Liffey Rivers and the Mystery of the Sparkling Solo Dress Crown

by Brenna Briggs

Book Overview

13-year-old Liffey Rivers is power-walking around the hotel lobby at the Celtic Arch Feis in St. Louis when she notices a suspicious looking man carrying a beautiful Irish dancer doll in his plastic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1419607057
• ISBN13: 9781419607059
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
• Length: 154 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Important To Read First Liffey Rivers Book First

I began reading the Liffey Rivers Irish Dancer Mysteries with the second book, The Mystery of the winking Judge. (which I purchased at a feis and loved)I then read the third book (reviewed that one) after which I dicovered I wanted to read the first book-The Mystery of the Sparkling Solo Dress Crown to fill in a few gaps and questions I had. I am glad I did. The Mystery of the Sparkling Solo Dress Crown is a lovely, fast moving book with some strong social awareness issues. For instance, I learned everything anyone needs to know about blood (conflict) diamonds. Now we discuss the diamond problem at the family dinner table and my daughter did a paper for school on conflict diamonds.

Not for the Young Folks Only...

As the mother of a former Irish dancer (12 years of practices and competitions), as well as one who enjoyed Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon and all of the those other wonderful mysteries, I found myself completely enthralled with this book. It was "memory lane" for me at times with the description of the feasana, needing to just win a first in a particular step, the overwhelming conviction that if Liffy only had a solo costume, she would take first in her competitions, etc. AND it was a really good mystery! I really loved it.

A Dancer Mystery for All Ages

This book is great. It should be rated for all ages, not 9-13-year-olds. I read it before my daughters got hold of it. I picked it up from a feis vendor and finished it the same night in the hotel room! I especially liked the internal dialogue Liffey Rivers had going on in her head throughout the whole book. Sometimes I could not stop laughing. One of my daughters finished it on the way home in the car (a 12-hour drive!). That was the quietest car trip we ever took! I owe it all to Liffey Rivers and her solo dress quest.

Great Mystery

As an Irish dancer and long time competitor, it seems that there is finally a story that captures both the nervous energy of a feis and also provides a really good, sometimes on the edge scary mystery. Irish dancers will love this book and non-dancers will want to become Irish dancers after they read this book. But even without the dancing, it is a good story. I really hope there will be more Liffey Rivers books.

A Good Crossover Book

This story should appeal to both elementary and middle school girls with it's thirteen-year-old heroine and combination of mystery and Irish dance. I was nine when I first read a Nancy Drew mystery and enjoyed them for many years. Liffey may be following in Nancy's footsteps with her lawyer father, keen observation and fey sense of approaching danger. Things Irish are popular now, especially the dance and Ms. Briggs has obviously had some experience in that competitive world. There is a glossary of Irish dance terms plus historical and geographical tidbits fused into the story line for a little painless education. Even as an adult, I enjoyed and learned from this book and will be giving several as gifts this holiday season.