[Feb 2013] 
 Another read for another middle school book discussion and dang, I still love this. The way the clues are planted, and the characters all so developed and have their own issues.... man, it's great. It's surprisingly not dated for a book that's been around as long as this one and I will continue loving this until the end of time. 
 And I will also continue being surprised at how the whole mystery comes together because I NEVER remember how all the clues and characters intersect. 
 [April 2008] 
 As someone who has never liked mysteries, I was always surprised how much I loved this one. And I still do. Red herrings and pointed fingers and plot twists--it's smartly written, and despite the huge cast of characters, no one feels like a caricature or an afterthought. 
 Now I just have to convince middle-schoolers how good a book it is!