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{{redirect|Julian Eastman|the American experimental musician|Julius Eastman}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2011}}
{{Short description|1978 children's mystery novel by Ellen Raskin}}
{{Infobox Book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{Infobox book
| name =
Westing Game
| name = The Westing Game
| image = [[Image:Westing cover.jpg|200px]]<!--prefer 1st edition-->
| author = [[Ellen Raskin]]
| country = United States of America
| image_caption = The 1992 Puffin edition.
| author = [[Ellen Raskin]]
| genre = Mystery Fiction
| illustrator = Nathan Althoff
| isbn = 0-525-47137-5
| cover_artist =
| country = [[USA]]
| image = Westing cover.jpg
| language = English
| caption = First edition
| series = NA
| cover_artist = Ellen Raskin
| genre = Mystery
| pub_date = May 1, 1978
| publisher = [[E. P. Dutton]]
| publisher = [[E. P. Dutton]]
| release_date = 1978
| media_type =
| pages = 216 pg
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 185 pages
| congress = PZ7.R1817 We 2003
| isbn = ISBN 0-525-47137-5<br />ISBN 0-14-240120-X<br />ISBN 0-14-038664-5
| oclc = 53292898
| congress = PZ7.R1817 We 2003
| oclc = 53292898
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}
'''''The Westing Game''''' is a 1979 [[Newbery Medal]] winning novel by [[Ellen Raskin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm#70s|title=Newbery Medal & Honor Books, 1922-Present|publisher=Association for Library Service to Children|accessdate=11 January 2011}}</ref> It has been adapted into a movie, released under both the names ''The Westing Game'' and ''[[Get a Clue (1997 film)|Get a Clue]]''. This book centers around the adventures of Sam Westing's sixteen heirs after they are challenged by him to unravel the secret behind his death.
'''''The Westing Game''''' is a mystery book written by [[Ellen Raskin]] and published by Dutton on May 1, 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-raskin-0/westing-game-raskin/|title=Kirkus Reviews|access-date=2 December 2022}}</ref> It won the [[Newbery Medal]] recognizing the year's most distinguished contribution to American [[children's literature]].<ref name="newbery">{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm#70s|title=Newbery Medal & Honor Books, 1922–Present|publisher=Association for Library Service to Children|access-date=11 January 2011}}</ref>


''The Westing Game'' was ranked number nine all-time among children's novels in a survey published by ''[[School Library Journal]]'' in 2012.<ref name="SLJChapter2012">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/07/07/top-100-chapter-book-poll-results/|title=Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results|author=Bird, Elizabeth|publisher=A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. [[School Library Journal]] (blogs.slj.com)|date=July 7, 2012|access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref> It has been adapted as the 1997 feature film ''[[Get a Clue (1997 film)|Get a Clue]]'' (also distributed as ''The Westing Game'').<ref name=":0">{{Citation|title=Get a Clue! (1997)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1082935_get_a_clue|language=en|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref>
==Plot==
Sixteen individuals
who are mysteriously chosen to live in the Sunset Towers apartment building on the shore of [[Lake Michigan]] come together to hear the will of the self-made millionaire, Samuel W. Westing. The will takes the form of a puzzle, dividing the sixteen heirs into eight pairs, giving each pair a different set of clues, and challenging them to solve the mystery of who killed Sam Westing. As an incentive, each heir is given $10,000 to play the game. Whoever solves the mystery will inherit Sam Westing's 200 million dollar fortune.'''


==Characters==
==Plot summary==
On the [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]], sixteen strangers receive personal invitations to rent apartments in the new Sunset Towers apartment complex, a luxurious property on [[Lake Michigan]] adjacent to wealthy businessman Samuel J. Westing's mansion. Westing made his fortune in the paper business and is rumored to be worth $200 million dollars (worth $1.5 billion in 2024). The salesman, Barney Northrupp, gives personalized attention to each potential resident, all of whom accept.
===The Ho family===


In October, residents begin to hear rumors that Samuel Westing has died but that his corpse remains in the mansion. Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" Wexler, a highly intelligent 13-year-old with a habit of kicking people in the shin if they touch her braid, accepts a dare to enter the presumably empty mansion. She leaves the mansion in terror after finding Westing's body in the bedroom and hearing strange noises, which no one believes. Shortly afterwards, news breaks of Westing's death, and all the residents are invited to a reading of the will. The will claims that Westing was murdered by one of them, but that each is still a named potential heir to his fortune and company. It stipulates that they must work in pairs to solve Westing's puzzle and locate his murderer.
*'''James Shin Ho'''
Having failed at his career as an inventor, he started a restaurant called Shin Hoo restaurant in Sunset Towers, but it wasn't so successful. He doesn't relate well to his wife or his son, who he refers to as "the best jock in the universe". He blames Sam Westing for stealing his inventions-namely the disposable paper diaper-and gaining wealth and fame, while Hoo languishes in obscurity. At the end of the story, his creation of comfortable insoles makes him a wealthy inventor, while Grace Wexler takes over his restaurant and turns it into a successful chain.


One of the heirs, Josie-Jo "J.J." Ford, [[Appellate court|a sitting judge]] and a former protege of Westing's, is skeptical of the entire scenario. Knowing that Westing loved games and puzzles, [[Grandmaster (chess)|especially chess]], she discourages the heirs from "playing" believing that Westing was [[Delusional parasitosis|losing his grip on reality]] in his final days; she argues that [[Corpus delicti|there is no proof]] that Westing was murdered and initially refuses to go along with the rest of the heirs. Her partner, Sandy McSouthers, convinces her to go along with game because of his financial hardship and that they have to play together to win.
*'''Sun Lin Hoo'''
Sun Lin comes from China, and speaks very little English, which isolates her from most of the other residents of Sunset Towers. However, her "partner" in the Westing Game, Jake Wexler, talks to her, since he realizes that she will never learn English unless someone speaks it to her. She dreams of going back to China, so she steals valuables from the other residents of Sunset Towers to finance her trip home. In the book's finale, her friendship with Jake pays off; 'Sunny' has become fluent in English and taken over her husband's business. After her husband's death, she finally takes her trip to China before returning home to take over the family business.


The heirs spend the next several months trying to accumulate clues from rival pairs. In doing so, many form new friendships and make surprising discoveries about each other. Many of the heirs harbored secret lives, including being a [[Bookmaker|bookie]], [[Theft|thief]], bomber, undercover [[private investigator]], and relative of Sam Westing. Nearing the Fourth of July deadline, Sandy McSouthers collapses from an apparent poisoning, shocking the heirs. The heirs determine that the 'answer' to Westing's puzzle is Berthe Crow, who is actually Westing's ex-wife. Crow admits that the puzzle implicates her, but she protests her innocence alongside her partner, Otis Amber. Judge Ford and Turtle believe her innocence and hold a [[mock trial]] to go over the evidence. During the proceedings, Turtle solves the real puzzle of the Westing game and returns to Westing's company to confront the [[chief operating officer]], Julian Eastman. Turtle reveals that Westing, Northrupp, McSouthers, and Eastman are all the same person using various disguises; Westing created the "McSouthers" identity to replace "Westing", making Sandy the "murderer" and thereby winning the Westing game.
*'''Doug Hoo'''
Doug is a high school senior (age 18) who spends much of his spare time running; his dad criticizes him for not studying. At the end of the book, we find out that Doug has become a championship runner, having won two Olympic gold medals. He's now a sports announcer on television.


In the epilogues, "Eastman" spends the next decade mentoring Turtle in business and chess while funding her education in preparation for her taking over the company. The remaining heirs remain close, starting new business ventures, marriages, and families together. When Westing is on his deathbed, Turtle (now going by "T.R.") consoles him that the heirs loved their friend "Sandy" and that his game was ultimately a success. Choosing to keep the secret, Turtle continues his legacy by beginning to mentor her niece in chess.
===The Wexler family===
*'''Dr. Jake Wexler'''
Jake Wexler is a podiatrist and a [[bookie]]. He is a caring father and loving husband, and the only tenant in Sunset Towers to make any attempt to communicate with Madame Hoo other than her own family. He and Madame Hoo are by far the least active team in the game. At the end of the book, Jake becomes chairman of the State Gambling Commission, then the state crime commissioner.


=== The Westing Heirs ===
*'''Grace Windsor Wexler'''
Grace is a social climber concerned with presenting herself as sophisticated and upper-class. Grace changed her maiden name from "Windkloppel" to "Windsor" to hide her true origins; this disguises the fact that she is the only heir who truly is a niece of Sam Westing. Using her interior decorating skills, she helps her Westing Game partner, James Hoo, fix up his shop with a new look and title (Hoo's on First), which helps it attract more customers. After Hoo goes into the paper insole business, Grace takes over Hoo's on First and is successful enough to make the one restaurant into a chain.


==== Pair One ====
*'''Angela Wexler'''
* Jake Wexler is a [[podiatrist]], and a bookie on the side. He is married to Grace Wexler and is the father of Angela and Turtle Wexler.
* Madame Sun Lin Hoo is the second and much younger Chinese immigrant wife of James Shin Hoo. She barely knows how to speak English. She can usually be found cooking in her husband's restaurant.


==== Pair Two ====
Angela is the Wexlers' older daughter of the Wexlers and, as the book begins, is engaged to Dr. Denton Deere. Angela harbors reservations and feels trapped by her mother's expectations. Angela is revealed to be the one who set several bombs in Sunset Towers, having created them to express her resentment. After the book's denouement, Angela ends her engagement to Deere and returns to medical school. Having completed her studies, she meets Dr. Deere again and falls in love with him on her own terms. They finally marry and have a daughter named Alice, who plays chess with her Aunt Turtle in the closing scene of the book.
* Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" (TR) Wexler is an intelligent 13-year-old girl. She is very protective of her long, dark braid of hair and anyone who touches it gets a kick to the shin and a bruise.
* Flora Baumbach is a shy 60-year-old [[dressmaker]] who becomes a maternal figure to Turtle.


==== Pair Three ====
*'''Tabitha Ruth "Turtle" Wexler''', '''T.R. Wexler''', or '''Alice'''
* Christos "Chris" Theodorakis is a 15-year-old boy who uses a wheelchair due to degenerative muscle disease. He is intelligent and enjoys [[birdwatching]].
* Dr. Denton Deere is a [[Internship (medicine)|medical intern]], engaged to Angela. To show off, he diagnoses everyone he meets.


==== Pair Four ====
Largely neglected and brushed aside by her mother in favor of her older sister Angela, Turtle acts out to get attention, often kicking shins, especially when someone touches her braid. She resents her mother's favoritism, but finds a mother figure in her soft-spoken partner, Flora Baumbach, whom she calls "Baba". Turtle put her freedom at risk when she sets off the fourth and final bomb in the Sunset Towers elevator to cover up for Angela. Turtle is the one who solves true mystery and becomes the Westing game's real 'winner.' As an adult, Turtle calls herself T. R. Wexler and becomes a successful lawyer, and also becomes incredibly wealthy as a result of her stock-market savvy. She marries Theo Theodorakis, but the couple have no children.
* Judge J.J. (Josie-Jo) Ford is an intelligent and serious black woman in her forties. She is suspicious of the game created by Sam Westing and believes that one of the heirs may be in danger.
* Alexander "Sandy" McSouthers is the doorman at the Sunset Towers Apartments.


===The Theodorakis Family===
==== Pair Five ====
* Grace Windsor Wexler, married to Jake Wexler and mother of Angela and Turtle.
* James Shin Hoo is a former [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneur]], the owner of the Hoo's restaurant chain, as well as Madame Hoo's husband and Doug's father.


==== Pair Six ====
*'''Theo Theodorakis '''
* Berthe Erica Crow, usually referred to as simply '''Crow''', is the cleaning woman for Sunset Towers. She is extremely religious and also operates a downtown [[soup kitchen]].
Doug Hoo's partner and aspiring writer and chess player. Theo is very close to his brother, Chris, and puts his own ambitions aside in order to assist his family save for Chris' operation. Theo deduces that Otis Amber is the key to the solution and focuses his efforts there. Though Theo has a crush on Angela for much of the book, at the end he is married to Turtle. The couple chooses not to have children due to the risk of passing on Chris's disease.
* Otis Amber is a 62-year-old "delivery boy." He assists Crow with her soup kitchen.


==== Pair Seven ====
*'''Christos Theodorakis'''
* Theo Theodorakis is a smart [[Secondary school|high school]] student, and very loyal to his family. He is protective of his brother Chris and works hard in his parents' [[Coffeehouse|coffee shop]]. He is interested in becoming a writer, and also becomes friends with his partner, Doug Hoo.
Christos "Chris" is a dedicated birdwatcher. Wheelchair bound by a disease that interrupts his pyramidal tract, he has difficulties with speech and muscle control, which causes him to appear mentally retarded. Other characters often underestimate his intelligence and perceptiveness, and Chris uses his bird-watching as an excuse to keep a sharp eye on the Westing house. His partner is Denton Deere, who introduces him to a new doctor and to new medicines that control his symptoms to give him steady speech and allow him to become a professional ornithologist. At the end of the novel, he is married to Shirley.
* Doug Hoo, son of James Shin Hoo, is a high school track star, one of the best mile-runners in the state. Running is his passion, but his father often criticizes him for not studying enough. He is a prankster and develops a rivalry with Turtle Wexler.


==== Pair Eight ====
*'''George Theodorakis'''
* Angela Wexler is a pretty twenty-year-old girl: fair, blonde, and very pretty. She is considered the 'perfect' daughter, often getting more attention than her sister Turtle.
George, the former sweetheart of Violet Westing, is not named an heir. Sandy McSouthers suggests that George was not named an heir because "maybe Sam Westing didn't want to embarrass him (being married and all)." Both of his sons, however, are heirs.
* Sydelle Pulaski is a mysterious character who seems to have no connection to Mr. Westing or the other heirs. It is revealed that she was mistaken for Sybil Pulaski, a friend of Crow who was supposed to have been an heir instead.


==Other media==
*'''Catherine Theodorakis'''
''The Westing Game'', adapted to a stage play by Darian Lindle and directed by Terry Brino-Dean, was first produced at [[Prime Stage Theatre]] in Pittsburgh in 2009. The script is published by Dramatic Publishing.<ref>[https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/the-westing-game Dramatic Publishing]</ref>


''Get a Clue'', adapted by Dylan Kelsey Hadley and directed by [[Terence H. Winkless]], was produced for television in 1997.<ref name=":0" />
Catherine, the wife of George Theodorakis, is the first victim of the bomber. When the bomb goes off, Catherine is splashed by tomato sauce. She and her husband are the only two residents of the Sunset Towers not named an heir.


It was announced on September 9, 2020 that [[HBO Max]] had placed a script-to-series order based on the book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/westing-game-series-hbo-max-1234764154/|title='Westing Game' Series Adaptation in the Works at HBO Max|date=9 September 2020}}</ref>
===Other characters===
*'''Sydelle Pulaski'''
Sydelle is the habitually-overlooked secretary to the president of Schultz Sausages chosen by mistake to be an heir to the Westing fortune; Sybil Pulaski was the intended heir. She uses her secretarial skills to advantage during the book, transcribing the will in shorthand, and tries to call attention to herself by pretending a nonexistent injury and painting her crutches. Sydelle Pulaski is the player who discovers the meaning of the clues distributed to the heirs. At the end, with newfound confidence and the mystique of a millionaire's heiress, she marries Mr. Schultz himself and she and her husband go to live in Hawaii.


==Reception==
*'''Otis Amber'''
At the time of the book's publication, ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' called it "A supersharp mystery, more a puzzle than a novel, but endowed with a vivid and extensive cast... If Raskin's crazy ingenuity has threatened to run away with her on previous occasions, here the complicated game is always perfectly meshed with character and story. Confoundingly clever, and very funny."<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-raskin-0/westing-game-raskin/ |title=THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin |journal=[[Kirkus Reviews]] |date=May 1, 1978 |access-date=November 30, 2019}}</ref> In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1976 to 1985, literary critic [[Zena Sutherland]] wrote of ''The Westing Game'', "Still a popular book with the group of readers who are mystery or puzzle fans, in retrospect this seems more entertaining than distinguished. Its choice as a Medal book underscores the problematic question: Can a distinguished book also be a popular book?"<ref>{{cite book |last=Sutherland |first=Zena |author-link=Zena Sutherland |chapter=Newbery Medal Books 1976–1985 |page=158 |title=Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books 1976–1985 |editor-last=Kingman |editor-first=Lee |publisher=[[The Horn Book Magazine|The Horn Book, Incorporated]] |location=[[Boston]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-87675-004-8}}</ref>
Otis appears to be an uncouth sixty-two-year-old delivery 'boy', apparently a minor figure in Sunset Tower, but has hidden secrets, such as working in the local soup kitchen, run by fellow Sunset Tower employee Berthe Erica Crow. He is a private investigator posing as a fourth grade dropout. Judge Ford enlists Otis to find out the true identities of the Westing heirs. He was also hired by Barney Northrup and Sam Westing. At the end of the book, he marries Crow. Some years after the game takes place, he and Crow die within days of each other.


== References ==
*'''Berthe Erica Crow'''
{{Reflist}}
Known to most tenants only as "Crow", this slight, pinched woman serves as a cleaning woman for Sunset Tower. A deeply religious woman, Crow provides food to the indigent at the Good Salvation Soup Kitchen on Skid Row, and spends her time at Sunset Towers reflecting out loud on sin. Crow's true identity is revealed at the end of the book: she is Sam Westing's wife. "Berthe Erica Crow" is the answer to the Westing game's riddle, and the 'murderer'; Crow names herself as the culprit, but is ultimately not arrested (since she only killed Sam Westing metaphorically). Crow inherits Westing's money and uses half the money to pay Otis Amber to remodel the Good Salvation Soup Kitchen, and gives the rest to Angela Wexler. (After Turtle's trial it is revealed that she didn't win) Crow marries Otis Amber, and the two die years later within a few days of each other. Surprise resident of Sunset Towers.

*'''Flora Baumbach'''
Flora Baumbach is an overly cheery, perky dressmaker who becomes something of a mother figure to her partner, Turtle, who takes to calling her "Baba". She developed her exaggeratedly cheerful disposition in order to cope with tragedy in her own past, including the loss of her mentally retarded daughter Rosalie. Mrs. Baumbach is no help in the actual Westing Game, but becomes a cherished friend to Turtle. She ultimately moves into Turtle and Theo's mansion when they're adults. Her Westing connection is that she was the dressmaker for Violet's wedding dress.

*'''Dr. D. Denton Deere'''
D. Denton Deere, in training to become a plastic surgeon, is engaged to Angela Wexler. He is at first discomfited when he is paired with Chris Theodorakis, but he grows to appreciate the boy's intellect and interest in science, and helps him overcome his disability. He frequently diagnoses others in order to impress Angela, whether it's a real diagnosis or not.

*'''Josie-Jo Ford'''
Judge J.J. Ford is a highly competent judge and the first African-American and first woman to be appointed to the state Supreme Court. She was the daughter of the Westing's maid, and while a child living in the Westing mansion, she played chess with Sam Westing. Westing saw her intelligence and paid for her education. Judge Ford is proud of her accomplishments, but is uncomfortably aware that she owes her progress in part to the influence of the rich, white male Sam Westing. Judge Ford regards the game as Westing's attempt to get revenge on someone who had hurt him, and plays with the intent of determining Westing's real motives. Westing's message to Ford is that she can repay her debt to Westing by 'paying it forward' and financing another young minority person's education, that person being Chris Theodorakis. Judge Ford passes her share of the $10,000 onto Sandy McSouthers for which he posthumously provides a receipt canceling her debt for her education. J.J. Ford uses her proceeds from the sale of her interest in Sunset Towers to pay for Chris Theodorakis's college tuition. Her partner is Sandy McSouthers. She suspected his true identity but was unsure until Theo's tale of playing chess and McSouthers's use of the queen sacrifice, a gambit Sam Westing created.

*'''Sandy McSouthers'''
Sunset Tower's sprightly doorman is always ready with a smile, a colorful anecdote, or a cheerful tune whistled through his chipped tooth, a memento from brawling in his younger days. He has a grudge against Sam Westing, who fired him because he tried to organize the workers. He is 65 years old and is a jolly man. In the end, after Sandy's "death", Turtle realizes that Sandy was Sam Westing all along. She also realizes that he continues to live on as Julian R. Eastman, but keeps this knowledge to herself.

*'''Julian R. Eastman'''
Mr. Eastman is chairman of the board of Westing Paper Products, and takes a keen interest in all of the heirs to Westing's fortune, and is the last alias of Sam Westing. Died of natural causes with Turtle Wexler at his side.

*'''Edgar Jennings Plum'''
Ed Plum is a disorganized lawyer assigned the daunting task of executing the will of Sam Westing.

*'''Barney Northrup'''
Mr. Northrup is a businessman who arranged the sale of the various apartments in Sunset Towers to the Westing heirs, and another alias of Sam Westing.

*''' Samuel W. Westing'''
Sam Westing was a self-made millionaire who was born Windy Windkloppel, but Americanized his name for business purposes. His four aliases were Samuel W. Westing, Sandy McSouthers the doorman, Julian R. Eastman (the WPP Chairman), and the landlord, Barney Northrup. He did not truly die until many years after the Westing Game. Turtle, as T. R. Wexler, becomes his lawyer. Westing's true motivations are unclear, but given the ultimate result, it is likely that Chris and Dr. Deere's answer was correct- that Westing wanted to make his heirs happy and leave a better legacy than the tragedy that marred his earlier life.

==Clues by team==
''The clues in each case are listed in the order they were first listed in the book. In seven cases, they were capitalized and formed a separate paragraph; the capitalization is followed in this article.
*Table 1 (Madame Hoo and Jake)—
OF AMERICA AND GOD ABOVE

*Table 2 (Turtle and Flora Baumbach) —
SEA MOUNTAIN AM O

*Table 3 (Chris and Denton Deere)—
FOR PLAIN GRAIN SHED

*Table 4 (Sandy and Judge Ford)—
SKIES AM SHINING BROTHER

*Table 5 (Grace and Mr. Hoo)—
FRUITED PURPLE WAVES FOR SEA

*Table 6 (Crow and Otis Amber)—
WITH THY BEAUTIFUL MAJESTIES

*Table 7 (Theo and Doug)—
HIS N ON TO THEE FOR

*Table 8 (Angela and Sydelle)—
GOOD GRACE FROM HOOD SPACIOUS

These clues constituted almost all of the lyrics from "[[America The Beautiful]]." Sam Westing's will included words from the song as well.

==Solution==

The clues provided to the heirs are mostly words from the song "[[America the Beautiful]]", taken out of order. When rearranged, it becomes clear that several words or parts of words are missing; these spell out one of the heir's name Berthe Erica Crow. Crow names herself as the solution. However, this is not the 'true' solution of the game. Judge J. J. Ford later recognizes this move as the "queen's sacrifice", a move that Sam Westing would always use to defeat her in chess.

The will does not state that Samuel Westing was murdered but rather that his "life was taken." The will is broken down in sections of FIRST, SECOND, etc., totaling nineteen, and in the THIRD stated that "the one who wins the windfall will be the one who finds the..." and is interrupted by an outburst from Sandy McSouthers before continuing "FOURTH. Hail to thee..." Turtle realizes that there was no missing word after and that finding "the Fourth" was to find "the fourth" identity of Sam Westing. At this point, Turtle makes the connection that of the "four winds" mentioned in the will (North, East, South, and West), and that Windy WINDkloppel (the name Sam Westing was born with), Sam WESTing, Barney NORTHrup, Sandy McSOUTHers, and Julian R. EASTman are all the same person. Julian R. Eastman was the fourth identity that the heirs were truly instructed to find. Turtle confronts Eastman, confirming his identity as Sandy/Westing, and becomes his protege and heir.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other Media==
The Westing Game, adapted by [http://www.pendantaudio.com/bios/darian.html Darian Lindle] and directed by [http://www.setonhill.edu/academics/theatre/faculty_get.cfm?FacultyID=77 Terry Brino-Dean], was first produced at [[Prime Stage Theatre]] in Pittsburgh in 2009.

[[Get a Clue (1997 film)|Get A Clue]], adapted by [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800317100 Dylan Kelsey Hadley] and directed by [[Terence H. Winkless]] was produced for television in 1997.


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/intro.htm ''The Westing Game'' manuscript online at UW Madison]
{{portal|Novels}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q12124483|id=tt0120495}}
*[http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/intro.htm ''The Westing Game'' manuscript online at UW Madison]
* [http://www.shmoop.com/westing-game/ ''The Game''] learning guide, analysis, quotes, and teacher resources
*{{imdb title|0120495}}
*[http://www.shmoop.com/westing-game/ ''The Game''] learning guide, analysis, quotes, & teacher resources


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{{succession box|title=[[Newbery Medal|Newbery Medal recipient]]|before=''[[Bridge to Terabithia (novel)|Bridge to Terabithia]]''|after=''[[A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal]]''|years=[[1979 in literature|1979]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[Newbery Medal|Newbery Medal recipient]]|before=''[[Bridge to Terabithia (novel)|Bridge to Terabithia]]''|after=''[[A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal]]''|years=[[1979 in literature|1979]]}}
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{{Ellen Raskin}}
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[[Category:Newbery Medal winners (book)]]
[[Category:1978 American novels]]
[[Category:1978 novels]]
[[Category:1978 children's books]]
[[Category:American children's novels]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:E. P. Dutton books]]
[[Category:Mystery novels]]
[[Category:Newbery Medal–winning works]]
[[Category:Novels by Ellen Raskin]]
[[Category:Novels by Ellen Raskin]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Novels set in Milwaukee]]
{{reflist}}

[[simple:The Westing Game]]

Latest revision as of 00:22, 11 January 2025

"Julian Eastman" redirects here. For the American experimental musician, see Julius Eastman.
The Westing Game
First edition
AuthorEllen Raskin
Cover artistEllen Raskin
GenreMystery Fiction
PublisherE. P. Dutton
Publication date
May 1, 1978
Publication placeUnited States of America
Pages216 pg
ISBN0-525-47137-5
OCLC53292898
LC ClassPZ7.R1817 We 2003

The Westing Game is a mystery book written by Ellen Raskin and published by Dutton on May 1, 1978.[1] It won the Newbery Medal recognizing the year's most distinguished contribution to American children's literature.[2]

The Westing Game was ranked number nine all-time among children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal in 2012.[3] It has been adapted as the 1997 feature film Get a Clue (also distributed as The Westing Game).[4]

Plot summary

[edit]

On the Fourth of July, sixteen strangers receive personal invitations to rent apartments in the new Sunset Towers apartment complex, a luxurious property on Lake Michigan adjacent to wealthy businessman Samuel J. Westing's mansion. Westing made his fortune in the paper business and is rumored to be worth $200 million dollars (worth $1.5 billion in 2024). The salesman, Barney Northrupp, gives personalized attention to each potential resident, all of whom accept.

In October, residents begin to hear rumors that Samuel Westing has died but that his corpse remains in the mansion. Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" Wexler, a highly intelligent 13-year-old with a habit of kicking people in the shin if they touch her braid, accepts a dare to enter the presumably empty mansion. She leaves the mansion in terror after finding Westing's body in the bedroom and hearing strange noises, which no one believes. Shortly afterwards, news breaks of Westing's death, and all the residents are invited to a reading of the will. The will claims that Westing was murdered by one of them, but that each is still a named potential heir to his fortune and company. It stipulates that they must work in pairs to solve Westing's puzzle and locate his murderer.

One of the heirs, Josie-Jo "J.J." Ford, a sitting judge and a former protege of Westing's, is skeptical of the entire scenario. Knowing that Westing loved games and puzzles, especially chess, she discourages the heirs from "playing" believing that Westing was losing his grip on reality in his final days; she argues that there is no proof that Westing was murdered and initially refuses to go along with the rest of the heirs. Her partner, Sandy McSouthers, convinces her to go along with game because of his financial hardship and that they have to play together to win.

The heirs spend the next several months trying to accumulate clues from rival pairs. In doing so, many form new friendships and make surprising discoveries about each other. Many of the heirs harbored secret lives, including being a bookie, thief, bomber, undercover private investigator, and relative of Sam Westing. Nearing the Fourth of July deadline, Sandy McSouthers collapses from an apparent poisoning, shocking the heirs. The heirs determine that the 'answer' to Westing's puzzle is Berthe Crow, who is actually Westing's ex-wife. Crow admits that the puzzle implicates her, but she protests her innocence alongside her partner, Otis Amber. Judge Ford and Turtle believe her innocence and hold a mock trial to go over the evidence. During the proceedings, Turtle solves the real puzzle of the Westing game and returns to Westing's company to confront the chief operating officer, Julian Eastman. Turtle reveals that Westing, Northrupp, McSouthers, and Eastman are all the same person using various disguises; Westing created the "McSouthers" identity to replace "Westing", making Sandy the "murderer" and thereby winning the Westing game.

In the epilogues, "Eastman" spends the next decade mentoring Turtle in business and chess while funding her education in preparation for her taking over the company. The remaining heirs remain close, starting new business ventures, marriages, and families together. When Westing is on his deathbed, Turtle (now going by "T.R.") consoles him that the heirs loved their friend "Sandy" and that his game was ultimately a success. Choosing to keep the secret, Turtle continues his legacy by beginning to mentor her niece in chess.

The Westing Heirs

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Pair One

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  • Jake Wexler is a podiatrist, and a bookie on the side. He is married to Grace Wexler and is the father of Angela and Turtle Wexler.
  • Madame Sun Lin Hoo is the second and much younger Chinese immigrant wife of James Shin Hoo. She barely knows how to speak English. She can usually be found cooking in her husband's restaurant.

Pair Two

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  • Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" (TR) Wexler is an intelligent 13-year-old girl. She is very protective of her long, dark braid of hair and anyone who touches it gets a kick to the shin and a bruise.
  • Flora Baumbach is a shy 60-year-old dressmaker who becomes a maternal figure to Turtle.

Pair Three

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  • Christos "Chris" Theodorakis is a 15-year-old boy who uses a wheelchair due to degenerative muscle disease. He is intelligent and enjoys birdwatching.
  • Dr. Denton Deere is a medical intern, engaged to Angela. To show off, he diagnoses everyone he meets.

Pair Four

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  • Judge J.J. (Josie-Jo) Ford is an intelligent and serious black woman in her forties. She is suspicious of the game created by Sam Westing and believes that one of the heirs may be in danger.
  • Alexander "Sandy" McSouthers is the doorman at the Sunset Towers Apartments.

Pair Five

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  • Grace Windsor Wexler, married to Jake Wexler and mother of Angela and Turtle.
  • James Shin Hoo is a former entrepreneur, the owner of the Hoo's restaurant chain, as well as Madame Hoo's husband and Doug's father.

Pair Six

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  • Berthe Erica Crow, usually referred to as simply Crow, is the cleaning woman for Sunset Towers. She is extremely religious and also operates a downtown soup kitchen.
  • Otis Amber is a 62-year-old "delivery boy." He assists Crow with her soup kitchen.

Pair Seven

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  • Theo Theodorakis is a smart high school student, and very loyal to his family. He is protective of his brother Chris and works hard in his parents' coffee shop. He is interested in becoming a writer, and also becomes friends with his partner, Doug Hoo.
  • Doug Hoo, son of James Shin Hoo, is a high school track star, one of the best mile-runners in the state. Running is his passion, but his father often criticizes him for not studying enough. He is a prankster and develops a rivalry with Turtle Wexler.

Pair Eight

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  • Angela Wexler is a pretty twenty-year-old girl: fair, blonde, and very pretty. She is considered the 'perfect' daughter, often getting more attention than her sister Turtle.
  • Sydelle Pulaski is a mysterious character who seems to have no connection to Mr. Westing or the other heirs. It is revealed that she was mistaken for Sybil Pulaski, a friend of Crow who was supposed to have been an heir instead.

Other media

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The Westing Game, adapted to a stage play by Darian Lindle and directed by Terry Brino-Dean, was first produced at Prime Stage Theatre in Pittsburgh in 2009. The script is published by Dramatic Publishing.[5]

Get a Clue, adapted by Dylan Kelsey Hadley and directed by Terence H. Winkless, was produced for television in 1997.[4]

It was announced on September 9, 2020 that HBO Max had placed a script-to-series order based on the book.[6]

Reception

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At the time of the book's publication, Kirkus Reviews called it "A supersharp mystery, more a puzzle than a novel, but endowed with a vivid and extensive cast... If Raskin's crazy ingenuity has threatened to run away with her on previous occasions, here the complicated game is always perfectly meshed with character and story. Confoundingly clever, and very funny."[7] In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1976 to 1985, literary critic Zena Sutherland wrote of The Westing Game, "Still a popular book with the group of readers who are mystery or puzzle fans, in retrospect this seems more entertaining than distinguished. Its choice as a Medal book underscores the problematic question: Can a distinguished book also be a popular book?"[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Kirkus Reviews". Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Newbery Medal & Honor Books, 1922–Present". Association for Library Service to Children. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  3. ^ Bird, Elizabeth (July 7, 2012). "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results". A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. School Library Journal (blogs.slj.com). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b Get a Clue! (1997), retrieved 2020-02-21
  5. ^ Dramatic Publishing
  6. ^ "'Westing Game' Series Adaptation in the Works at HBO Max". 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ "THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin". Kirkus Reviews. May 1, 1978. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  8. ^ Sutherland, Zena (1986). "Newbery Medal Books 1976–1985". In Kingman, Lee (ed.). Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books 1976–1985. Boston: The Horn Book, Incorporated. p. 158. ISBN 0-87675-004-8.
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Awards
Preceded by Newbery Medal recipient
1979 		Succeeded by
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