Czekajac na morderce

by Fleur Hitchcock

Czekajac na morderce

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Crime

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2021

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

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fleur Hitchcock always writes well but this one is especially good - a long hot summer with a long ago mystery, missing people, attempted murder and stolen gold. All topped off with a storm and a fantastic climax.

[Alice Sipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice read. The book has quite an unusual plot with a very unexpected ending. It can be a little confusing at times. Overall, another great book by Fleur Hitchcock. Highly recommend!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout a sweltering summer, Dan finds himself accompanying his mum, a bone specialist on a job within a remote village. Dan soon develops a friendship with Florence, one of the town’s residents and find themselves solving the town’s deepest murder mysteries.

Hitchcock opens up the world of crime novels to the young generation superbly.

[Eva Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

algus on igav aga poolepealt läks huvitavaks👍🏼

[Boy Found Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka nie była pierwsza po którą siegnąłem od pani Fleur Hitchcock. Moja przygoda z książkami tej autorki zaczęła się od pozycji
„Morderstwo o zmierzchu”. Lektura stała się od razu dla mnie jedną z ulubionych książek, więc od każdej książki autorki miałem spore oczekiwania. Tak więc sięgnąłem po „Czekając na mordercę”.
Pozycja opowiada o Danie, który wraz z mamą przeprowadza do małego miasteczka. Nagle z zbiornika znajdującego w miasteczku wyłania się auto z ciałem w środku. Dan wraz z nowo napotkaną dziewczyną Florence postanawiają odkryć tą zagadkę. Książka jest zdecydowanie pozycją idealną do przeczytania w lato, przez swój letni klimat. Bohaterowie zostali świetnie napisami przez autorkę. Akcja w książce była doskonale skonstuowana, co zachęcało do dalszego czytania. Pełne zwroty akcji sprawiały fabułę jeszcze ciekawszą. Zakończenie książki nie było przewidywalne, przez co sprawiło mi dużo satysfakcji. Dużym plusem książki jest to, że jest napisana prostym w zrozumieniu językiem, wi|c szybko się ją czyta. Jedynym minusem, który zauważyłem było to, że niektóre sytuację były ciężkie do wyobrażenia dla mnie, lecz to tylko moje odczucie. Końcowo oceniam książkę na 8/10. Zachęcam do czytania.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan is on site with his anthropologist/archaeologist mother for the summer. The locals think they've found the grave site of a Queen from deep in England's history, so they are doing an archaeologic dig to see what they can recover. The timing is ideal as the water in the reservoir is at an all time low thanks to a drought, and the site would normally be under water. As the heat continues, Dan finds a new friend named Florence who shows him where to go swimming to get some relief from the heat. She also joins him in his investigations when a car starts poking up from the bottom of the reservoir and they are pretty sure they see a body that is not there when the police finally get it out of the water.

This was a twisty, turny murder mystery with a unique set of circumstances around it. Neither Dan nor Florence are really locals (she's visiting her Grandfather for the summer), so they just have bits and pieces of the town's history...and very slowly gather enough to figure out what might be going on. It kept me guessing, which I always appreciate in a murder mystery. This has a good pacing, and is kept just right for middle school (thought intricate enough for YA and adult readers).

Notes on content:
Language: One or two minor swears (which could be a cultural thing and not raise any eyebrows in the UK where this was published)
Sexual content: None
Violence: Two murders are uncovered, one is moderately bloody and recent. A couple of attempted murders with big machinery, flooding, and bees.
Ethnic diversity: Florence appears to be Black British and Dan is white British.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Greed, and a dysfunctional family are hilighted as the case gets under way. Dan freaks out a bit when his mom is injured as he realizes if he loses her he has no one else left; it's a bit of a heavy thing for a tween.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

One hot summer, Dan has to endure the holidays alone with his mother in Somerset. His mother is an archaeologist and much to her delight, a 1000-year-old gravestone and some bones are found in the process of draining the local dam. Dan’s mother meets Cat, a local farmer, who she hopes will help move the gravestone with her tractor. While his mother and her work colleagues search for more remains, Dan is left to amuse himself. He meets Florence and her sister Emma from Bristol, who are staying with their grandfather who runs the local pub.

As the dam is drained, a car roof appears. In fading light, Dan and Florence investigate and believe there is a body in the car. They notify the police but by the time they arrive and check, the car is empty.

The plot is complicated but Fleur Hitchcock does a good job of slowly leaking the real clues, the fake clues and the children's discoveries. However, not all the loose ends are tied up and some of her descriptions lack depth so it’s hard to visualise where the children are at different times in the story. A map of the village would be helpful.

Nevertheless, it’s an exciting mystery.

Thanks to the Book Curator for providing a free copy for review.

[Nina ( picturetalk321 ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jolly children's crime solving book which made for a rather old-fashioned reading experience, like those crime novels I read as a child: plucky young child detectives, drawn into a dastardly murder plot in the countryside. It's pacy. There's growing menace. There's a foreshadowed reveal of the culprit. There's some scary nocturnal doings and chasings but I wasn't unduly frightened because it's for children.

The cover is interesting. It shows two non-white children, a girl who is possibly Black and a boy who is perhaps South Asian. No mention of this is made in the book itself beyond a few description of the girl's braids. When I looked at the other covers (conveniently grouped on the inside flaps of the paperback), I noted that they all feature non-white children and wonder if this is a policy of the publisher? If so, I love it. I would adore a Harry Potter cover with a South Asian Harry and a Black Hermione.

Read for the #52BookClub challenge: something to do with murder. Found in an on-street free swap library.

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for Murder by Fleur Hitchcock was an absolutely gripping read and, without a doubt, 100% my cup of tea. The plot kept me hooked from the start, and I was constantly drawn into the suspenseful atmosphere that Hitchcock expertly creates.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the twist at the end—when they find the car in the river—was absolutely brilliant. It took the story to a whole new level, and the way it all came together left me stunned. The pacing was perfect, and the mystery unraveled at just the right speed, keeping me guessing until the very end.

The characters were well-developed and felt real, which made the tense moments even more impactful. Hitchcock does a fantastic job of building suspense and creating a story that’s both mysterious and thrilling.

I’d give Waiting for Murder a solid 4.5 stars. If you love a great mystery with an unexpected twist, this one’s definitely worth reading. It’s a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

[Hwee Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a good old “hard boiled” murder mystery for our middle graders.

Dan is spending a hot summer in Sandford where his Mum has some work. As the heat drains the village reservoir, a car surfaces in the murky waters. Dan and newfound pal, Florence are certain they saw some remains in the car, but which seems to have disappeared the next day.

Fleur Hitchcock (yes, it’s a real name but she’s not related to Alfred) spins a suitably heartstopping thriller for the young reader. The roots of this case are in a gold bullion robbery near Heathrow decades ago, but clearly right now, somebody is intent on warping the duo’s investigation.

Hitchcock is said to have cornered the market for “crime novels for beginners”, and I agree! This was a suspenseful, light read which teetered the young investigators on a brink of danger as they unraveled this mystery.

📚: @definitelybooks (Pansing Distribution)

[dinosaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom used to buy me Fleur Hitchcock's books when i was younger and i really liked the adventures in these books. Always left me with a huge feeling of longing. I wish i could experience something so thrilling (of course not literally, i dont want someone wanting to kill me! but just something very adventurous). Even tho im older now, i still enjoy these adventures and a child narrator. I love criminals and mystery but the ones for adults are too hard and drastic for me so im glad i can read something that makes me feel the opposite! It sounded a little severe when i was telling this story to someone but it didnt feel this way while reading! I give this book 5 stars because it is easy to read and yet still very interesting. It just let me relax and enjoy the story:]

[Paulina G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przyjemny, lekki, z letnim klimatem kryminał - polecam

[Evie Beesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite a good book and I thuruly enjoyed it. Would reccomend to people around the of 8. Very interesting, just lacking a little bit of excitement and adrenaline.

[Abigail Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Margaux Damaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for people who are new to reading crime.

[Keira Ryves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Emma Dalgleish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its... interesting

[lizzy ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

good but super easy to guess

[Sandra Muszyńska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Cenedra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing much happens in here and honestly, it wasn't a great mystery. It was a short read so it was bearable. I just wish I didn't spend money on this book.

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

I feel like it’s been ages since Fleur Hitchcock last released an MG thriller (I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been once since Murder at Twilight, but please correct me if I’m wrong!!), a genre which I’d love to see more releases in, so I’ve been looking forward to picking this one up since it was released in June. This one is the story of Dan, who is in a small town for the summer with his archaeologist mum, in one of the hottest years ever recorded. Of course, this is a mystery book given it’s part of this post, so a body is found in a car and then subsequently disappears. Dan and his new friend Florence set out to discover what happened, and end up investigating some crimes that took place many years before. My favourite part of Fleur’s books is always the incredible atmosphere she’s able to create. It was so cold the day I read this, but she describes the sickening heat so well I could almost feel it, and the slightly creepy/spooky vibes make it perfect for autumn as well as summer, in my opinion. I also really liked that Dan’s mum was so present and caring, and Florence was such a fan character. I loved Dan’s dry, often very funny narration as well. I was thrilled with myself for partially working out the ending but some of it did still surprise me, plus I love it when all the different elements of a book come together to form a really satisfying conclusion, which this most definitely did. I’m already looking forward to my next dose of Fleur’s excellent, suspenseful writing.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good book however it wasnt something i fully enjoyed and got me thinking about for a few days. If you have ever read Dread Wood this is the perfect book for you!

[okabelq ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

uwielbiam twórczość tej autorki, ma super kryminały dla dzieci, takie 6,5 - 7/10

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable YA mystery