The Agatha Principle and Other Mystery Stories
by
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He hurried through the arcade and emerged onto Water Street without noticing the reappearance of the strange footprints in the pile of snow by the curb or the square heel mark that was now plainly delineated in the shallower snow at the edge of the mound. The snow had started again, and he pulled up his collar, wrapping his scarf snugly around his neck to hold it in place. Only another two blocks and he would reach his destination.
And back in Blood Alley, the soft flakes drifted down, blanketing the footsteps by the dumpster, concealing the bloodstains in the snow, and making a cold, white shroud for the body that lay slumped in the shadows of the wall.
“Smart plotting and a strong sense of place … The beautiful settings and genuine personalities will charm.”
—Kirkus Discoveries
“There is something about the stories and the characters that keeps you turning the pages …. I find Elwood’s serial short mysteries strangely compelling.”
—Barbara Kay, National Post
“Tales well told … and the biggest draw is reading about the interesting and complex characters to be found in the Beary family.”
—Jan de Grass, The Coast Reporter
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About the Book
“The least likely person is the killer, and no one is really who they seem.” So Jordan Hope tells his cast as they prepare to rehearse Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. However, Jordan does not realize that, nearby, in the snowy streets of Gastown, a real murder has taken place. By the time the show is over, another will die and The Agatha Principle will strike again.
In her fourth book featuring the Beary family, Elizabeth Elwood delivers another thoroughly satisfying collection. “The Agatha Principle” is followed by seven cleverly crafted shorter stories with a variety of settings. In “The Man in the Cage”, a child falls into deadly peril at the 2010 Winter Olympics; a dramatic historical mystery dating back to the War of 1812 is featured in “Tragedy at The Oaks”, and the book closes on a delightfully light-hearted note as the Bearys visit Vancouver’s Bright Nights and solve “The Mystery of the Christmas Train”.
With intriguing puzzles to challenge the reader and an engaging story of a charming heroine whose relationship with a Vancouver detective is as captivating as the cases they solve together, The Agatha Principle and Other Mystery Stories is a must for lovers of classic mystery fiction.
About the Author
Elizabeth Elwood is the author of To Catch an Actress, A Black Tie Affair and The Beacon and Other Mystery Stories. She is also a playwright whose plays have entertained audiences all across Canada. Elizabeth currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is hard at work on the next book in the Beary Mystery series.