What do You think about Never Trust A Dead Man (2001)?
Selwyn, a simple farmer, who’s trying to get on with life after his romantic interest, Anora, turned him down for arrogant, rich Farold. It’s all good until Farold turns up murdered with Selwyn’s knife in his back. Selwyn knows he didn’t do it, but the villagers don’t see it that way. Their punishment, lock the murderer up with the murdered. So Selwyn finds himself stuck in the burial cave with only corpses, bats, and his thoughts for company. Until the witch, Elswyth wanders in, needing potion ingredients from a dead man. After trading a year of servitude to Elswyth for the way out, Selwyn then wants to clear his name. Who better to find the murderer then Farold himself, thus through a series of events and more years of servitude to Elswyth Selwyn finds himself with his least favorite person Farold in the form of a bat, a disguise and seven days to find out who killed Farold before working for Elswyth.A really fun mystery. The only thing you know for sure is that Selwyn didn’t do it, as more and more suspects line up. It’s a quick, easy read, and really no complaints about it.
—Stacey
This book is the reason I started reading Vivian Vande Velde. I've always hoped to find another just as good as this. Some of her other books are very good too, but none as richly entertaining as this. It's been more than 10 years since I first read this book, long enough to forget the major plot points (except for the bat). It's still as captivating as ever. The only part I wasn't entirely satisfied with was the reason for the murder. But it's also part of what makes it so subtly brilliant. You would never have expected it. This is Vivian Vande Velde's finest work thus far.
—Abigail
Honestly I didn't really like this book. It was about a young man who is buried alive the Village Burial Cave. A witch comes along and raises the dead person back to life so that the accused can find out who murdered the dead person. Problem was is that the only likable character was Selwyn, the accused. I guess you could like the witch, but she was almost a cliche character. The rest of them were like that as well. There were the two quarreling boys over a girl, the girl who couldn't make up her mind, the power hungry town mayor, the tavern family, and the guy who just wants the money and the girl. Discovering the murderer, was too quick for my taste. It could be a good book if it had just a bit more development, I think.
—Jenika
