
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August 21, 2015The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (Fiction book) -by Susan Runholt- Summer Reading (2015)
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia starts by explaining to us who is Lucretia, and what is the first and second Lucretia. Lucretia is a married woman who was once raped while her husband was at war. When her husband came back from war she told him everything and he said it wasn’t her fault. But she felt so dishonorable so she took a dagger and killed herself. The first Lucretia is a painting of Lucretia (the women) holding the dagger before she killed herself. The second Lucretia is when Lucretia (The women) is lying dead on the floor with blood. These paintings were sold to people for millions. Kari the protagonist is a young girl who goes to her first art class in the art institute. Then she became friends with Lucas. Another young girl the same age as Kari. Then they didn’t see themselves for about one month. The next time when they saw themselves was in an ice-cream store. Then Kari tells us a story when she was in an art gallery last spring and summer with her mom and Lucas. Then Kari and Lucas saw a man with his easel. Then they went in the Lucretia room where there was the 2 Lucretia’s and on a chair there was sitting the man they saw before drawing. When Kari saw his drawing he said “Go-away” 2 times. Then they called that man gallery guy. Afterwards Kari tells us about her family. Her parents are divorced and she has an uncle, which she calls him Uncle Geoff. Then Kari tells us about Lucas family are rich and her father has many jobs. Lucas mother is named Camellia. Then Kari and Lucas are preparing their clothes before they travel to London with Kari’s mom. Camellia bought clothes for Lucas to bring with her. The next day they went to London. They visited many different places. One day when they were in a national gallery something happened. They saw a man with his easel. Lucas was interested so she got closer. Then a boy came to see what that man was drawing. Then he said “Go-away” 2 times and then Lucas hold Kari’s hand and ran away. Then they thought it was Gallery Guy in Minnesota. Then they thought what was he doing. Then Kari’s mom came, they went to eat in their friends restaurant. While they were eating, Kari had an idea. It was to disguise themselves so that Gallery Guy couldn’t recognize them. When they finished eating they talked with their friend Robert and Celia. The next day in the museum they were disguised with a lot of make up. No one could recognize them. The setting (place) in these first fifteen chapters is in Minnesota and London. The setting (time) in these first fifteen chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these first fifteen chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy, Uncle Geoff, and Camellia. The symbol in these first fifteen chapters is Gallery Guy’s reactions. The first person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “I felt like my face had turned bright red ” (Susan 47). The second person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “We got up from where we were sitting and for the front steps” (Susan 51). The third person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “She was right that we’d changed alot” (Susan 52).
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia continues when Lucas went in the Rembrandt room with a tourist group, then she saw gallery guy’s drawing. He said, “are you spying on me” and he also said if you come back in here, you’d be in big trouble. The next day before they go to the museum they went to the pet shop to buy a snake. When they arrived to the museum, the snake got out of the box and everyone was screaming and while this event happened Lucas was memorizing gallery guy’s drawing. The next day when they went to the museum a guard told Lucas and Kari that Bert, the guard that was standing in front of the Rembrandt’s room died. They were very sad and it’s a bus that killed him. Then before Lucas crossed the street she was probably run over by a jaguar. Afterwards, Kari, Lucas, and Kari’s mother took the plane to go back to Minnesota. While they were in the plane Kari wrote a journal on Gallery Guy. When they arrived to Minnesota Uncle Geoff took them and they went in a coffee shop. Then Kari decided to tell her mother everything about Bert, Gallery Guy, and the Jaguar when they were alone in London. Actually Bert’s death was an accident. Then Kari, Lucas, and Kari’s Mother went to Paris. They visited many places like: La Tour Eiffel, Le Jardins de Luxembourg, Les Champs Elysées, La Seine, Le Louvre, Le Musée D’Orsay, and Notre Dame. Then when she read a newspaper she saw a new photo of the Rembrandt painting. Under the photo it was written, Rembrandt’s Third Lucretia. Kari showed her mother and Lucas the newspaper. Then they went to Amsterdam by train. While they were in the train they talked about Bill, Kari’s father. When they arrived, they went in a Hotel. The next day they waited in line before the national museum open. When it opened they entered and saw the Third Lucretia. Then they saw a tall man with blond hair and a tall women with blond hair. The man’s name is Jacob Hanekroot, he is the curator of Dutch art. Then Kari said that she and Lucas are the only one to belong in this mystery but her mother shouldn’t. Then Kari’s mother said that a guy in Minneapolis was going to finish the mystery. Then she said that Lucas and Kari will not go into danger places where problems will happen. Then they left Amsterdam. They still kept a tail on Jacob and the women named Marrianne Mannefeldt. The setting (place) in these next fifteen chapters is in Minnesota, London, and Paris. The setting (time) in these next fifteen chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these next fifteen chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy (Jacob Hanekroot), and Kari’s mom. The symbol in these next fifteen chapters is Bert’s death. The first person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “I still needed to see the original up cose” (Susan 93). The second person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “You’d better cool it for a while” (Susan 97). The third person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “She finished what she was writing” (Susan 138). The theme in these next fifteen chapters is, the importance of a rich object.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia continues when Kari and Lucas went to follow Jacob. Then Kari lost sight of where Lucas was. Her heart started beating she felt so scared. When she was following Jacob she entered a dangerous place of town where there was bars and drugged people outside. Afterwards Jacob entered a house, drugged people were singing a song in Dutch loudly. Then at that moment Kari ran back to the corner of the street and Jacob looked out the window. Then she saw Lucas and she told her everything that happened and then Lucas gave Kari a hug to feel better. When they came back at the hotel they went to eat at a restaurant in Amsterdam. In the restaurant Kari and Lucas talked, they said maybe they should show the police that house and maybe the hands he drew in the London museum are the hands in the third lucretia. Then Kari asked her mom if they could go to a canal tour. She said yes and she gave them money but actually they wanted to check up on Jacob. Then when they arrived in that place a woman named Anneke and her sister named Katje came out they were nice with Kari and Lucas Anneke even asked them to drink a coke. When they got out of that dangerous place Kari’s mom saw them. She got so nervous that there were there. Kari thought it would break the relationship between her mom and her. The next day they didn’t get out of the hotel but Kari’s mom did. Her mom asked a man who works in the hotel to go to there room every small amount of time to check up on Kari and Lucas. Then Kari’s mom came at night and Kari was reading a magazine. So Kari’s Mom and Lucas decided to go eat dinner while Kari was finishing her magazine. When Kari finished reading her magazine she went downstairs in the dinner place, she asked the waiter where was the table of her mom and Lucas. He showed her the table and he also said that a Dutch man with blond hair came to talk with them. Kari’s mom let her bag on the chair, which meant she was coming back. Then Kari said: “She and Lucas had been kidnapped”, “Kidnapped by Jacob Hanekroot, the murderer”. Than Kari ran to the quarter or the dangerous place and went next to Jacob’s house, she saw her mother attached to a chair. Next to her was Jacob, than she went to Anneke and Katje and told them everything that happened and Lucas was lost. Then Kari told Jacob she was going to call the police and he will need to pay. Then the waiter named Tony, Anneke, Katje, and a blond woman came in the room where Jacob was. They started hitting Jacob while Kari went to save her mother. Then they heard a European police siren. Everyone was holding Jacob on the floor. Kari’s mom was saved and the police came to take Jacob. Lucas was the won to bring the police in the room. The setting (place) in these last twelve chapters is in Amsterdam. The setting (time) in these last twelve chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these last twelve chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy (Jacob Hanekroot), Kari’s mom, Katje, and Anneke. The symbol in these last twelve chapters is Jacob’s fight. The first person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “I was still feeling okay when we turned left onto a street that ran by a canal” (Susan 196). The second person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “You think he’s going to start staring out the window right after he gets up to his room” (Susan 201). The third person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “She looked around for a policeman, there wasn’t one in sight” (Susan 255). The theme in these last twelve chapters is, people versus people. In the last chapters of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia they found the mystery. It was gallery guy named Jacob Hanekroot the man who forged the Third Lucretia. Jacob was demanded to leave his post at the national museum by officials. Now everyone knows that Jacob Hanekroot forged The Third Lucretia. Kari and Lucas were interviewed and became very famous. Kari and Lucas were so happy of themselves when they found The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. Jacob Hanekroot was sent to prison for the crime he committed.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia starts by explaining to us who is Lucretia, and what is the first and second Lucretia. Lucretia is a married woman who was once raped while her husband was at war. When her husband came back from war she told him everything and he said it wasn’t her fault. But she felt so dishonorable so she took a dagger and killed herself. The first Lucretia is a painting of Lucretia (the women) holding the dagger before she killed herself. The second Lucretia is when Lucretia (The women) is lying dead on the floor with blood. These paintings were sold to people for millions. Kari the protagonist is a young girl who goes to her first art class in the art institute. Then she became friends with Lucas. Another young girl the same age as Kari. Then they didn’t see themselves for about one month. The next time when they saw themselves was in an ice-cream store. Then Kari tells us a story when she was in an art gallery last spring and summer with her mom and Lucas. Then Kari and Lucas saw a man with his easel. Then they went in the Lucretia room where there was the 2 Lucretia’s and on a chair there was sitting the man they saw before drawing. When Kari saw his drawing he said “Go-away” 2 times. Then they called that man gallery guy. Afterwards Kari tells us about her family. Her parents are divorced and she has an uncle, which she calls him Uncle Geoff. Then Kari tells us about Lucas family are rich and her father has many jobs. Lucas mother is named Camellia. Then Kari and Lucas are preparing their clothes before they travel to London with Kari’s mom. Camellia bought clothes for Lucas to bring with her. The next day they went to London. They visited many different places. One day when they were in a national gallery something happened. They saw a man with his easel. Lucas was interested so she got closer. Then a boy came to see what that man was drawing. Then he said “Go-away” 2 times and then Lucas hold Kari’s hand and ran away. Then they thought it was Gallery Guy in Minnesota. Then they thought what was he doing. Then Kari’s mom came, they went to eat in their friends restaurant. While they were eating, Kari had an idea. It was to disguise themselves so that Gallery Guy couldn’t recognize them. When they finished eating they talked with their friend Robert and Celia. The next day in the museum they were disguised with a lot of make up. No one could recognize them. The setting (place) in these first fifteen chapters is in Minnesota and London. The setting (time) in these first fifteen chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these first fifteen chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy, Uncle Geoff, and Camellia. The symbol in these first fifteen chapters is Gallery Guy’s reactions. The first person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “I felt like my face had turned bright red ” (Susan 47). The second person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “We got up from where we were sitting and for the front steps” (Susan 51). The third person point of view in these first fifteen chapters is “She was right that we’d changed alot” (Susan 52).
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia continues when Lucas went in the Rembrandt room with a tourist group, then she saw gallery guy’s drawing. He said, “are you spying on me” and he also said if you come back in here, you’d be in big trouble. The next day before they go to the museum they went to the pet shop to buy a snake. When they arrived to the museum, the snake got out of the box and everyone was screaming and while this event happened Lucas was memorizing gallery guy’s drawing. The next day when they went to the museum a guard told Lucas and Kari that Bert, the guard that was standing in front of the Rembrandt’s room died. They were very sad and it’s a bus that killed him. Then before Lucas crossed the street she was probably run over by a jaguar. Afterwards, Kari, Lucas, and Kari’s mother took the plane to go back to Minnesota. While they were in the plane Kari wrote a journal on Gallery Guy. When they arrived to Minnesota Uncle Geoff took them and they went in a coffee shop. Then Kari decided to tell her mother everything about Bert, Gallery Guy, and the Jaguar when they were alone in London. Actually Bert’s death was an accident. Then Kari, Lucas, and Kari’s Mother went to Paris. They visited many places like: La Tour Eiffel, Le Jardins de Luxembourg, Les Champs Elysées, La Seine, Le Louvre, Le Musée D’Orsay, and Notre Dame. Then when she read a newspaper she saw a new photo of the Rembrandt painting. Under the photo it was written, Rembrandt’s Third Lucretia. Kari showed her mother and Lucas the newspaper. Then they went to Amsterdam by train. While they were in the train they talked about Bill, Kari’s father. When they arrived, they went in a Hotel. The next day they waited in line before the national museum open. When it opened they entered and saw the Third Lucretia. Then they saw a tall man with blond hair and a tall women with blond hair. The man’s name is Jacob Hanekroot, he is the curator of Dutch art. Then Kari said that she and Lucas are the only one to belong in this mystery but her mother shouldn’t. Then Kari’s mother said that a guy in Minneapolis was going to finish the mystery. Then she said that Lucas and Kari will not go into danger places where problems will happen. Then they left Amsterdam. They still kept a tail on Jacob and the women named Marrianne Mannefeldt. The setting (place) in these next fifteen chapters is in Minnesota, London, and Paris. The setting (time) in these next fifteen chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these next fifteen chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy (Jacob Hanekroot), and Kari’s mom. The symbol in these next fifteen chapters is Bert’s death. The first person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “I still needed to see the original up cose” (Susan 93). The second person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “You’d better cool it for a while” (Susan 97). The third person point of view in these next fifteen chapters is “She finished what she was writing” (Susan 138). The theme in these next fifteen chapters is, the importance of a rich object.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia continues when Kari and Lucas went to follow Jacob. Then Kari lost sight of where Lucas was. Her heart started beating she felt so scared. When she was following Jacob she entered a dangerous place of town where there was bars and drugged people outside. Afterwards Jacob entered a house, drugged people were singing a song in Dutch loudly. Then at that moment Kari ran back to the corner of the street and Jacob looked out the window. Then she saw Lucas and she told her everything that happened and then Lucas gave Kari a hug to feel better. When they came back at the hotel they went to eat at a restaurant in Amsterdam. In the restaurant Kari and Lucas talked, they said maybe they should show the police that house and maybe the hands he drew in the London museum are the hands in the third lucretia. Then Kari asked her mom if they could go to a canal tour. She said yes and she gave them money but actually they wanted to check up on Jacob. Then when they arrived in that place a woman named Anneke and her sister named Katje came out they were nice with Kari and Lucas Anneke even asked them to drink a coke. When they got out of that dangerous place Kari’s mom saw them. She got so nervous that there were there. Kari thought it would break the relationship between her mom and her. The next day they didn’t get out of the hotel but Kari’s mom did. Her mom asked a man who works in the hotel to go to there room every small amount of time to check up on Kari and Lucas. Then Kari’s mom came at night and Kari was reading a magazine. So Kari’s Mom and Lucas decided to go eat dinner while Kari was finishing her magazine. When Kari finished reading her magazine she went downstairs in the dinner place, she asked the waiter where was the table of her mom and Lucas. He showed her the table and he also said that a Dutch man with blond hair came to talk with them. Kari’s mom let her bag on the chair, which meant she was coming back. Then Kari said: “She and Lucas had been kidnapped”, “Kidnapped by Jacob Hanekroot, the murderer”. Than Kari ran to the quarter or the dangerous place and went next to Jacob’s house, she saw her mother attached to a chair. Next to her was Jacob, than she went to Anneke and Katje and told them everything that happened and Lucas was lost. Then Kari told Jacob she was going to call the police and he will need to pay. Then the waiter named Tony, Anneke, Katje, and a blond woman came in the room where Jacob was. They started hitting Jacob while Kari went to save her mother. Then they heard a European police siren. Everyone was holding Jacob on the floor. Kari’s mom was saved and the police came to take Jacob. Lucas was the won to bring the police in the room. The setting (place) in these last twelve chapters is in Amsterdam. The setting (time) in these last twelve chapters is during the 1600’s. The characters in these last twelve chapters are Kari Sundgren, Lucas Stickney, Gallery Guy (Jacob Hanekroot), Kari’s mom, Katje, and Anneke. The symbol in these last twelve chapters is Jacob’s fight. The first person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “I was still feeling okay when we turned left onto a street that ran by a canal” (Susan 196). The second person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “You think he’s going to start staring out the window right after he gets up to his room” (Susan 201). The third person point of view in these last twelve chapters is “She looked around for a policeman, there wasn’t one in sight” (Susan 255). The theme in these last twelve chapters is, people versus people. In the last chapters of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia they found the mystery. It was gallery guy named Jacob Hanekroot the man who forged the Third Lucretia. Jacob was demanded to leave his post at the national museum by officials. Now everyone knows that Jacob Hanekroot forged The Third Lucretia. Kari and Lucas were interviewed and became very famous. Kari and Lucas were so happy of themselves when they found The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. Jacob Hanekroot was sent to prison for the crime he committed.
December 17, 2021
I thought this was a very good book. I listen to the audiobook by random house. The reader was really good it was very well done. And I thought that the book was good it’s for a younger age group I think may be pre-teens or teenagers. But I liked the way that things were explained. References to art, geography, history, definitions of words, and other points of interest were quickly explained and then the writer got off that point so that it wasn’t burdensome. I think it would be great if more kids books took that approach. Very interesting story, not entirely realistic but I don’t think it was supposed to be
June 24, 2024
It was just..mediocre. I feel like mediocre mystery’s are the worst. And I feel bad giving it ta 2.5, but..I cant really find anything that could make me rate it higher.
Honestly, I liked the characters and you can tell Susan Runholt did a decent amount of research which I appreciate. But the plot was mid, and just unrealistic.
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That’s all I have to say.
Honestly, I liked the characters and you can tell Susan Runholt did a decent amount of research which I appreciate. But the plot was mid, and just unrealistic.
.
.
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That’s all I have to say.
November 11, 2008
Overall a clean, wholesome mystery, but I didn't care for this one. I seem to be in the minority, but I felt that the narrative and interest level seriously fades after the exposition. The two protagonists are very smart and capable, however the only mystery that seems to arise is after they make seemingly snap judgments (i.e. a gruff man MUST be a bad guy and beautiful widows of ugly men MUST be murderers)and are then proven correct. There are no surprises, except for the fact that a build up to "big trouble" leads only to a grounding, although the mother's kidnapping at gunpoint is slightly glossed over.
November 20, 2008
Well, I've no doubt that plenty of kids would like this, and I suppose that's what's important.
I didn't care for the very casual writing style; and for a book that talks a lot about feminism, and how teenage girls should be interested in more than looks, there's an awful lot of emphasis on how attractive (or unattractive) people are.
It reminded me of nothing so much as an old Donna Parker book, especially in the way a lot of the chapters ended. (And I was SO pleased with myself for coming up with that comparison; I think it's pretty apt.)
I didn't care for the very casual writing style; and for a book that talks a lot about feminism, and how teenage girls should be interested in more than looks, there's an awful lot of emphasis on how attractive (or unattractive) people are.
It reminded me of nothing so much as an old Donna Parker book, especially in the way a lot of the chapters ended. (And I was SO pleased with myself for coming up with that comparison; I think it's pretty apt.)
August 8, 2008
A really thoughtful and intelligent book for young teens, mid teens and adults, if you like following bright sassy kids on their adventures. I do and I learn something when i read Runholt's stuff. You will too.
October 10, 2009
This is a really great mystery about two inquisitive, smart girls that travel the world and solve a mystery along the way. Gotta love a mystery that includes travel to places like London and Amsterdam. First in a series. Great for middle schoolers!
January 5, 2011
This is a really great mystery about two inquisitive, smart girls that travel the world and solve a mystery along the way. Gotta love a mystery that includes traveling to places like London and Amsterdam. The first book in Kari + Lucas Mystery Series. Great for fans of Nancy Drew!
October 14, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book. I had a lot of questions while i was reading it, but my questions were answered through the book. I think you will really enjoy it.
August 14, 2010
Do you like a good mystery, Esteemed Reader? A hint of danger and some heart-pounding adventure? Unless you have some sort of special heart condition or a neurological disorder, I’ll assume that you do. And therefore you are going to love Susan Runholt’s Kari + Lucas Mysteries. The ninja loves them and is looking forward to future additions.
So we’re going to change things up a little bit this week. Instead of reviewing one book, I’m going to review two books in one post. Why? Well, I don’t review every book I read and I enjoyed the first book in the series, Mystery of the Third Lucretia, on audio book. I highly recommend that version, by the way, as the reader is fantastic. I wrote to Susan Runholt to ask her to appear here (she will, this Thursday!) and guess what? She sent me a signed copy of Rescuing Seneca Crane! God, I love being a ninja!
Here is perhaps the finest praise I can offer a series: when the third book comes out, I’ll be all over it even though I probably won’t review it here. There are plenty of other books for us to chat about, Esteemed Reader, but I’ll be listening to book three, The Adventure of Simba Hill, just for me. I want to know what happens to Kari and Lucas and I want to see what Runholt’s going to do to top these first two wonderful books. If you haven’t read Runholt’s mysteries yet, get started now and we can wait for book three together.
That officially concludes the review portion of this review: buy these books. Now let’s talk craft. A good series is hard to pull off, yet so many writers have ambitions for one, including the ninja. As a writer, part of the appeal to the series is a multi-book contract. But more, I suspect the joy in writing a series is the same joy the reader has in getting to spend more time with the same characters and experiencing a story larger than one book can contain. Whether that series is a Harry Potter story that is interconnected and building parts to a larger whole, telling one story over seven books. Or whether, as is the case here (so far), the books in the series are each self contained adventures like Batman stories or a television show. I like both kinds of series, but my preference is for episodic tales so that if one book sucks (not the case here) it doesn’t drag down the rest:)
Regardless of the type of series, the pressure is on the writer to create fantastic characters. This is a pressure the writer always feels as we’ve got to create fictional people interesting and likeable enough that the reader wants to spend a whole book with them. In a series, the reader may be spending seven books or more with these characters. So take the pressure of creating one book’s character and multiply it by seven, I suppose. Kari and Lucas, two 14-year old girls from Minnesota, are definitely likeable enough for the reader to want to spend four books with them. Heck, I’ll spend more books with Kari and Lucas if Runholt is up to it.
More, Kari and Lucas have the sort of qualities that will make them compelling protagonists regardless of the mystery facing them. They are curious about the world and the motivations of people. This is an essential quality for any detective to have, but Runholt doesn’t just tell us this (perish the thought!). She establishes the girls' curiosity in Mystery of the Third Lucretia. At an art museum in Minneapolis, the girls are treated rudely by a man copying a Rembrandt. When they see him later wearing a disguise, they decide to follow him and from this action flows the entire adventure that follows. What a masterful stroke this is! Though the girls remain very curious in Rescuing Seneca Crane as well, the subject of that book is a kidnapping of their friend, which one hardly need be curious to notice and be concerned with. But in the very first book of the series, this essential character quality of Kari and Lucas is forever established throughout the series because it is essential to the plot (and the plot comes from character, so bonus). The girls are insufferably curious, which might just get them killed were there not a third book on the way:)
In fact, most of Runholt’s world building in Mystery of the Third Lucretia is clearly being built to last. Various parts of the plot, though they tie in to the first adventure, go out of their way to establish the set up for future novels. Minor spoiler… Kari’s mom gets a job writing about international fashion for a magazine, which means she’ll need to do a lot of traveling, dragging the girls around Europe with her. As these are international mysteries, you can bet that will come in handy. Also, we’re introduced to Lucas’s father, a workaholic who never makes time for her, and her mother, who would much rather be free of her child so she can spend more time shopping with friends. While this sucks for Lucas, it’s great for Runholt because it means Lucas will always be free to go globetrotting with Kari and her mother.
The Kari + Lucas Mysteries are considered upper middle grade, or tween, which presents an interesting challenge to writers. On the one hand, the characters are old enough to have been exposed to many of the less savory aspects of the adult world. On the other hand, kids read up, and it’s likely a given that kids as young as ten or even eight will be reading in addition to fourteen-year-olds and adult ninjas. And the covers of these books, not that a writer always has a say in that, are bright and colorful and likely to attract readers of all ages.
What then is a writer to do? How does she acknowledge the age of the protagonists, who would probably swear and talk about naughty things at fourteen (or maybe I was just warped) without risking a younger readership? One of my favorite of Runholt’s inventions to get around this is her giving the girls their own way of swearing. When the girls want to swear, they insert a “meep” for the swear, as in “Oh meep,” “I feel like meep,” and my favorite, “Alan The Meep.” It’s important to remember that it is the age of the reader, not of the protagonist that determines content. After all, the protagonist in Amy Reed’s Beautiful was only thirteen.
A common complaint of mine is that too often in middle grade books the horror is not really scary, the danger isn’t really all that dangerous, and the mystery isn’t much of a challenge. As a ninja, I keep reading, but when I was kid I put a book down as soon as I felt its writer was being condescending(i.e. trying to convince me a rabbit sucking carrot juice was scary, though I loved that book). I wouldn’t have put Runholt’s book down. There is a reason Kari and Lucas are fourteen instead of ten. They’re dealing with some pretty serious stuff, and though Runholt keeps the story light and fun, she deals rather realistically with the world around it.
If Lucas and Kari were younger, they might be dealing with the mystery of the stolen cookie jar. But Runholt has loftier plans. In the first book, the girls are hot on the tail of an international art forgery that would be at home in a Dan Brown thriller (assuming there were a pseudo-religious twist), and in the second book, they’re chasing after kidnappers that might make William Kent Krueger proud. The girls censor themselves, but the villains don’t behave as though they know they’re in a story written for younger readers. There are murders and discussions of rape (all tactfully handled, I promise). In one scene, the girls tour Amsterdam’s Red Light district and are mistaken for, ahem, madams of the evening. Some parents may object to this, and if that’s you, go ahead and object. I, for one, was thrilled to have found a mystery that was truly exciting involving dangers that were actually dangerous.
I see we are past our maximum word count and I haven’t really told you the plot of either book, but that’s a good thing. The less you know going in, the more pleasantly surprised you’ll be. But I will say how much I appreciated the pacing at the beginning of Rescuing Seneca Crane. We know who the characters are and how it is they come to be able to travel overseas, so Runholt is able to start the adventure and keep it going to the last page.
And that wraps us up. Two big thumbs up for the Kari + Lucas mysteries!
To read an interview with author Susan Runholt, log onto my blog, www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com.
So we’re going to change things up a little bit this week. Instead of reviewing one book, I’m going to review two books in one post. Why? Well, I don’t review every book I read and I enjoyed the first book in the series, Mystery of the Third Lucretia, on audio book. I highly recommend that version, by the way, as the reader is fantastic. I wrote to Susan Runholt to ask her to appear here (she will, this Thursday!) and guess what? She sent me a signed copy of Rescuing Seneca Crane! God, I love being a ninja!
Here is perhaps the finest praise I can offer a series: when the third book comes out, I’ll be all over it even though I probably won’t review it here. There are plenty of other books for us to chat about, Esteemed Reader, but I’ll be listening to book three, The Adventure of Simba Hill, just for me. I want to know what happens to Kari and Lucas and I want to see what Runholt’s going to do to top these first two wonderful books. If you haven’t read Runholt’s mysteries yet, get started now and we can wait for book three together.
That officially concludes the review portion of this review: buy these books. Now let’s talk craft. A good series is hard to pull off, yet so many writers have ambitions for one, including the ninja. As a writer, part of the appeal to the series is a multi-book contract. But more, I suspect the joy in writing a series is the same joy the reader has in getting to spend more time with the same characters and experiencing a story larger than one book can contain. Whether that series is a Harry Potter story that is interconnected and building parts to a larger whole, telling one story over seven books. Or whether, as is the case here (so far), the books in the series are each self contained adventures like Batman stories or a television show. I like both kinds of series, but my preference is for episodic tales so that if one book sucks (not the case here) it doesn’t drag down the rest:)
Regardless of the type of series, the pressure is on the writer to create fantastic characters. This is a pressure the writer always feels as we’ve got to create fictional people interesting and likeable enough that the reader wants to spend a whole book with them. In a series, the reader may be spending seven books or more with these characters. So take the pressure of creating one book’s character and multiply it by seven, I suppose. Kari and Lucas, two 14-year old girls from Minnesota, are definitely likeable enough for the reader to want to spend four books with them. Heck, I’ll spend more books with Kari and Lucas if Runholt is up to it.
More, Kari and Lucas have the sort of qualities that will make them compelling protagonists regardless of the mystery facing them. They are curious about the world and the motivations of people. This is an essential quality for any detective to have, but Runholt doesn’t just tell us this (perish the thought!). She establishes the girls' curiosity in Mystery of the Third Lucretia. At an art museum in Minneapolis, the girls are treated rudely by a man copying a Rembrandt. When they see him later wearing a disguise, they decide to follow him and from this action flows the entire adventure that follows. What a masterful stroke this is! Though the girls remain very curious in Rescuing Seneca Crane as well, the subject of that book is a kidnapping of their friend, which one hardly need be curious to notice and be concerned with. But in the very first book of the series, this essential character quality of Kari and Lucas is forever established throughout the series because it is essential to the plot (and the plot comes from character, so bonus). The girls are insufferably curious, which might just get them killed were there not a third book on the way:)
In fact, most of Runholt’s world building in Mystery of the Third Lucretia is clearly being built to last. Various parts of the plot, though they tie in to the first adventure, go out of their way to establish the set up for future novels. Minor spoiler… Kari’s mom gets a job writing about international fashion for a magazine, which means she’ll need to do a lot of traveling, dragging the girls around Europe with her. As these are international mysteries, you can bet that will come in handy. Also, we’re introduced to Lucas’s father, a workaholic who never makes time for her, and her mother, who would much rather be free of her child so she can spend more time shopping with friends. While this sucks for Lucas, it’s great for Runholt because it means Lucas will always be free to go globetrotting with Kari and her mother.
The Kari + Lucas Mysteries are considered upper middle grade, or tween, which presents an interesting challenge to writers. On the one hand, the characters are old enough to have been exposed to many of the less savory aspects of the adult world. On the other hand, kids read up, and it’s likely a given that kids as young as ten or even eight will be reading in addition to fourteen-year-olds and adult ninjas. And the covers of these books, not that a writer always has a say in that, are bright and colorful and likely to attract readers of all ages.
What then is a writer to do? How does she acknowledge the age of the protagonists, who would probably swear and talk about naughty things at fourteen (or maybe I was just warped) without risking a younger readership? One of my favorite of Runholt’s inventions to get around this is her giving the girls their own way of swearing. When the girls want to swear, they insert a “meep” for the swear, as in “Oh meep,” “I feel like meep,” and my favorite, “Alan The Meep.” It’s important to remember that it is the age of the reader, not of the protagonist that determines content. After all, the protagonist in Amy Reed’s Beautiful was only thirteen.
A common complaint of mine is that too often in middle grade books the horror is not really scary, the danger isn’t really all that dangerous, and the mystery isn’t much of a challenge. As a ninja, I keep reading, but when I was kid I put a book down as soon as I felt its writer was being condescending(i.e. trying to convince me a rabbit sucking carrot juice was scary, though I loved that book). I wouldn’t have put Runholt’s book down. There is a reason Kari and Lucas are fourteen instead of ten. They’re dealing with some pretty serious stuff, and though Runholt keeps the story light and fun, she deals rather realistically with the world around it.
If Lucas and Kari were younger, they might be dealing with the mystery of the stolen cookie jar. But Runholt has loftier plans. In the first book, the girls are hot on the tail of an international art forgery that would be at home in a Dan Brown thriller (assuming there were a pseudo-religious twist), and in the second book, they’re chasing after kidnappers that might make William Kent Krueger proud. The girls censor themselves, but the villains don’t behave as though they know they’re in a story written for younger readers. There are murders and discussions of rape (all tactfully handled, I promise). In one scene, the girls tour Amsterdam’s Red Light district and are mistaken for, ahem, madams of the evening. Some parents may object to this, and if that’s you, go ahead and object. I, for one, was thrilled to have found a mystery that was truly exciting involving dangers that were actually dangerous.
I see we are past our maximum word count and I haven’t really told you the plot of either book, but that’s a good thing. The less you know going in, the more pleasantly surprised you’ll be. But I will say how much I appreciated the pacing at the beginning of Rescuing Seneca Crane. We know who the characters are and how it is they come to be able to travel overseas, so Runholt is able to start the adventure and keep it going to the last page.
And that wraps us up. Two big thumbs up for the Kari + Lucas mysteries!
To read an interview with author Susan Runholt, log onto my blog, www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com.
June 29, 2017
The narrator was perfect and did an incredible job sounding just like a 14 year old girl. A+
Content itself? meh. SOOOO much focus on clothing it was annoying. Either it didn't play a part in the story or it was just WAY too detailed and could have been toned down and summarized to make the point. And it took an incredibly long time to get from any point to the next. So much detail. Maybe reading would have been easier so I could skim, but we were listening on CDs in the car so it wasn't an option. Plot was interesting enough that I wanted to know the ending, but I just couldn't believe everything along the way. I wasn't convinced the bad guy was actually a murderer. A lot of the conclusions Kari and Lucas came to seemed way too overblown. Like a teenager's. And they did some really really dumb things. And they lied. A lot. Drove me nuts. And other things.
The author definitely had an agenda. Women's rights. And there is no God. Women's rights was a little too "hit-you-over-the-head" for my liking (though I agree). Her beef with God was thrown in a few times but it had no part in the story and could have just been edited out. It ended up feeling forced and unnecessary. Just sayin.
Content itself? meh. SOOOO much focus on clothing it was annoying. Either it didn't play a part in the story or it was just WAY too detailed and could have been toned down and summarized to make the point. And it took an incredibly long time to get from any point to the next. So much detail. Maybe reading would have been easier so I could skim, but we were listening on CDs in the car so it wasn't an option. Plot was interesting enough that I wanted to know the ending, but I just couldn't believe everything along the way. I wasn't convinced the bad guy was actually a murderer. A lot of the conclusions Kari and Lucas came to seemed way too overblown. Like a teenager's. And they did some really really dumb things. And they lied. A lot. Drove me nuts. And other things.
The author definitely had an agenda. Women's rights. And there is no God. Women's rights was a little too "hit-you-over-the-head" for my liking (though I agree). Her beef with God was thrown in a few times but it had no part in the story and could have just been edited out. It ended up feeling forced and unnecessary. Just sayin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2019
Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Kari and her best friend Lucas knew they were going to have fun in Europe; what they didn't realize was that it would be about solving a mystery. It started out as a game, but the closer they get to proving the case, the more danger they get in. These two girls sneak around, disguise themselves, lie a lot, and get help from all around the world.
This mystery was cute and interesting with all the paintings and new places they see. I didn't especially like how the story was told with Kari explaining and interjecting in a very distracting manner. The ending was good, though, and very satisfying.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Kari and her best friend Lucas knew they were going to have fun in Europe; what they didn't realize was that it would be about solving a mystery. It started out as a game, but the closer they get to proving the case, the more danger they get in. These two girls sneak around, disguise themselves, lie a lot, and get help from all around the world.
This mystery was cute and interesting with all the paintings and new places they see. I didn't especially like how the story was told with Kari explaining and interjecting in a very distracting manner. The ending was good, though, and very satisfying.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
January 17, 2021
This is a middle-school mystery/adventure read. It was loaned to me by a friend, and while I probably wouldn't have chosen this book otherwise, I enjoyed it. It involves two teenage girls - and a Mom - solving a mystery about a forged Rembrandt painting. I enjoyed the depictions of foreign travel, and what I thought were pretty realistic portrayals of mom/daughter and friend/friend relationships. The mystery itself was a bit farfetched, but fun. Considering I own a local afterschool enrichment franchise called Young Rembrandts, this book held a particular appeal. I am going to encourage my 11-year old to follow in my reading footsteps and take this one on.
August 3, 2021
I'm mixed on this. The mystery, characters and interactions among them are good, but the risks the girls took to solve this mystery bothered me. I think that's a compliment to the author as this felt more like the real world with real dangers, not a Nancy Drew world where the protagonist is never hurt. I like the voice of the narrator and the focus on the arts in this series, but in some ways this dragged with much description by the narrator.
March 1, 2020
I'm not sure what age range I'd say this book is for as a couple of fourteen-year-old girls sneak into Amsterdam's red-light district at night. But it turns out perfectly fine and they are catching an art forger. ... So It's just a fun adventure story?
Also a lot of lying happens, but they are well punished for it.
Also a lot of lying happens, but they are well punished for it.
September 5, 2023
Parts of this I really enjoyed. It was a fun and clever mystery overall. I did not like the author's habit of having the narrator repeatedly say, "If only I'd known..." or "If I had just seen..." It seems like very elementary foreshadowing and just got repetitive.
Read
June 5, 2019Older than tweens, themes and characters, and situations.
October 29, 2019
What I Did Like:
-The idea for the story is cute. A couple of teenage girls solving an art crime is exciting!
-The ending works for me. I enjoyed watching this one get all wrapped up nicely.
-Photographic memory is used in an interesting way here. I’m not sure if it’s realistic, necessarily, because I don’t have one and I don’t know anyone I can ask. However, I can say that it felt more realistic to me than some of the instances of photographic memory I’ve seen in other fiction works.
Who Should Read This One:
-Definitely think this one will appeal more to tweens than teens. I’d say tween readers who are interested in mystery and want their main characters to act grown up and be strong.
My Rating: 3 Stars. For me this one was decent but ultimately forgettable.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/J_P6KzL-THc
-The idea for the story is cute. A couple of teenage girls solving an art crime is exciting!
-The ending works for me. I enjoyed watching this one get all wrapped up nicely.
-Photographic memory is used in an interesting way here. I’m not sure if it’s realistic, necessarily, because I don’t have one and I don’t know anyone I can ask. However, I can say that it felt more realistic to me than some of the instances of photographic memory I’ve seen in other fiction works.
Who Should Read This One:
-Definitely think this one will appeal more to tweens than teens. I’d say tween readers who are interested in mystery and want their main characters to act grown up and be strong.
My Rating: 3 Stars. For me this one was decent but ultimately forgettable.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/J_P6KzL-THc
February 16, 2023
The way this book handles race is… not great to say the least.
Hard to get past the scene where one of the children does brown face as a disguise…
Hard to get past the scene where one of the children does brown face as a disguise…
May 5, 2025
Read this book in elementary school and was so wildly popular the author came to visit
February 28, 2014
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is about two fourteen year old girls that become wrapped up in a international art crime. Kari Sundgren and Lucas Stickney are best friends. One day at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts they see a man copying one of Rembrandt’s Lucretias. (Rembrandt painted two pictures of a girl named Lucretia: one where she was dressed all in white, the other one she is dead.) While trying to see what the man is painting, the man snarls and says GO A-WAY. Not wanting the man to get angry at them, Kari and Lucas leave. About a year later, Kari, Kari's mom, and Lucas travel to London for Kari's mom's job. The girls, with plenty of free time, decide to visit the National Art gallery. It is there that Lucas recognizes the man from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts painting another Rembrandt. However, this time he is wearing a disguise. Kari and Lucas become very curious into why the man is copying Rembrandt's and wearing a disguise. They try and catch a glimpse of what he is painting by wearing disguises, and using fake accents. Its all fun and games until a security guard from the museum gallery is killed, and then a “new” Rembrandt painting is discovered in Amsterdam. Suddenly the girls lives' are at stake as they get to the bottom of this art mystery.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is one of my favorite books of all time. The book is written in a way that it makes you feel like you are next to Kari and Lucas. The author, Susan Runholt, uses beautiful descriptive language that captivates you from page one. In addition to the writing style, I greatly enjoy the plot. Full of twists and turns, it keeps you on the edge of your seat till the last page. This book makes me what to travel. It especially makes me appreciate art, and to not take art for granted. The book also is a mystery, and I love mysteries. The book contains all my favorite things: mysteries, art, and history. I would recommend this book to everyone.
The essential question I choose for this book was “What is the difference between the right way and the best way.” Throughout the book, Kari and Lucas come across many difficult situations. One situation would be whether or not to tell Kari's mom about their discoveries at the gallery in London. Lucas almost gets hit by a car, right after they learn about the security guard's death. After that incident, Kari debates telling her mom about what they have been doing in London. “'What could I tell her? That everything we'd said to her in London had been lies, all lies? To say we did it for a good cause-well, that might mean something to me, but when it came to my mom I didn't think it would cut'” (123). Here, Kari knows what they did was for a good reason but was it the best reason? This ties into the essential question because Kari did something, she believed was the right way, but then realizes it could not be the best way. Another instance was after Kari's mother told her to stay out of the Gallery mystery. Kari and Lucas did not listen and eventually tracked down the man from the Gallery, his name was Jacob Hannekroot. This discovery leads the girls to Amsterdam where they track down Hannekroot. While investigating behind Kari's mom's back, they find where Hannekroot is hiding, but get caught by Kari's mom. “For a minute I let it sink in that Lucas and I had done had blown the good relationship Mom and I had even after what Lucas and I had done, and it would take months to earn that trust back, if I ever did” (228). Here, Kari finally realizes her “best way” was not the right way. Because of her actions she had lost her mom's trust, something she valued deeply. Kari learned that there is a difference between the best way and the right way. The best way is what she thinks is right way and the right way is the way that everyone thinks is right.
My favorite passage would be the chapter titled Rags, Treasures, and the Woman’s Loo at the National Gallery. In this chapter it talks a lot about the art and museum pieces of the National Gallery. I love museums, art, and history, which is all included in this chapter. Also toward the end of the chapter, the girls start to wear disguise to watch the man from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The girls remind me of when my friends and I hang out. We often do crazy and stupid things like Kari and Lucas do. However, we have never solved a art crime, but I plan on do it one day. Because of my friends, I can relate to Kari and Lucas in this chapter, which in turn makes me like the story even more.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is one of my favorite books of all time. The book is written in a way that it makes you feel like you are next to Kari and Lucas. The author, Susan Runholt, uses beautiful descriptive language that captivates you from page one. In addition to the writing style, I greatly enjoy the plot. Full of twists and turns, it keeps you on the edge of your seat till the last page. This book makes me what to travel. It especially makes me appreciate art, and to not take art for granted. The book also is a mystery, and I love mysteries. The book contains all my favorite things: mysteries, art, and history. I would recommend this book to everyone.
The essential question I choose for this book was “What is the difference between the right way and the best way.” Throughout the book, Kari and Lucas come across many difficult situations. One situation would be whether or not to tell Kari's mom about their discoveries at the gallery in London. Lucas almost gets hit by a car, right after they learn about the security guard's death. After that incident, Kari debates telling her mom about what they have been doing in London. “'What could I tell her? That everything we'd said to her in London had been lies, all lies? To say we did it for a good cause-well, that might mean something to me, but when it came to my mom I didn't think it would cut'” (123). Here, Kari knows what they did was for a good reason but was it the best reason? This ties into the essential question because Kari did something, she believed was the right way, but then realizes it could not be the best way. Another instance was after Kari's mother told her to stay out of the Gallery mystery. Kari and Lucas did not listen and eventually tracked down the man from the Gallery, his name was Jacob Hannekroot. This discovery leads the girls to Amsterdam where they track down Hannekroot. While investigating behind Kari's mom's back, they find where Hannekroot is hiding, but get caught by Kari's mom. “For a minute I let it sink in that Lucas and I had done had blown the good relationship Mom and I had even after what Lucas and I had done, and it would take months to earn that trust back, if I ever did” (228). Here, Kari finally realizes her “best way” was not the right way. Because of her actions she had lost her mom's trust, something she valued deeply. Kari learned that there is a difference between the best way and the right way. The best way is what she thinks is right way and the right way is the way that everyone thinks is right.
My favorite passage would be the chapter titled Rags, Treasures, and the Woman’s Loo at the National Gallery. In this chapter it talks a lot about the art and museum pieces of the National Gallery. I love museums, art, and history, which is all included in this chapter. Also toward the end of the chapter, the girls start to wear disguise to watch the man from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The girls remind me of when my friends and I hang out. We often do crazy and stupid things like Kari and Lucas do. However, we have never solved a art crime, but I plan on do it one day. Because of my friends, I can relate to Kari and Lucas in this chapter, which in turn makes me like the story even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2015
I got onto The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt courtesy of the Follow That Blurb Reading Challenge. This is a middle grade mystery which stars two fourteen year old girls who are best friends and interested in art. Kari Sundgren has a mom who writes for a magazine which sends her on assignments to other countries. Lucas Stickney comes from a wealthy family who doesn't mind if she flits off on these journeys with Kari and her mom. The mystery begins when the girls are at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and a snarky painter tells them to "Go A-Way!" The man is doing a copy of one of Rembrandt's famous Lucretia paintings and makes it clear he doesn't want anyone peering over his shoulder while he works. Then Kari's mom gets assigned to a story in London and the three make a trip to Britain. Kari and Lucas are very surprised to the Gallery Guy (as they dubbed him) in disguise and painting away in front of Rembrandt's companion piece. They are sure that he's up to no good and decide to do some detective work to try and figure out what he's up to.
After an adventure that involves multiple disguises, the release of a harmless snake, and an intense argument with Gallery Guy, the girls finally see enough to reproduce his work in a painting of their own. It isn't until the next trip (scheduled for France and Italy) that they see an article about a recently discovered "third Lucretia painting by Rembrandt" which was found in the Netherlands. The girls convince Kari's mom to take a detour to Amsterdam where the adventure really begins. Young mystery lovers will enjoy the excitement that follows Kari and Lucas and trying to figure out exactly how they're going to help catch the master art criminal.
This book tells me why I don't read young adult and middle grade books much. It is a perfectly good middle grade novel. I am quite sure that young readers will love it. And I'm quite sure that I would have if it had been around when I was in my Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden phase. But I just can't get myself into the young reader mindset anymore. That's one reason why I keep thinking about rereading Nancy, but then I don't. I'm afraid I won't enjoy her anymore and I'd rather remember the books with great fondness than to be disappointed now.
I'm going to give this one three stars. The rating is for good clear writing. An interesting mystery and believable characters. The wrap-up is exciting and well done. Recommended for the young mystery lover in your life.
After an adventure that involves multiple disguises, the release of a harmless snake, and an intense argument with Gallery Guy, the girls finally see enough to reproduce his work in a painting of their own. It isn't until the next trip (scheduled for France and Italy) that they see an article about a recently discovered "third Lucretia painting by Rembrandt" which was found in the Netherlands. The girls convince Kari's mom to take a detour to Amsterdam where the adventure really begins. Young mystery lovers will enjoy the excitement that follows Kari and Lucas and trying to figure out exactly how they're going to help catch the master art criminal.
This book tells me why I don't read young adult and middle grade books much. It is a perfectly good middle grade novel. I am quite sure that young readers will love it. And I'm quite sure that I would have if it had been around when I was in my Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden phase. But I just can't get myself into the young reader mindset anymore. That's one reason why I keep thinking about rereading Nancy, but then I don't. I'm afraid I won't enjoy her anymore and I'd rather remember the books with great fondness than to be disappointed now.
I'm going to give this one three stars. The rating is for good clear writing. An interesting mystery and believable characters. The wrap-up is exciting and well done. Recommended for the young mystery lover in your life.
July 10, 2009
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia
Susan Runholt
Puffin Books/Penguin Young Readers
345 Hudson St; New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com/sleuth
978-0-670-06252-2, $6.99, 2008
This book is about two 14 year old girls who are best friends, Kari Sundgren and Lucas Stickney. It starts off with the girls at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Museum and they first notice a man with an easel painting a Rembrandt painting. Kari being the curious one leans in for a closer look and the man shouts go away. His actions frighten her and intrigue her at the same time. His nickname becomes Gallery Guy.
Kari’s mother is a reporter for The Scene and the girls get to accompany her to London and to Amsterdam. While they are in London, they spot the same man who was in the museum in the states and once again shouts go away. Lucas has a photographic memory and she is an excellent painter and by making multiple trips to spy on gallery guy in disguise, she is able to reproduce what he is painting. With the help of Kari’s mother they find out the identity of the gallery guy and are able to form more pieces of the puzzle together.
Once the trio arrives in Amsterdam, they discover in the newspaper, that a lost Rembrandt painting that has never been seen before shows up here. The girls start to wonder if something illegal is going on her. Once again with Kari’s mother’s extensive investigation expertise, they finally track the true identity of the Gallery Guy. His name is Jacob Hannekroot. The deeper they dig for proof of this being an illegal scheme and find out the Third Lucretia is a fake, the more they get into trouble. Kari’s mother catches them red handed in an area of town that they are clearly not supposed to be in. The girls are grounded at the hotel and the mother has Tony, one of the hotel staff bringing the girls sandwiches and keeping an eye on them.
Jacob finds out that the girls are on to him and kidnap Kari’s mother and Lucas. In the end, Kari figures out where he is keeping them and enlists Tony for help. An article ran in the local Sunday paper praising the girls on their findings and showing that the Third Lucretia is a fake. The girls get their fifteen minutes of fame and return to the states. I thought this was a very cute book, even though the reading audience is geared for pre-teens ten to fourteen years old. It was a very quick read and reminded me of the Nancy Drew Mysteries I used to read when I was younger.
Susan Runholt
Puffin Books/Penguin Young Readers
345 Hudson St; New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com/sleuth
978-0-670-06252-2, $6.99, 2008
This book is about two 14 year old girls who are best friends, Kari Sundgren and Lucas Stickney. It starts off with the girls at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Museum and they first notice a man with an easel painting a Rembrandt painting. Kari being the curious one leans in for a closer look and the man shouts go away. His actions frighten her and intrigue her at the same time. His nickname becomes Gallery Guy.
Kari’s mother is a reporter for The Scene and the girls get to accompany her to London and to Amsterdam. While they are in London, they spot the same man who was in the museum in the states and once again shouts go away. Lucas has a photographic memory and she is an excellent painter and by making multiple trips to spy on gallery guy in disguise, she is able to reproduce what he is painting. With the help of Kari’s mother they find out the identity of the gallery guy and are able to form more pieces of the puzzle together.
Once the trio arrives in Amsterdam, they discover in the newspaper, that a lost Rembrandt painting that has never been seen before shows up here. The girls start to wonder if something illegal is going on her. Once again with Kari’s mother’s extensive investigation expertise, they finally track the true identity of the Gallery Guy. His name is Jacob Hannekroot. The deeper they dig for proof of this being an illegal scheme and find out the Third Lucretia is a fake, the more they get into trouble. Kari’s mother catches them red handed in an area of town that they are clearly not supposed to be in. The girls are grounded at the hotel and the mother has Tony, one of the hotel staff bringing the girls sandwiches and keeping an eye on them.
Jacob finds out that the girls are on to him and kidnap Kari’s mother and Lucas. In the end, Kari figures out where he is keeping them and enlists Tony for help. An article ran in the local Sunday paper praising the girls on their findings and showing that the Third Lucretia is a fake. The girls get their fifteen minutes of fame and return to the states. I thought this was a very cute book, even though the reading audience is geared for pre-teens ten to fourteen years old. It was a very quick read and reminded me of the Nancy Drew Mysteries I used to read when I was younger.
June 22, 2010
International intrigue, disguises, art museums, and a red light district, what do all of these have in common? They are all part of the mystery adventure for two 14-year-old girls, Kari Sundgen and Lucas Stickney.
Kari and Lucas are best friends who are drawn together by their love of art. One afternoon, they are strolling through the Minneapolis Institute of Art when they notice a young man standing by an easel in the Rembrandt Room painting a copy of one of Rembrant's Lucretia paintings. Kari leans over to look at his work, but the man snarls, "Get Away!" Ok! No big deal. The man doesn't like to be bothered while he is painting.
A year later, the girls travel to London with Kari's mother, a journalist for a famous magazine. Kari and Lucas decide to visit the National Gallery while they are there and who do they spot but the same guy copying a different painting of Lucretia by Rembrandt. This time the "Gallery Guy" is wearing a disguise. Strange! Again he is angered when someone tries to look over his shoulder.
A short time later, the international press announces the discovery of a third painting of Lucretia by Rembrandt which has been authenticated by the resident expert of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Who is this expert, none other than the mysterious "Gallery Guy!"
Intrigued by the thought of an art forgery, Kari and Lucas head over to Amsterdam determined to expose the scam. What begins as an intriguing quest turns into a frightfully dangerous persuit.
I loved being plunged into the heart of the story with Kari's narration. I feel the frustration of the girls when they find that no one takes them seriously. Curiosity and excitement builds as Kari and and Lucas again encounter the mysterious "Gallery Guy." I hang onto every word keeping up with the fast pace of the persuit despite the mounting fear when it takes us to the dark and dangerous world of the red light district in Amsterdam. I love the challenge and I love the skillful way Susan Runholt leaves me with the desire to read more.
Kari and Lucas are best friends who are drawn together by their love of art. One afternoon, they are strolling through the Minneapolis Institute of Art when they notice a young man standing by an easel in the Rembrandt Room painting a copy of one of Rembrant's Lucretia paintings. Kari leans over to look at his work, but the man snarls, "Get Away!" Ok! No big deal. The man doesn't like to be bothered while he is painting.
A year later, the girls travel to London with Kari's mother, a journalist for a famous magazine. Kari and Lucas decide to visit the National Gallery while they are there and who do they spot but the same guy copying a different painting of Lucretia by Rembrandt. This time the "Gallery Guy" is wearing a disguise. Strange! Again he is angered when someone tries to look over his shoulder.
A short time later, the international press announces the discovery of a third painting of Lucretia by Rembrandt which has been authenticated by the resident expert of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Who is this expert, none other than the mysterious "Gallery Guy!"
Intrigued by the thought of an art forgery, Kari and Lucas head over to Amsterdam determined to expose the scam. What begins as an intriguing quest turns into a frightfully dangerous persuit.
I loved being plunged into the heart of the story with Kari's narration. I feel the frustration of the girls when they find that no one takes them seriously. Curiosity and excitement builds as Kari and and Lucas again encounter the mysterious "Gallery Guy." I hang onto every word keeping up with the fast pace of the persuit despite the mounting fear when it takes us to the dark and dangerous world of the red light district in Amsterdam. I love the challenge and I love the skillful way Susan Runholt leaves me with the desire to read more.
August 19, 2009
I've been a voracious reader since I was a little girl. I never leave the house without a book & it's a great big crisis if I finish my book before I have to do something like ride BART. I like a lot of the same kinds of books now that I did when I was kid - fantasy, fairy tales, & mysteries.
One of the hardest things when I was growing up was finding books with strong heroines. I can count the number of books that fit that bill for me on one hand: Harriet the Spy, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler, The Egypt Game, most anything by Judy Blume. It just seemed like girls never got to have big scary adventures that were also well-written & relevant. It sucked.
I was really pleased to get a review copy of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. This was a really fun read & it featured not one, not two, but three heroines (two teen-aged girls & their Mom). That it combines art history (reminding me of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler) & foreign travel & mysterious adventures & is very well-written made me very very happy.
This is a really fun book & a great read for anyone! I pretty much loved it! Get it for the little girls & boys (11 & up) in your life - they'll love it, too & should have a shot at reading something other than Harry Potter!
One of the hardest things when I was growing up was finding books with strong heroines. I can count the number of books that fit that bill for me on one hand: Harriet the Spy, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler, The Egypt Game, most anything by Judy Blume. It just seemed like girls never got to have big scary adventures that were also well-written & relevant. It sucked.
I was really pleased to get a review copy of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. This was a really fun read & it featured not one, not two, but three heroines (two teen-aged girls & their Mom). That it combines art history (reminding me of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler) & foreign travel & mysterious adventures & is very well-written made me very very happy.
This is a really fun book & a great read for anyone! I pretty much loved it! Get it for the little girls & boys (11 & up) in your life - they'll love it, too & should have a shot at reading something other than Harry Potter!
September 11, 2009
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Kari's mother works for a magazine that sends her to Europe at least once a year to write stories. Usually, they manage to bring along Kari's best friend, Lucas. Together the girls sometimes play tourist while Kari's mother works. Occasionally, they help her with her articles.
One trip to London proves to become a very different sort of trip than any of them imagined. While at the National Gallery, Kari and Lucas see an artist working near a Rembrandt painting of Lucretia. Before long, they become certain that they've seen this man before, only looking completely different.
They saw him in the art museum near their home, also next to the other Rembrandt Lucretia. The man's covering up his easel so no one can see his work. He also has a distinctive growl when anyone gets too close.
Kari and Lucas devise a plan to spy on the man, while changing their own appearances. In doing so, in order to understand what he's painting, they paint the objects they uncover by carefully sneaking glances at his work.
During their next trip to Europe, they hear about a discovery of a never-before-seen third Rembrandt painting from the Lucretia series. Kari and Lucas begin to add up the clues and discover that this painting is not an original work, but who would believe them and what evidence do they have for proof?
The first book in a series written in the first-person conveys the narrator's uncertainty about how to tell the story - there are many different possible beginnings, but Kari's voice rings true. While the reader can grasp the exact mystery from the beginning, they have fun solving the how and the why along with Kari and Lucas.
Kari's mother works for a magazine that sends her to Europe at least once a year to write stories. Usually, they manage to bring along Kari's best friend, Lucas. Together the girls sometimes play tourist while Kari's mother works. Occasionally, they help her with her articles.
One trip to London proves to become a very different sort of trip than any of them imagined. While at the National Gallery, Kari and Lucas see an artist working near a Rembrandt painting of Lucretia. Before long, they become certain that they've seen this man before, only looking completely different.
They saw him in the art museum near their home, also next to the other Rembrandt Lucretia. The man's covering up his easel so no one can see his work. He also has a distinctive growl when anyone gets too close.
Kari and Lucas devise a plan to spy on the man, while changing their own appearances. In doing so, in order to understand what he's painting, they paint the objects they uncover by carefully sneaking glances at his work.
During their next trip to Europe, they hear about a discovery of a never-before-seen third Rembrandt painting from the Lucretia series. Kari and Lucas begin to add up the clues and discover that this painting is not an original work, but who would believe them and what evidence do they have for proof?
The first book in a series written in the first-person conveys the narrator's uncertainty about how to tell the story - there are many different possible beginnings, but Kari's voice rings true. While the reader can grasp the exact mystery from the beginning, they have fun solving the how and the why along with Kari and Lucas.
March 10, 2015
*4 STARS*
The premise of this novel was incredibly effective- art (my first love) + ancient history + mystery + international intrigue + action-packed adventure? Count me in.
The plot of the story overall made a lot of sense and seemed realistic. I enjoyed the tidbits of information and descriptions throughout the novel, and the girls' journey through Europe brought back a lot of fun memories. It felt like walking down memory lane.
As for the characters, I have to say they were pretty well-developed. Kari's voice and perspective in particular was really interesting to read, and truly sounded like that of a fourteen-year-old. The way the background stories of the characters were built deserves an A+. It shows that the personalities and skills of the characters make sense and aren't just fanciful characteristics, thus making their reactions to situations realistic. Kari and Lucas did get annoying a few times, but they realize their mistakes and make changes, and isn't that what fictional novels are about?
The chapters also made a lot of sense. At one point I thought they were just babbling on about seemingly random things that happened in their lives, and it is later revealed that all those happenings are actually connected to the story (which is how it's supposed to be anyway). The story also has a major underlying theme of human rights and abuse which made me tear up a bit.
This was a pretty good read, and I definitely feel like reading the next books!
The premise of this novel was incredibly effective- art (my first love) + ancient history + mystery + international intrigue + action-packed adventure? Count me in.
The plot of the story overall made a lot of sense and seemed realistic. I enjoyed the tidbits of information and descriptions throughout the novel, and the girls' journey through Europe brought back a lot of fun memories. It felt like walking down memory lane.
As for the characters, I have to say they were pretty well-developed. Kari's voice and perspective in particular was really interesting to read, and truly sounded like that of a fourteen-year-old. The way the background stories of the characters were built deserves an A+. It shows that the personalities and skills of the characters make sense and aren't just fanciful characteristics, thus making their reactions to situations realistic. Kari and Lucas did get annoying a few times, but they realize their mistakes and make changes, and isn't that what fictional novels are about?
The chapters also made a lot of sense. At one point I thought they were just babbling on about seemingly random things that happened in their lives, and it is later revealed that all those happenings are actually connected to the story (which is how it's supposed to be anyway). The story also has a major underlying theme of human rights and abuse which made me tear up a bit.
This was a pretty good read, and I definitely feel like reading the next books!
August 29, 2009
"This is the story of how two teenagers from Minnesota lived a tale of adventure involving a woman from ancient Rome, a seventeenth-century painter, forgery and murder, abduction and rescue, disguises and deductions, two continents, three museums, four countries, a criminal hideaway, and two nuns from Amsterdam's famous Quarter."
-The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt
I was intrigued by this book from the start. Books with museums, child detectives, art fraud and adventures have always come through for me, ever since I stumbled upon E.L. Konigsburg's The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
I don't want to reveal too much about this book and think that the passage above tells you everything that you need to know. If it intrigues you, then I recommend that you get yourself a copy of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. The writing, characters, and adventure will not disappoint. I promise.
If you're not drawn to the book, then it's likely not a fit. No worries - there will be plenty of other books for you and plenty of readers for these Kari + Lucas mysteries. I hadn't mentioned that The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is the first in a series, but it is! I love series books because I can get invested in the characters knowing that even if the book ends the adventures don't. The second of the series came out on August 20, 2009.
-The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt
I was intrigued by this book from the start. Books with museums, child detectives, art fraud and adventures have always come through for me, ever since I stumbled upon E.L. Konigsburg's The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
I don't want to reveal too much about this book and think that the passage above tells you everything that you need to know. If it intrigues you, then I recommend that you get yourself a copy of The Mystery of the Third Lucretia. The writing, characters, and adventure will not disappoint. I promise.
If you're not drawn to the book, then it's likely not a fit. No worries - there will be plenty of other books for you and plenty of readers for these Kari + Lucas mysteries. I hadn't mentioned that The Mystery of the Third Lucretia is the first in a series, but it is! I love series books because I can get invested in the characters knowing that even if the book ends the adventures don't. The second of the series came out on August 20, 2009.
January 1, 2018
Kari and Lucas (a girl) are teenagers who stumble upon an international art crime. They observe a man in a Minnesota art museum who is secretly painting on an easel in front of a Rembrandt display. They later observe the same man doing the same thing in London, England, but he's now wearing a different disguise. As time goes on, the girls start to wonder about the situation and find out that a new Rembrandt painting of the Third Lucretia has been discovered and sold for twenty million dollars. They realize that the new painting is fake and try to figure out a way to catch the criminal.
The story is written in a casual, first-person point of view. Kari tells the story to the reader as though they are sitting together and chatting. The style makes the mystery un-intimidating, and the reader is able to see the clues unfold. The reader must still try to figure out how the girls will convince anyone to believe them even after they discover the culprit. This mystery is good for readers who are new to the mystery genre, because there aren't many confusing twists to the crime. It probably appeals more to female readers, because it's from Kari's point of view. She makes some comments about cute boys, clothing styles, and female things, so boys may be turned off by them. The comments aren't too bad though.
The story is written in a casual, first-person point of view. Kari tells the story to the reader as though they are sitting together and chatting. The style makes the mystery un-intimidating, and the reader is able to see the clues unfold. The reader must still try to figure out how the girls will convince anyone to believe them even after they discover the culprit. This mystery is good for readers who are new to the mystery genre, because there aren't many confusing twists to the crime. It probably appeals more to female readers, because it's from Kari's point of view. She makes some comments about cute boys, clothing styles, and female things, so boys may be turned off by them. The comments aren't too bad though.
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