Dead Letter

Herculeah Jones Mysteries #3

by Betsy Byars

When Herculeah discovers a mysterious letter inside the lining of a secondhand coat, she suspects it's a desperate cry for help. If so, what happened to the person who wrote it? Herculeah thinks she knows the answer. What she doesn't know is that someone is watching her-someone who will do anything to keep her quiet.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Crime, Realistic Fiction

147 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Betsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!

Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.

Reviews

[Camryn Geheb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. If your up for suspense and mystery then you would like this book. Herculeah finds a note in her new coat lining. She reads the note and calls the store she got it from and when she got to the store there was a phone number on the back. She called the phone number and found the house the girl that has supposedly murdered. Read the book to find out more.

[Tashi · Rating 1 out of 5]

it's really scary

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вече ви запознахме с Еркюлея Джоунс, младото момиче-детектив от книгите на Бетси Байърс. Благодарение на издателство „Монт” поредицата с нейните мистерии продължава и Еркюлея демонстрира завидни умения в разнищването на криминални случаи, които я превръщат в първа конкурентка на нейната колежка Нанси Дрю! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Herculeah Jones finds a mysterious note in the lining of an electric blue coat. Along with help from her sidekick Meat, Herculeah uses her intuition to solve the mystery. There was a lot of forced and stilted dialog that was hard to read. The story moved fairly fast, but was never very intriguing.

[Gru · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a realy good book i read it for the whodunit! but it was really good its better than nancy drew!!! thnks ms moselle for make me read this book!!! =D

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Dead Letter by Betsy Byars is a mystery-thriller book for young adults. The story starts when the main protagonist, a girl named Herculeah Jones, mysteriously comes across an attractive coat at a thrift shop. She is drawn to it in an awkward way, and buys it. She explains her peculiar experience to her best friend, a boy named Meat. They find a letter stuck in-between the lining of the coat that appears to have been written by a woman who feared she would have been brutally killed by her abductor. Since Herculeah has a strong affinity for mysteries, and since she feels awkwardly drawn towards the coat and its owner, she is hellbent on finding the possible murderer. At first, Meat is reluctant to get himself involved in any type of danger, but his mind in changed when he decides he won’t let his friend face danger alone. The two set out to solve this mystery by asking for help within their town, and from Herculeah’s father, who is a town police officer.

I think this book is directed towards young adults from ages 7 - 11 because the way the story is structured. The author’s style or writing is quite simple, with mostly dialogue, simple descriptions, and no super complex grammar or sentence structure. The chapters are quite short from one to two pages long, and the book is also quite short, only 130 pages. However, regardless of the recommended audience, I believe that Dead Letter still qualifies as a great mystery-thriller. The suspense is built up in a way that the reader can’t stop reading and wanting to find out what happens next. The solution to the mystery is not easily guessed, but is hidden at first and then brought closer by each clue Herculeah and Meat find.

I have done an art gallery project on 'Dead Letter' to relate to multiple aspects of the book and it's theme. In Pinterest, I have collected numerous pictures and artwork, which can be seen here. Descriptions of these pieces of art and how they connect to the book will be included below in this review. Happy Reading!


Darkness by Sigalit Aharoni:

This painting was done by an Israeli artist by the name of Sigalit Aharoni. She has always been attracted to art in general, but found love for painting and drawing with pastel colors. In her work, she ‘aims to express motion and integration of an object in a background by using soft color passages’.

I believe this first painting symbolizes Herculeah’s situation very well as she desperately tries to solve the mystery. Herculeah, like the girl in the painting, is looking at a clouded, dark path before her, which is associated with mystery and the unknown. In the book, Herculeah is constantly surrounded by unknown danger and scary things on an unclear path to bring the woman’s kidnapper to justice. Strange people seem to be watching and stalking her, and she feels a terrible feeling as if she is tied to the kidnapped woman by an invisible rope. However, despite all of these terrifying factors, Herculeah plunges herself into danger and continues on her clouded path to bring the murderer to justice. This relates to my theme, ‘If you know and see something unjust, do not be a bystander.’


The bonds of Loyalty by My-Safe-Haven.dev... on @DeviantArt :

This painting was done by a high school artist named Manal who attends the University of Toronto. She entered this piece in the Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament. In the future, she hopes to apply to an art college after under graduation.

I believe this piece strongly symbolizes Herculeah and Meat’s bond as friends and partners. Both the physical representation and colors show the two main characters’ strong bond. As already mentioned, Meat is reluctant to get himself caught up inside danger and murder. However, seeing Herculeah follow her morals and want to solve this mystery, Meat accompanies her on her journey. After thinking about this scene in the book for a while, I knew that Meat wanted to assist Herculeah because he would not leave the side of his friend. Meat would not let Herculeah walk into the possible face of danger alone; he probably thought ‘well if you are going, then I’m coming with you’. In this painting, two hands are held together in a gesture of partnership and friendship, which also relates to Meat and Herculeah’s friendship.

The hands are tied together by a yellow rope. Partners, marriages, and friends all have a virtual rope tying the two of them together. Their ideas and emotions are connected together through their relationship. Generally, yellow stands for intellect, joy, and energy and generally evokes cheerful and hopeful feelings. So in Herculeah and Meat’s relationship, their ideas, intellect, and brightness put tother makes them stronger than just one of them alone. This painting not only shows one person’s obligation, loyalty, and friendship to one another, it signifies the power and potential of the two working as a team. One person’s idea often gives the two a bright idea on what to do next and one persons’ attitude helps them to keep optimistic towards finding their solution. These hands tied together by a rope are surrounded in a pitch black background. Black is usually associated with death, evil, the unknown, and mystery. This is very appropriate for the same reasons as the previous painting. Meat and Herculeah are surrounded with this mystery of death, a possible murder. However, they continue to solve the mystery of the murder together with their intellect, attitudes, and ideas combined.


The Friendship by Pablo Picasso:

This painting was done by the famous artist, Pablo Picasso in 1908. It is called ‘Friendship’, as we can see one trying to comfort and support the other person by putting his hand over the other person’s shoulder. I believe that this painting also show’s Herculeah and Meat’s friendship through the two people in this painting and from the colors used in this painting. Firstly, the person putting his arm around the other person hints at a comforting, helpful gesture. The person putting his arm around the other person wants to help the other person and make him feel better. This symbolizes Meat wanting to comfort Herculeah when she is down and encourages her. When she gets disappointed and doubts herself, Meat is always there to get her hopes back up and trust in her abilities. This is a symbol of true friendship.

The meaning of the colors used in this painting also symbolize characteristics of a good friendship. Blue in this painting symbolizes loyalty and honesty, two very important traits in a friendship that Herculeah and Meat embody. The colors of yellow and light brown symbolize stability, and brightness. Together, Herculeah and Meat are stable and secure; the two will do anything to help and comfort the other and get their spirits back up. They are loyal to one another and honest about what they are thinking and sharing new, innovative ideas.


Spider-Man by Chris Samnee:

This portrait of the well-known superhero, Spiderman, was done by an artist named Chris Samnee. In the picture, Spiderman is about to jump off a building when he get’s his spider senses. When I saw this picture, I really thought of Herculeah’s special ‘super hair’. Whenever Herculeah is around or senses danger, her hair spikes up like a porcupine. This also connects to Herculeah since she is always doing dangerous things in order to solve the mystery of the woman’s possible murder. This can be symbolized by Spiderman’s heroic and dangerous feats. He crawls up buildings, jumps off buildings, and swings at least 30 feet above the ground. On a smaller scale, Herculeah takes risks of her own. She goes to strangers for help and goes out on the street where people seem to be watching and stalking her. But even though Herculean is surrounded by danger and goes into dangerous situations, she still stays alert.

[MAXWELL S]

Dead Letter Betsy Byars
I liked the part at chapter 9 the phone call when she held up the note up to the light and looked again at the numbers. There was other parts like when they tried going in a abandoned house while they were walking in the glass was crunching under there feet. Or when herculeah balked behind her the dog an insistent bark when she knew where they were all long. I liked the part when they went up to the hidden house and they heard noises in there and they heard voices so they went in and they saw something like a shadow so they ran out. Later on the next day they went back in to the hidden house when it was lighter out and they found a staircase they went up to the staircase and they found old things about the family that previously lived their. I like what the author did for the climax it seemed quite weird at first. Also thing I like is the characters in the book my favorite would probably be herculeah because hes so known in the story.
I liked this book not just because I like mysterious because this one tells about the hidden phone number and the abandoned house and how deep the story goes. The book was pretty simple to read if you like the series. To me it wasnt to confusing because im known to this series cause i read it in the past. It was pretty predictable because most mystery books are the same. I liked the end it was really nice and it was different from the other like it was the characters that made it different. My favorite part when they went into the house and they got scared. My connections I have with the book would be I like to go into abondend places with my friends and its just like that.

[Dow Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, just sitting down and reading this in about an hour must mean it’s better than the previous book. Because I’m on mobile, I can’t do a proper review, but I will say that all of the evidence made sense in this one and the explanation for whole the killer was made sense this time. I also like how the premonitions have all tied into one another. This is a great book for young kids who love mysteries and I’m motivated to keep reading the series.

[Adrianna Califano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome. I loved the mystery and I think you would too. Enjoy the book.

[NotanAmericanIdiot YOURMOM · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book honestly needs improvement. I was disappointed in this book.

[Emi Boyd-Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic mystery to read when I was in 5th grade. If you have curious children wanting to solve puzzles, this is the book for them.

[Sapphire Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a dead person. I did not like that it had a dead person. I wanted the girl from the letter to be alive.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this from a book recommendation from Hudson

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont know if I hate it but I strongly dislike it

[Jericca Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've spent years trying to remember the name of this book! It was the first murder mystery I read and its solution has stuck with me since the 90s.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This did not go the route I was expecting it to and thats kind of a good thing

[Justin Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Spoiler alert * Right behind you- This song really represents the background of the story. It represents the horrifying beginning when Herculeah found the letter in her coat with her assistant Meat. This song also fits in the rest of the story since the main character has been experiencing suspense every second, uncertain when the murderer will try to kill her, even when she was asleep.

Three days to live- This song represents the background music of when Herculeah Is trying to find clues, searching for evidence and making reasonable reasoning’s for her conclusion of the case. The dark and moody feeling this music gives off will remind you that every action Herculeah makes are always risky and is getting her involved in something abominable, one step at a time.

Dapper Cadaver- This song is similar to three days to live because it represents the motion of her actions when she is searching for evidence, until the very moment she figures out a very terrible truth. However, I think this this music is more intense than the last one, since it gives off more suspense. This song is also better than the song just now because it shows how the main character is finding out clues urgently.

Working through winter-This song shows the feeling that Herculeah is experiencing while finding out clues again, similar to the last two songs. This song does not sound as suspenseful than the last two but it shows Herculeah’s miserable work even more clearly than the last two songs. This song gives you a bitter cold feeling, making us understand that finding out clues for a murder is terrifying work and nerve wracking work; especially when you feel like the murderer is right behind you.

Action-This song fits well in the scenario when Herculeah is trying to escape the gunmen as soon as possible while in the woods, while also heavily contemplating on whenever it is worth it to keep tracking down on the current case. This music will fill your mind with desperation and urgency in a dangerous situation where you are almost hopeless.

Pripyat-This mysterious song represents the time where Herculeah was locked in the same room… as the victim Amanda Cole she long thought was dead. It was a very breathtaking moment when Herculeah found out she was alive. Fortunately, this music highlights the theme and the feeling well during this particular moment in the book that immediately gave Herculeah some hope on the case… and escaping the grasp of the men with potential wiliness to murder both of them.

Watercolor-This emotional song reflects on when the character was locked in a cage with the murderer’s victim, Amanda Cole, while trying to hope for the best that someone will save them. I chose this song because the lyrics greatly reflect on what Herculeah is thinking while in an almost helpless situation.

Here is the link to these songs:
https://open.spotify.com/user/l3_4wp3...

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurculeah Jones considers herself a super-sleuth. Whenever she is in danger her hair puffs up like a cat’s tail.

She just bought an electric blue coloured coat at Secondhand Treasures. She had been drawn to the back of the store and when she saw it her hair puffed. She tried it on and it fit perfect!

Later when she is telling her friend, Meat, about finding the coat, she discovers a note that had been slipped inside the lining. It starts out with “I don’t want to die.”

Herculeah is convinced someone is in trouble and she plans to help, but she hits a bit of a wall when she finds the previous owner has been dead for a while. Herculeah feels something isn’t right. There is more to the woman’s death than what the newspapers print. And Herculea is going to find out.

Meanwhile, Meat has a bit of a mystery to figure out. His Father has been gone since he was a little boy. Meat found a letter left to him by his Father, that had been hidden in a cookbook. His Mother wouldn’t talk about Meat’s father, so he had no idea why his Dad left or where he had gone. All he had were his memories and now the note.

Herculeah is a determined girl and once she is on the trail, nothing will stop her!

It is a good read with adventure and some tension that moves along well. It is part of a series, I believe.

[Angela Liao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Letter by Betsy Byars is a mystery book anyone would enjoy reading when he or she is bored. I enjoyed reading mystery books, especially ones from the Herculeah Jones Mystery series. The mystery all started out when Herculeah brought a coat with a note that asked for help because someone was trying to murder her. Herculeah was determined to find the murderer and Meat, Herculeah’s friend, is always there to help her. While solving the mystery the murderer is close behind to prevent Herculeah from solving the mystery. My favorite part was when Herculeah got captured by the murderer while Meat and a construction worker helped get her out. That part of the book was intense and I really want to find out what happened while reading that part. While reading this book I found it hard to relate Herculeah to myself because our personalities are so different in many ways. If I was Herculeah I wouldn’t go solve this mystery, instead I would just ignore the note. But I admire Herculeah’s courageous and smart personality.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review from my old blog (of the whole series)...

I enjoyed these books. I wouldn't say that these were the best mystery books I have ever read although I have to admit that I haven't read Nancy Drew books or other mystery books written for that age in a long time.

Personally I felt that the subject matter was a little serious for the age group that the books were aimed for but Byars avoided telling any gruesome details and managed to tell a fairly good mystery although a bit convoluted and obvious.

I did find out something interesting. Byars mentioned in passing a local grocery store and I thought, "wait, I know that store. She has to be from somewhere around here." So, I flipped to the back and saw that indeed... she lives in the same relative area that I do. I found that quite interesting.

[Amirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who solves death mysteries on her own. Herculeah goes to a thrift shop and finds this really nice blue coat. She buys it and soon realizes that there is a piece of paper in the lining of the coat. She finds a hole and takes the paper out and it was a death letter of someone crying for help. She uses Sherlock Holmes tips to find out who was it that wrote it and what happened.
This book was really interesting. All the Herculeah Jones books I read so far were really good. It was very mysterious, mischievous, suspicious, etc. I thought this book along with "Death's Door" were good. I recommend this book to everyone because it was a really good book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Herculeah Jones mysteries are cute mysteries for children ages 10-12. I enjoy them because they are clean and exciting and quick to read. In this book, Herculeah discovers a letter in a secondhand coat she has just purchased. The letter says that the person is being held captive and that she thinks he will kill her since she has signed. Herculeah decides to find the woman who is pleading for help, and about gets murdered herself.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thoughts on the entire Herculeah Jones series can be found here in my review of the first book, The Dark Stairs. This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It all begins with a blue coat bought from a second hand store (my favorite kind of shopping). Herculeah finds a tear in the pocket of the coat and finds a note....and the mystery begins......
An interesting children's book - I would recommend this book for younger students who enjoy mysteries. Besty Byars is a great author!

[Spewallace]

Dead Letter is phenomonal book. I enjoyed Herculeah's bravery. There were so very scary part like when she almost got run down by the black car and when the watchman and Roger Cole locked her in the stable because she knew too much about Amanda Cole's death. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.

[Spencer E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Letter is phenomonal book. I enjoyed Herculeah's bravery. There were so very scary part like when she almost got run down by the black car and when the watchman and Roger Cole locked her in the stable because she knew too much about Amanda Cole's death. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.

[Emy Majors · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was a good book, it has a lot of suspence and drama in it. I really don't like mysteries, but the Hercules Jones series was a good series to start with since, I really don't like mysteries.

[LeAnne]

Clever, believable without being overly complicated. Premonitions keep the kids pushing, but don't solve anything. There is realistic adult involvement in the solution, but the kids have done the thinking. Some fuzzy lines in the POV and occasional adult intrusion.

[Partridge Public]

Byars, Betsy PB

[Cherilynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favorites