Murder in Cormyr

Murder in Cormyr, by Chet Williamson is the first book of the loosely connected Mystery series.

"A vengeful ghost in 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 of opportunity to commit the murder.

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 ghosts 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 wizards former apprentice, Lindavar, discover that even a sleepy, quiet village has many hidden secrets."

Major Characters

 * Benelaius, a retired War Wizard and armchair detective
 * Jasper, Benelaius' servant and former thief
 * Grodoveth, a relative of King Azoun with a sordid past and a murder victim
 * Lindavar, Benelais' former apprentice
 * Tobald, Mayor of Ghars
 * Dovo, an apprentice smith and a murder victim
 * Barthelm Meadowbrock, a prominent merchant of Ghars and member of the Grand Council of the Cormyrean Merchants' Guild
 * Kendra, an adventurer

Minor Characters

 * Khlerat, Ghars's unofficial master of public works
 * Fastred's Ghost, the ghost of a bandit who's cursed tomb is purportedly somewhere in the Vast Swamp
 * Captain Flimm, the commander of the Purple Dragons contingent in Ghars
 * Myella Meadowbrock, the beautiful daughter of Barthelm Meadowbrock and in love with Rolf
 * Rolf, a laborer, in love with Myellla to Barthelm's disapproval
 * Shortshanks, the dwarven owner and proprietor of the Bold Bard Tavern
 * Lukas Spoondrift, owner of the Sheaf pf Wheat inn and Jasper's former master
 * Aunsible Drun, a smith and Dovo's master
 * Marmwitz, Ghars's librarian
 * Elizabeth Clawthron aka 'Looney Liz', a colorful character of the town