Christopher Healy

A brilliant, twisty closed-house mystery, featuring:

--a princess-turned-bounty-hunter (the Lilac)
--a bard (Dulcinetta the Dulcet-Toned, a.k.a. Netta)
--a wizard called Runar the Unknowable
--the Angbar family, including: rigid patriarch holding to the family's monster-hunting history; his wife, who isn't, in fact, of noble blood; his son Kade, a wizard in training; and his overlooked daughter Araminta
--a thieving etiquette teacher
--a frustrated cook (everyone loves her cream puffs and ignores everything else she makes)
--a visiting lord
--the butler, who is being blackmailed
--the guard, who is strong, clumsy, and not at all clever

After the theft of the Emerald Axe, the butler hires the Lilac to apprehend Runar and return him to Castle Angbar - but Runar was not the thief, and in fact, the axe has returned - but is then stolen again! Runar seals the castle inside a magic bubble so no one can escape before the Lilac solves the theft, but soon she has a bigger case: a murder. In a castle full of secret passageways, where everyone (including the Lilac) is hiding secrets, how will she succeed? And, is the bubble shrinking?

See also: The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon, Greenglass House by Kate Milford, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, the movie Clue, the movie The Addams Family… (more)

This novel is a 2024 Lone Star selection.

When I first began listening to this novel, I thought that I would hate the book because the narrator's style was way over the top; in fact, it struck me as similar to people who entertain little kids on TV. Really annoying. It took me a while, but I actually really enjoyed the novel. It was fun. Readers would be better off reading the book instead of listening to it because it's a mystery. I can't even begin to guess how to spell the names, so be aware that I will only use one character's name.

A mystery must be solved. The one servant of a well-to-do family (who got their money monster hunting, but there aren't monsters anymore) must find the wizard who took their emerald weapon by hiring a bounty hunter. Of course, the butler doesn't know anything about finding a bounty hunter; he cares only for cleaning! He hears a bard telling of the best bounty hunter in the land: The Lilac. The bard takes him to The Lilac and she takes the case. Easily finding the wizard, The Lilac follows both men back to the castle in order to get paid. Bear in mind, the wizard does NOT have the weapon, but he does have a book. He didn't leave the castle for good; he just needed a book and would be returning. He feels annoyed about the fabricated lie but knows the father absolutely hates him and hates that the son of the family is learning magic. The father (and head of the famous family) has re-married. So, he and his wife live in the castle. They have two children. There is a cook, an etiquette teacher for the daughter, and the butler that we've already met. The father treats most people badly; he's unpleasant and refuses to pay the bounty hunter. She and the bard agree to stay for dinner, which excites them because they are very hungry. They just need payment and they can be on their way.

Seems simple, right? Not at all. Everything presented in the novel must be questioned. The weapon re-appears, so there's been no crime. Then, one of the cast listed above is found murdered and a bubble encases the castle, allowing no one to leave. Now we have a whodunit on our hands with the murderer unable to leave and the rest of the cast in danger. This novel challenges the reader to be aware. Can you find all of the clues? The narrator will needle you a bit, saying she could tell you more, but she won't. So, I refuse to say more because I could ruin the book. Check your intellect by reading this book. Try to find the clues and try to solve the murder. You also get information on storytelling and what a narrator is to a story. It teaches (although you don't realize it) and it makes you think. Take the challenge! I dare you!… (more)