Smallville: Whodunnit

I am starting to reread the Smallville novel, Whodunnit by Dean Wesley Smith in Smallville Omnibus Two (London, 2006), which gives no information about the authors. The novels are well written, readable and enjoyable and bear rereading especially since many of the details are forgotten after a few years.

They are of particular interest while watching the TV series on DVD. All that I remember about Whodunnit is that Lionel Luthor is kidnapped and that Clark and his friends find a murdered family on a Smallville farm. In fact, Chapter 1 ends with the discovery of a body and Chapter 2 begins with Lionel in Metropolis.

The cover of the original edition of the novel (see image) seems to show Lex looking for his father. I had not remembered that the novel is set during the period when Lana's boyfriend, Whitney, is away in the Marines. This defines its chronological relationship to the seasons of the TV series.

The author clearly is able to write the characters, so far Clark, Lana, Chloe and Lionel, consistently with the TV series and some knowledge of agricultural practices and techniques is helpful. It must be odd for an actor or actress reading the novels to find physical descriptions of themselves in the texts.

The novels enhance the TV drama. It would be good to have the complete set of Smallville DVD's, novels and comics.