Murder in Cormyr

Murder in Cormyr by Chet Williamson is a Forgotten Realms novel first published in 1996. It is the first book of the loosely connected Mystery series. It was nominated for an Edgar Award, the Mystery Writers of America's award for mystery fiction named for Edgar Allan Poe.

"A vengeful ghost is only the first suspect when the body of Grodoveth, the king's envoy, is found separated from its head. It seems that everyone in town had either motive or opportunity to commit the... Murder in Cormyr.

The wizard Benelaius wanted only to find a nice quiet place to retire with his cats. The village of Ghars, close to the Vast Swamp, had little to recommend it except seclusion. Even the legends of a vengeful ghost who haunts the moors don't bother the aged wizard. The corpulent, sedentary mage is content to let his servant, Jasper, do all the legwork.

Benelaius's studies are rudely interrupted when the ghost begins to make nightly appearances, frightening the townspeople out of their wits. Heads begin to roll when the local blacksmith is murdered... but that corpse is barely cold when the decapitated body of the envoy Grodoveth is found in the ghost's tomb. As the most learned person in Ghars, how can Benelaius refuse to help his adopted town?

Axe-wielding ghosts give way to treachery and deceit as Benelaius, along with Jasper and the wizard's former apprentice, Lindavar, discover that even a sleepy, quiet village has many hidden secrets."

- Text from hardcover edition

Characters

 * Benelaius • Bortas • Braum • Darvik • Dovo • Darrun • Fastred • Flim • Grimalkin • Grodoveth • Jasper • Jenkus • Kendra • Khlerat • Lindavar • Menchuk • Muzlim • Myrcrest • Razor • Rob • Rolf • Shortshanks • Skedmoor • Stubbins • Sunfirth • Tobald • Vangerdahast • Will • Cedric Buckenwing • Tim Butterworth • Elizabeth Clawthorn • Aunsible Durn • Bryn Goldtooth • Mrs. Barnabas Hinkel • Pygmont Kardath • Phelos Marmwitz • Barthelm Meadowbrock • Mayella Meadowbrock • Diccon Picard • Hesketh Pratt • Lukas Spoondrift
 * Beatrice • Bupkin • Camber Fosrick • Carcroft the Long • Fendrake • Firewand • Hurthkin • Jamie • Kastor • Kirkabey • Magda • Ned • Odum • Snaggard • Trelaphin • Linnaeus Gozzling • Argys Kral • Guirath Moondock • Azoun Obarskyr IV • Lodevin Parkar • Garnet Pennorth • Sarp Redbeard • Chelm Vandor • Elduth Yarmmaster
 * Beatrice • Bupkin • Camber Fosrick • Carcroft the Long • Fendrake • Firewand • Hurthkin • Jamie • Kastor • Kirkabey • Magda • Ned • Odum • Snaggard • Trelaphin • Linnaeus Gozzling • Argys Kral • Guirath Moondock • Azoun Obarskyr IV • Lodevin Parkar • Garnet Pennorth • Sarp Redbeard • Chelm Vandor • Elduth Yarmmaster

Creatures

 * cat • dog • dwarf • ghost • gnome • halfling • horse • human • hydra • mouse • raven • thornslinger
 * basilisk • beholder • cryohydra • dragon • duergar • elf • feystag • bullfrog • gibbering mouther • goblin • grell • lernaean hydra • leucrotta • lich • lizardman • meazel (as "measle") • oliphant • ogre • pyrohydra • revenant • snake • troll • werejaguar • wight • will-o'-the-wisp • zombie
 * basilisk • beholder • cryohydra • dragon • duergar • elf • feystag • bullfrog • gibbering mouther • goblin • grell • lernaean hydra • leucrotta • lich • lizardman • meazel (as "measle") • oliphant • ogre • pyrohydra • revenant • snake • troll • werejaguar • wight • will-o'-the-wisp • zombie

Locations

 * Buildings
 * Aunsible Durn's smithy • Bold Bard • Sheaf of Wheat • Silver Scythe • Swamp Rat


 * Settlements
 * Ghars


 * Geography
 * Vast Swamp


 * Realms
 * Cormyr
 * Anauroch • Arabel • Battledale • Dragonmere • Durpar • Evermeet • Gladehap • Huddagh • Hultail • Juniril • Marsember • Sembia • Settled Lands • Suzail • University of Suzail • Thunderstone • Way of the Manticore • Wheloon • Wyvernwater
 * Anauroch • Arabel • Battledale • Dragonmere • Durpar • Evermeet • Gladehap • Huddagh • Hultail • Juniril • Marsember • Sembia • Settled Lands • Suzail • University of Suzail • Thunderstone • Way of the Manticore • Wheloon • Wyvernwater

Organizations

 * Iron Throne • Merchants' Guild • Purple Dragons • War Wizards
 * Rambeltook • Zhentarim
 * Rambeltook • Zhentarim

Other

 * Books & Songs
 * The Adventures of Camber Fosrick • Anthropologic and Folkloric Historie of the Settled Lands • Archetymbal • The Internal Structure of the Brachiopod • Mediations and Meditations • Proceedings • Red-haired Lad • Seasons in the Heartlands • Thought and Its Processes • Warrior's Woe


 * Food & Drinks
 * ale • apple • barley • Beef and Oysters Barnabas • beer • bread • carrot • cheese • clarry • cider • cod pie • coffee • egg • Elminster's Choice • griddle cake • Golden Sands Orange • lettuce • mead • North Brew • oat • Old One Eye • orange • oyster • pork pie • potato • rice • sausage • Shadowdark ale • smoked salmon • soup • Suzale • tea • tomato • tomato soup • turnip • Westgate Ruby • wine


 * Magic
 * continual light • spell
 * chiromancy • necromancy
 * chiromancy • necromancy


 * Items
 * alembic • anvil • armillary sphere • axe • brazier • bit and bridle • blackweed • boots • breastplate • bullseye lantern • candle • centrifuge • cloak • coal • dagger • helmet • hooded lantern • false teeth • fiddle • flint and steel • glimmergrass • golden lion • iron • leggings • mallet • moss • peat • pipe • pipeweed (West Fennet Number Three) • silver falcon • soap • tobacco


 * Others
 * cataract • Eleint • gout • philosophy
 * acid • bean • chess • cranial drill • diamond • Eleasias • Flamerule • lily • gem • gold • Kythorn • Mirtul • nosebleed • raspberry • silver • Tarsakh • weevil • wooden leg
 * acid • bean • chess • cranial drill • diamond • Eleasias • Flamerule • lily • gem • gold • Kythorn • Mirtul • nosebleed • raspberry • silver • Tarsakh • weevil • wooden leg

Art
The cover shows an artwork by Larry Elmore titled "Unexpected Find", painted in 1995. The exact scene appears nowhere in the events of Murder in Cormyr and similar scenes have several key differences, suggesting a miscommunication with Elmore or a borrowing of the existing "Unexpected Find" artwork as it appeared close enough to the spirit of the novel.