The Mappleshire mysteries
The Vanishing Violin By Elijah Cornagie Mappleshire had always been a quiet town, the kind where everyone knew everyone else’s business, yet nothing ever seemed to happen. That was until the morning the legendary Stradivarius vanished from the Mappleshire Music Hall . The priceless violin had been the centerpiece of the annual autumn recital , and now it was gone. Detective Alistair Gray arrived to find the hall in disarray. Chairs were overturned, sheet music scattered, and the faint scent of cedar lingered in the air. Among the witnesses were: • Eleanor Whitby, the hall’s caretaker, who claimed she had seen “shadows moving” late at night. • Victor Langley, a rival musician, whose resentment of the recital winner was no secret. • Marian Holt, a young prodigy, who had been entrusted with the violin the night before. • Reverend Collins, who had been supervising the hall’s security as part of his civic duties. Gray began piecing together the puzzle. The lock on the display case...
