Morderstwo o zmierzchu

by Fleur Hitchcock, Olga Szlachciuk (Translator)

Viv jest przekonana, że Noah uciekł, by zwrócić na siebie uwagę rodziców. Ale na zewnątrz się ściemnia, a zimny deszcz nie przestaje padać. Dziewczyna wyrusza na poszukiwanie przyjaciela, nie dowierzając, że mógł zachować się tak egoistycznie. Woda zalewa całe miasto, gdy Viv odnajduje chłopca i uświadamia sobie, że wydarzyło się coś znacznie bardziej tragicznego, niż się spodziewała...

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Crime, Adventure

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Born in Chobham, by an airfield, and raised in Winchester on the banks of the River Itchen, Fleur Hitchcock grew up as the youngest child of three. When she was eight, she wrote a story about an alien and a jelly. It was called THE ALIEN AND THE JELLY and filled four exercise books. She grew up a little, went away to school near Farnham, studied English in Wales, and, for the next twenty years, sold Applied Art in the city of Bath. When her younger child was seven, she embarked on the Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa and graduated with a distinction. Now living outside Bath, between parenting and writing, Fleur Hitchcock works with her husband (a toy maker), looks after other people's gardens and grows vegetables.

Reviews

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend this one! Murder at Twilight is a compulsively readable middle-grade mystery. Filled with suspenseful action and adventure, this middle-grade mystery-thriller also explores what happens when a privileged existence and second-class living collide. Lovers of whodunits and gentler thrillers will enjoy this one — it’s perfect for a cozy night in. Read my full review here.

[Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nawet nie wiem czemu ale takie ciepło mam przez tą ksiązke. Może moim sposobem na zastój są ksiązki dla dziecki (K to oczywiście skrót od kidosów). Bardzo sie wciągnełam i tak se myślę czemu. Bo tak naprawdę nie było tu dużo fabuły ale ja nie mówie że źle. Było zajebiście (tak, porwania dzieci są super wiecie?). Viv ma 12 lat a jak sie z nią BARDZO utożsamiałam. Bardzo rzadko mam tak że sie nie denerwuję na głównego bohatera bo coś odwalił. A ona? Ona jest MNĄ. Zachowałabym się tak samo (tak, umiem latać samolotem a co). Noe też ajny. Podobała mi się platoniczność tej ich relacji. Takie to było dziecięce i beztroskie (no może nie do końca ale trudno). Taaa, zajebiste.
Randomowe momenty które mi sie podobały:

Chcę być panią samej siebie.

Porwanie Noe? Na pewno są milsi ludzie do porywania.

Pewnie dobrowadza ją to do szału, tak nie wiedzieć co sie dzieje. Ona zawsze wszystko wie.

Nie chcieli mnie. Nawet mnie nie zauważyli.
Nikt się nie przejmował

Co my teraz zrobimy, Noe? Mają broń, a my? Nic. Nie mamy nawet butów.

Próbując się nie załamać, nie krzyczeć, po prostu nie usiąść i płakać. (moja ulubiona sentencja)

-Oszalałaś.
-Ale mam rację.

Moje stopy bardzo chciały, żeby to wszystko się już skończyło. (#piekłostópek)

Czy on specjalnie był taki tępy?

-Co cię tak bawi?
-Skarpetki.

Bardzo cudowne te cytaty. Zmieniam opinię. Uwielbiam tą książke.

[zosienka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Świetna książka, wciągająca i nieprzewidywalna. Absolutnie dla każdego. Decyzje bohaterów były całkiem logiczne, co jest kolejnym plusem dla tej książki. Nie jestem szczególną fanką kryminałów ale ta książka naprawdę mnie ujęła.

[Nikola Rudecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Rozumiem, że to książka dziecięca, ale dzieci latające samolotem? Po połowie domyśliłam się jak może to wszystko się skończyć i miałam rację. Sięgnę po następną książkę autora, ale tej zupełnie nie polecam starszym czytelnikom. Czymś dobrym też bym tego nie nazwała.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this middle grade thriller, we follow Viv as local heir Noah disappears, and his nanny (who also happens to be her mum) is accused. I loved Viv immediately- she`s so spiky and headstrong and capable, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her relationship with Noah develop after she manages to find him after setting out to search for him because she`s furious that he has been so selfish and run away (which she discovers is not the case when she finds Noah and finds out how much danger he`s really in, and she is now tangled up in too…). The actions scenes are ridiculously tense and I was on the edge of my seat while reading them, especially as the book reached the climax and Viv and Noah had to head off danger at every turn, and were unable to trust anyone (I genuinely didn`t trust a single supporting character as I was reading because of how much danger they were in, and I was desperate to learn who was behind everything!). Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was its discussion of what it might be like for a nanny`s child to grow up alongside the privileged one they look after, which is the situation Viv is in. I`d never really considered this before, but it was a subplot that I found completely fascinating. Finally, the reveal of who was ultimately responsible for Noah`s kidnapping was a phenomenal twist, even better than who the previous reveals had suggested were the perpetrators, and I thought this was such a great suspenseful, action-packed mystery. 4.5/5

[Haley Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, it is the first book by Fleur Hitchcock that I have read. A young adult/YA book that explores a very different side of the world - kidnap and murder. It was interesting to read a murder mystery which was created for younger readers as it doesn't happen that often. A brilliant story full of hope and the difference between the classes in society

[Vicki Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great pre-teen / early teen adventure that was just full of twists & turns. Was recommended to me by several y8s and absolutely lovely for that age group. Have others by Fleur Hitchcock and hope to enjoy these just as much. Hopefully it’ll get young readers into other adventure/ mystery/ thriller books as they grow up.

[RoseyLivesOnABoat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Good whodunnit and some lovely writing. The working class perspective of Viv was refreshing, so often the Noah character is the protagonist.

[Kemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly good, like super good! The writing was lovely, especially in the slow, building first part.

[Jiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

No other words other than extraordinary

[Agapanthus.books.100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After coming across the author Fleur Hitchcock, I have had a bit of a run on her books lately.
My most recent is Murder at Twilight, and I loved it!

Viv's mum is a nanny for Noah, the son of a wealthy local family. To say that Viv and Noah don't get on is an understatement.
But when Viv returns home from school to find her mother arrested, and that Noah is missing, her life is turned upside down. Viv knows that her mum has nothing to do with Noah's disappearance, and despite the pair's differences, she sets out after dark to find out where Noah is.

But the rain keeps on falling, the nearby river is flooding, and the surrounding countryside becomes a minefield of hazards to navigate. She knows most of the locals, but begins to piece together who might be involved, but can Viv find Noah before it's too late and clear her mum's good name?

Fleur weaves her magic again making this a really thrilling read. She gets right into the story straightaway, and I was gripped from the beginning. As the pace quickens and the atmosphere develops, you can not put the book down as you will Viv on in her quest.
On a wet, rainy weekend (we are having a lot of those in the UK at the moment), this is the perfect read.
I highly recommend this adventure...you won't be disappointed!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at twilight was a very easy and understandable read for young middle grade readers who like crime and thrillers. I also enjoyed the extreme contrast to the protagonist in Dear Scarlett as a lot of authors don't make each character individual. I loved the relationship between Noah+Viv's attitudes towards each other (love/hate relationship).

But, in Dear Scarlett and Murder at Twilight I struggle with the age of the protagonists as the way they speak and present themselves seems a bit older 13 or 14. Also I think this book would have been more entertaining as a YA than a Middle grade (as I could see aspects of the book thaT could have been a side plot like a romance). And lastly, each ending of Hitchcock's book concluded in happy endings and this feels quite abrupt to me I think the books had more to say and could have lasted longer.

But overall this is a great read and I am definitely reading more of Hitchcock's books. 😁👍

[Mary Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With an addictive plotline, the reader is immediately thrown into the action in this great murder mystery. Viv is an engaging, genuine central character; clever, haphazard, mercurial, but with real heart. and determination. Her arch-rival Noah is spoilt and privileged and their relationship does come across as typical "sibling rivalry", but the unfolding of the mystery reveals much more about the complexity of family relationships. The 'chase scene' is well-executed and filled with tension and potentially lethal consequences. Fast-paced and gripping, there are so many well-crafted twists and turns that even the most hard-core fan of intrigue will remain riveted to the the story. Filled with tension, atmosphere and a thrilling, unexpected conclusion. An incredible winter read! (age 10 yrs +)

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely enjoyable thriller following the disappearance of Noah, the local heir and our main character’s mother Viv being the prime suspect.

Filled with various twists and turns, you can’t trust anyone when reading this book. The story does a great job in keeping the reader on edge depicting multiple scenes of suspenseful adventure and angst. I enjoyed reading these action packed and fast paced scenes as it kept the story moving.

There were a variety of characters, but given it’s a mystery the details were sparse. Viv was a great headstrong character that was not only practical but also resourceful. It was interesting to read about Viv’s perspective as her mother is Noah’s nanny. Noah was a mystery. Spoiled and bratty yes, but his reveal in the end showed he was just another kid who wanted a life full of love and care. The side characters were each interesting and enough details were revealed to know the character but not predict their motive.

I felt that the last one third of the book was a little confusing. Although action packed and suspenseful the execution felt lacking. In some scenes it was too detailed where not needed, and in other scenes the details were a bit vague. It was hard to understand, especially since I have never seen the countryside and the descriptions weren’t really doing justice to the story.

Overall, I liked this book although there were a few hiccups on the way. I enjoyed the mystery in this the most since I couldn’t figure it out with all the twist and turns. Seriously, don’t trust anyone in this book!

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alert very slight spoilers:




I very much liked the book! The thing that’s bugging me though is the fact that I got it because I like teenage murder mysteries, like « Murder most Unladylike » or « Ruby Redfort », where the young hero/heroine saves the day by finding out who the criminals are. In this book, the murder is not central at all, is only discovered in the last 20 or so pages, and the murderer is extremely obvious. There isn’t even any proper background story about the victim. Nevertheless, even if it wasn’t at all what I was expecting, I do recommend this book.

[Hania · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the third book I've read from this author and I would say it was probably the best. The characters were pretty well written, their emotions and responses were quite accurate. The book provided good descriptions of the environment and settings. I'm surprised someone actually got murdered in this one, because the last two books I've read were death-free. Although the murder wasn't described and the main characters never saw the body, so I suppose this book is still suitable for younger readers.

[Justka · Rating 4 out of 5]

,,Morderstwo o zmierzchu'' jest moim ogromnym zaskoczeniem! Bohaterowie tej książki są fantastycznie wykreowani – autentyczni, a jednocześnie wzbudzający sympatię. Powieść trzyma w napięciu; nie da się jej odłożyć. Naprawdę rewelacyjna książka. I jeszcze Viv. Zdecydowanie jest moją ulubioną bohaterką. Jest mądra i odważna – uwielbiam jej przemyślenia!

[Khushi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very boring. The plot was almost non existent or rather so simplistic that it could have been written in 10 pages rather than 200. I really thought I would love this. It’s really sad that I found this so dull in the end.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't want to write anything mean - it just wasn't my book. Too long and drawn out and the ending is exactly what you expect. Not for me.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for our February junior bookclub and it was generally a hit.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I read it quickly and would say it's aimed at a younger audience- maybe 9 year olds.

[Braden Bodensteiner · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is slow with a clumsy conclusion. I’m also not sure this qualifies as a murder mystery.

[Kathryn Beere · Rating 2 out of 5]

It takes a while for the book to get going so for children it can start off as “boring”

[Julka Stanek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5, fajna lekka książka z nutą tajemnicy

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable

[lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lenoks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka bardzo fajna, ale w pewnym momencie robi się trochę nudno. Ale ogólnie polecam

[Beau.Fergy]

good

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had no expectations coming in to this book and it didn't disappoint it was an ok book

[mil♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

for a child’s book it was okay but also very unrealistic. i also feel like the title is not really accurate, as it does not revolve around murder but more around kidnapping