Clue (book series)

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This article is about the book series based on the board game. For other uses, see Clue.

The Clue series is a series of 18 books based on the board game Cluedo (Clue in North America)

Contents

[edit] Plot

Reginald Boddy lives in his stately home, Boddy Mansion. Every weekend, he invites five of his closest friends, who, along with his maid, are six of the most greedy, scheming people in the world. Throughout each book, they plot to steal Mr. Boddy's most prized possession(s), much of the time resorting to violence with the help of the famous six Clue weapons. However, they rarely get away with it. Despite all this, Mr. Boddy always invites everyone back the next weekend.

[edit] Format

Each book begins with a small chapter where Mr. Boddy introduces himself to the reader. He explains the situation and introduces the six suspects. This ends with some kind of cliffhanger that leads into the first chapter.

The book contains ten mini-mysteries which each end with a question, very similar to the Encyclopedia Brown books, and a picture of the checklist from the game is given. The question is answered on the next page, printed upside down. This solution ends with an explanation of how the criminal was foiled, or how the victim (if there was one) survived. The first nine mysteries typically involve some sort of competition between the guests (in which case readers must deduce who won), another guest being murdered, or some sort of rare treasure of Mr. Boddy's that has been stolen.

The final chapter somehow results in the death of Mr. Boddy. In the solution, no explanation is given, and it is assumed that Mr. Boddy actually dies until the next book, where, in Mr. Boddy's introduction, he explains how he survived the end of the previous book, with the exception of the eighteenth book. As that was the final book in the series, and it says Mr. Boddy was dead, it is safe to assume he is dead, finally done in for good by one of his guests.

[edit] Books

Except as noted, the original hardcover books were published by Turtleback, and had various authors. Later paperback reissues are credited "Book created by A.E. Parker", and are published by Scholastic Press. Dates below are for the first publication. ISBNs are for the paperback reissue.

  1. Who Killed Mr. Boddy?, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-46110-9
  2. The Secret Secret Passage, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-45631-8
  3. The Case of the Invisible Cat, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-45632-6
  4. Mystery at the Masked Ball, by Eric Weiner (1993) ISBN 0-590-45633-4
  5. Midnight Phone Calls, by Eric Weiner (1994) ISBN 0-590-47804-4
  6. Booby Trapped, by A. E. Parker and Eric Weiner (1994) ISBN 0-590-47805-2
  7. The Picture Perfect Crime, by Jahnna N. Malcolm (1994) ISBN 0-590-48735-3
  8. The Clue in the Shadows, by A. E. Parker (1995) ISBN 0-590-48934-8
  9. Mystery in the Moonlight, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-48935-6
  10. The Case of the Screaming Skeleton, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-48936-4
  11. Death by Candlelight, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-62374-5
  12. The Haunted Gargoyle, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62375-3
  13. The Revenge of the Mummy, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62376-1
  14. The Dangerous Diamond, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62377-X
  15. The Vanishing Vampire, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-13742-5
  16. Danger After Dark, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13743-3
  17. The Clue in the Crystal Ball, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13744-1
  18. Footprints in the Fog, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13745-X

[edit] Characters

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Cluedo characters. (Discuss)

With the exception of Mr. Boddy, the six central characters' faces were featured prominently on the back cover of each book, with three randomly selected to appear in an illustration created especially for the cover of each book. Books 1-4 feature the characters as they appeared in the 1986 edition of the board game. From Book 5 onwards, the character redesigns from the 1992 edition were used. Some characters such as Mrs. White and Miss Scarlet changed greatly (the latter becoming Asian), however throughout the series, not much detail is given towards description. Scarlet's ethnicity nor White's general age, for example, are never addressed in the books.

  • Mr. Reginald Boddy
Mr. Boddy is the owner of Boddy Mansion and the host of the weekend gatherings that serve as the subject of the books. He has a mind-staggering amount of money, and acquires a great number of treasures. Unfortunately, his scheming guests and maid more often than not come to blows trying to steal these, and he is almost killed in the last chapter of each book. He's always there in the next book to explain how he survived, though. He trusts his guests and believes them when he is told that the plot to kill him was really an accident. It is notable that "Boddy" is a homonym of the word "body."
  • Colonel Mustard
A dashing and noble character, Colonel Mustard is an older army officer who also has experience in wild game hunting. The Colonel has a very short temper, and, when this is coupled with his noble nature, he will often challenge someone to a duel if he feels himself or someone else is being wronged or offended. This duel rarely takes place, but there have been an instance or two.
  • Professor Plum
It's not really specified exactly what Professor Plum is a professor of, but he seems to be a jack of all trades. He seems to be a medical doctor, a chemist, and an inventor, among other things. This is an amazing feat, but it is marred by the Professor's horrible memory. His forgetful nature has caused many problems for him in his work, and also for the others, sometimes nearly resulting in death (like the time he injected Mr. Green and himself with a chemical he forgot was poison). Plum is the least greedy guest of them all.
  • Mr. Green
Mr. Green is a ruthless businessman, and has managed to reach the top by stepping on the little one. He has an obsession with money, and is likely the greediest of the bunch (or at least second to Mrs. White). He is well known for being a bully, and has, on many occasions, changed his host's mind by threatening or even using physical harm.
  • Mrs. Peacock
Mrs. Peacock is an older woman who is obsessed with manners. She has high ideals of how gentlemen and ladies should act, and makes sure that everyone around her adheres to them, even going so far as to calling the police once when Mr. Boddy burped. She is, however, just as scheming as the rest, and usually will bend her rules on what's proper so that she can carry out some dastardly deed.
  • Miss Scarlet
Miss Scarlet is the femme fatale, the dangerous and sensual beauty. She believes in living for the moment, and often acts impulsively. Her weakness is jewelry and all things beautiful, which is usually the cause of her crimes. She is known to have at least once robbed a jewelry store. She is the most envious character.
  • Mrs. White
Mrs. White is Mr. Boddy's trusted maid. Unfortunately, that trust is greatly misplaced. Mrs. White is possibly the most conniving and menacing of the six suspects, although she hardly ever lets it show. She has served Mr. Boddy for years, and is the reason for the disappearance of many items of value, all of which found some way into her apron. She has once in the past poisoned Mr. Boddy's coffee, or, at least, she's done it once that he knew of. In the second book, Mr. Boddy and his friends each left her a large sum of money in their wills, but after she attempted to murder them, she was written out.

[edit] 2003 Spinoff

In 2003, author Vicki Cameron wrote a new set of mini-mysteries, in the [Clue Mysteries] books. Only two were published. Both books featured more complex storylines, fifteen mysteries apiece, and were set in 1926 Britain.

[edit] External links

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