Never Trust a Dead Man

Selwyn is brokenhearted when the beautiful Anora chooses to marry the awful-but-rich Farold. It’s bad enough when Farold beats him up in front of the villagers, but nothing prepares him for when Farold is found murdered. All accusing fingers point to Selwyn, who is promptly sealed in a burial cave with Farold’s corpse. But they’re not alone in the cave. A witch appears with an offer of escape if Selwyn will be her servant. The witch brings Farold back from the dead in the form of a bat–too bad he doesn’t know who really killed him! There’s no choice left for Selwyn except to join forces with his worst enemy, a dead man, to find the real murderer.

From Publishers Weekly

In this Edgar Award winner set in medieval times, Anora chooses to marry the obnoxious but wealthy Farold instead of Selwyn, thus making Selwyn the chief suspect when Farold is found murdered. Ages 12-up. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The Horn Book Magazine

"Vande Velde offers a funny and imaginative murder mystery that intrigues as much as it entertains. . . . Laugh-out-loud dialogue . . . even the characters themselves don’t want their story to end."

Kirkus Reviews

"Murder, magic, salacious secrets, and sparkling wit immediately pull the reader into this engrossing medieval whodunit. . . . difficult to put down."

From the Inside Flap

okenhearted when the beautiful Anora chooses to marry the awful-but-rich Farold. It’s bad enough when Farold beats him up in front of the villagers, but nothing prepares him for when Farold is found murdered. All accusing fingers point to Selwyn, who is promptly sealed in a burial cave with Farold’s corpse. But they’re not alone in the cave. A witch appears with an offer of escape if Selwyn will be her servant. The witch brings Farold back from the dead in the form of a bat–too bad he doesn’t know who really killed him! There’s no choice left for Selwyn except to join forces with his worst enemy, a dead man, to find the real murderer.

From the Back Cover

"Vande Velde offers a funny and imaginative murder mystery that intrigues as much as it entertains. . . . Laugh-out-loud dialogue . . . even the characters themselves don’t want their story to end."—The Horn Book Magazine"Murder, magic, salacious secrets, and sparkling wit immediately pull the reader into this engrossing medieval whodunit. . . . difficult to put down."—Kirkus Reviews

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