more than what they seem and explore the concept that they make up one unexplained pattern. Balliett stated that she wanted to convey how coincidences were noticeable and felt meaningful, and how they could matter even if they were unexplainable. Audiobook The audiobook for Chasing Vermeer, read by Ellen Reilly, was released on November 27, 2007 from Listening Library. It runs about 4 hours and 47 minutes. AudioFile magazine praised Reilly's voices and pace, but noted that, "Once the mystery is solved, however, the ending seems tacked on, falling flat." Critical receptionChasing Vermeer received generally positive reviews. The New York Times praised the description and mystery. It was also listed as one of their "Notable Books of 2004". Kirkus Reviews awarded it a starred review with the consensus that "Art, intrigue, and plenty of twists and turns make this art mystery a great read." Children's Literature reviewer Claudia Mills gave generally positive comments, calling the novel "engrossing and engaging". The website Kidsreads well-loved children's books. It's that good." A reviewer of The Trades website called it "an entertaining read that manages to serve several purposes in one concise novel" and found the characters "unusual yet likable", but felt that "the disappointing bit of this novel is that the solutions always arrive through a series of disconnected events that just lead the kids to think in certain ways." Kadon Enterprises, a game puzzle company, reviewed the book, praising the writing style and puzzles. Awards Film Warner Brothers bought the rights to a film of Chasing Vermeer'' in June 2004 and Brad Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment planned to produce it. P.J. Hogan was slated as director and the novel was adapted by Matt Nix. However, when asked about the film in August 2010, Balliett answered, "It’s been fascinating, watching this whole process, because Plan B did a wonderful job. They went through two screenwriters, and they’ve gone through two directors. It’s sort of like a house of cards. I have rights again. If they get it all together again, they’ll jump on it. But they don’t have exclusive rights anymore." References External links Official Scholastic website Blue Balliett's Official Site 2004 American novels Agatha Award-winning works American children's novels Edgar Award-winning works Children's mystery novels Novels about artists Novels set in Chicago Works about Johannes Vermeer 2004 children's books 2004 debut novels