Matthew Livingston facts for kids

Matthew Livingston is a fictional teenage detective who stars in a mystery book series for young readers and teenagers. The books are written by Marco Conelli, a retired detective from the NYPD and an award-winning author.

Meet Matthew and His Friends

Matthew Livingston first appeared in 2007 in his first mystery book, Matthew Livingston and the Prison of Souls. Even though the books are for young adults, they feature challenging cases and serious situations. Many adult readers also enjoy the books. Author Marco Conelli got the idea for the series when he noticed there weren't many new mystery books for young adults, besides older stories like Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.

Matthew is 17 years old and a high school senior. He is quite a loner and loves studying chemistry and human behavior more than hanging out with friends. He is very good at lateral thinking (solving problems in creative ways) and has amazing observation skills. He learned these skills by studying a lot. Matthew doesn't look for mysteries to solve; instead, his schoolmate Dennis Sommers brings them to him, often against Matthew's wishes.

The stories in the books are told by Dennis Sommers, who is 16. Dennis wants to be a journalist at Serling High School. He describes himself as not very important at the school newspaper. Dennis is a bit shy, a little overweight, and admits he can be scared sometimes. He is great with computers and programming. He also loves writing and keeps journals about his adventures with Matthew Livingston.

Sandra Small completes the detective trio. Like Matthew, she is 17 and a high school senior at Serling High School. Sandra is described as attractive with red hair, green eyes, and wire-rimmed glasses. She is the most experienced in the group when it comes to problem solving. Sandra drives a red Ford Mustang with a manual transmission. She is a very loyal friend and acts more mature than most high school students. She has also shown she can be very brave in tough situations.

How Matthew's Stories Compare to Others

Dennis Sommers' way of telling the story has been compared to Dr. John Watson, who narrates the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Readers only see Matthew Livingston through Dennis's eyes. The funny way Dennis describes Matthew has also been compared to how Archie Goodwin tells the Nero Wolfe mysteries.

Many critics first called the Matthew Livingston series an "updated version of the Hardy Boys." Author Marco Conelli has often said that he makes his stories very realistic. A big difference between his characters and Frank and Joe Hardy is that regular teenagers don't usually own speedboats, fly their own planes, or travel to other countries to solve crimes.

The Matthew Livingston characters also have normal teenage struggles, unlike the Hardy Boys. Dennis Sommers isn't happy with how he looks and feels a bit down about being chubby. He is always aware that he is a year younger than Matthew and Sandra. Also, while the Hardy Boys could miss school for long periods, Matthew and his friends are always shown at their high school. They often meet before class or during the school day. Their cases usually start from something Dennis finds during his school journalism assignments.

The crimes the group gets involved in happen in their hometown, which is not named in the books. Some readers think it might be a suburb of New York City because the author grew up in Queens Village. Adult readers who enjoy crime novels believe that the two detectives the teens meet are actually New York City Detectives, based on how they act and work.

The Matthew Livingston Books

• Matthew Livingston and the Prison of Souls
  • Released in April 2007 by The May Davenport Publishing Company. This book introduces Matthew, Dennis, and Sandra. They work to solve a tricky crime happening in their town.
• Matthew Livingston and the Prison of Souls - 2008 Re-release
  • This is an updated version of the first book. It has more detailed descriptions and mentions the make of Sandra's car.
• Matthew Livingston and the Millionaire Murder
  • Released in March 2009. This mystery was very popular. The Midwest Book Review called it "highly recommended reading for young adults who appreciate a well crafted and original work of mystery and suspense." The last page of this book is called "Blogging With Dennis Sommers." It explains some of the clever deductions Matthew makes in the story. This idea was not continued in later books. This is also the only book with titles for each chapter.
• Matthew Livingston and the Politics of Death - 2010
  • The Midwest Book Review called this book "A highly enticing story... not to be missed, highly recommended."
  • EJ Wagner, an Edgar Award-Winning Author, described Matthew and his friends as "A modern successor to the Baker Street Irregulars, the youthful sidekicks of Sherlock Holmes." This book features a suspenseful plot where Matthew faces a clever criminal who is not only targeting victims but also Matthew, Dennis, and Sandra.

Author Marco Conelli's Activities

Author Marco Conelli has visited many schools, libraries, bookstores, and special events. He has also made his books available to school programs that needed books but didn't have enough money to buy them.

In August 2011, Matthew Livingston and the Politics of Death won the Silver Falchion Award at Killer Nashville. This book won against mysteries from all types of genres, not just young adult books, to be named the best mystery novel of 2011.

In January 2012, The New Mexico Journal of Reading published an article by Marco Conelli called "Matthew Livingston and the Power of Literacy." This article shares positive thoughts about young Americans' views on reading and writing skills.

In October 2013, Marco Conelli was featured in Sherlock Holmes- The International Exhibition. This traveling exhibit teaches visitors about forensic science. It shows how crime fighters today use methods similar to Sherlock Holmes. Marco's real-life detective experiences, which he put into the Matthew Livingston books, are discussed in a video segment at the exhibit.

In December 2016, Marco's first full-length adult crime thriller, Cry For Help, was released. In one part of this book, a retired detective named Caleb Alden is at a coffee shop. He is served by a girl with green eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. This description matches Sandra Small from the Matthew Livingston series, who works at a coffee shop called The Bean Counter. This makes readers wonder if characters from both book series might meet someday.

In July 2019, a mystery collection called "After Midnight-Tales From the Graveyard Shift" was released. Marco contributed another short story to this collection. There are rumors that a Matthew Livingston short story might be included in a sequel to this collection planned for 2020.

• Official Website of Marco Conelli