The Mystery of Harry Potter

I was looking through a newsletter from the Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles when I noticed an entry that seemed a bit odd. Members of the staff were listing their favorite mysteries for 2007 - and one listed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and last volume in the wildly popular series. Harry Potter as a mystery?

As a communicator, I have to say that it's not as far-fetched an idea as it might seem at first glance. When taken as a whole, the series is indeed centered around a mystery: why did the baby Harry survive a killing curse from Lord Voldemort (with repercussions powerful enough to nearly destroy Voldemort)? What really happened that night at the Potter house? Beyond that mystery, of course, there are a huge number of sub-plots and plot twists - enough to make us re-evaluate some of the central characters many times over before we discover their true roles in the drama.

So, yes, in that sense, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows could be considered as a long, suspenseful and ultimately satisfying mystery novel. I thought it was a particularly well-written finale to the series, with  central intrigues and overall plot resolution that were dazzling. Good thinking, Mystery Bookstore - it's on my list as well, for certain! I'd be interested in any other reader reactions.