Westing

November 6, 1996

Setting

This story takes place in Westing Town on Lake Michigan. The town is named after the Westing Mansion owned by Samuel Westing, the multi-millionaire. All of the characters live in Sunset Towers, an apartment building overlooking the Westing Mansion. The story takes place around now, since they have elevators, television, etc.

Protaganist

Barney Northrup is the delivery boy who plays a big part later on in the story. He is mysterious and weird-looking and he is 62 years old. 

Antagonists

All characters in the house are antagonists. Some are: Grace Wexler is the snobbish rich lady with her perfect, beautiful daughter Angela and her other daughter, the tomboy Turtle. Sydelle Pulaski is the crippled secretery. Shin Hoo is the snappish man who owns the Chinese restaurant on the fifth floor and his beautiful and timid wife. 

Dilemma

The mystery is who can find the answer to the clues that Westing left for them, which they must solve as partners: WHO KILLED SAMUEL WESTING!

Events

During the reading of the will, a big clue is drop;ped and nobody notices it: "The ashes will be thrown to the four corners, north (Northrup), south (McSouthers),east (Eastman), and west (Westing).

Somebody steals the notes that one of the heirs took during the reading of the will and when they found out they couldn't understand them, they left them on the table in the Hoos restaurant.

Somebody set off bombs in Hoos restaurant for a distraction.and to remind everyone of the danger they are in.

Turtle finds out half of the answer to the puzzle by finding out  Westing, Northrup, and McSouthers, but she left out Eastman at first.

Solution

The solution is that Samuel Westing is still alive and the winner was Turtle, the one Grace Wexler ignores. He just wanted to play a joke on his relatives. He wanted to see what they would do for money.

Resolution

In the end Samuel Westing is not dead . He is north, south, east, and west.

Critique

I think this is a good book to read because things are always happening and people are always finding clues. I would recommend it to a friend because they have to pick up all of the clues and solve the mystery themselves. I think they could have left out some of the characters because it is confusing. When things are happening and then something else is happening, you get confused and can't follow the story.