Murder in Cormyr

Forgotten Realms: Mysteries #1

by Chet Williamson

Tired of the political machinations of his egotistical fellow wizards, Benelaius retires from the College of War Wizards to take up residency in Cormyr, where he lives peacefully until he and his legman, Jasper, are forced to investigate the murder of a messenger from King Azoun. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Detective, Novels

247 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Chet Williamson has written horror, science fiction, and suspense since 1981. Among his novels are Second Chance, Hunters, Defenders of the Faith, Ash Wednesday, Reign, Dreamthorp, and the forthcoming Psycho Sanitarium, an authorized sequel to Robert Bloch's classic Psycho. Over a hundred of his short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, Esquire, The Magazine of F&SF, and many other magazines and anthologies.

He has won the International Horror Guild Award, and has been shortlisted twice for the World Fantasy Award, six times for the HWA Stoker, and once for the MWA's Edgar. Nearly all of his works are available in ebook format.

A stage and film actor, he has recorded over 40 unabridged audiobooks, both of his own work and that of many other writers, available at www.audible.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chetwill) or at www.chetwilliamson.com.

Reviews

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery in the Forgotten Realms, by a ringer of a bonafide mystery writer? Refreshing!

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in a stand alone series called "Mysteries". Two are set in Forgotten Realms and another is a crossover from Dragonlance.


First of all I must say this book reads as an Agatha Christie's pastiche of the famous Herculae Poirot. This was my thought of it. But the ending gave something away that in no way Poirot would behave like. Nevertheless it was a good book.


This book was written in the first person perspective and I must say I loved they way he talked (I read) because it was a funny and light read. As a young quarter-halfling (Jasper) tries to steal something from a War Wizard (Benelaius) to impress his friends. It goes wrong and instead of it he becomes his servant. Then at the end of one year service they become the lead investigator and assistant of a foul crime. This crimes involves a ghost (well two), merchants, innkeepers at so on. The story unfolds nicely and you get some clues to try to find who the killer is. In the end the killer was somebody I thought it was but the last three chapters we learn the reasoing behind the wizard and how he came to that conclusion. It was quite good.


Being this a mystery novel in a fantasy world it got something that make me think... The time-travel spells, the clone spell, the mirror-image spell, there are dozens spells that could aid the investigator and a dozen more to help the killer. It's odd that nothing of that entered this story. Odd and dissapointing. But neverthless a good companion book to the Realm of Mysteries that I review here.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 3 out of 5]

“How could you tell he was dead?” Lindavar asked.
“Well, sor, with his head over here and the rest of him over there, it didn’t look promisin’ for him.”

Lately, I’ve been jonesing for some old school Dungeons & Dragons material and, to help scratch that itch, I picked up Chet Williamson’s Murder in Cormyr (along with a few other Forgotten Realms novels) in a second-hand shop. During its heyday, D&D paperbacks fairly dominated the fantasy book market, allowing parent company TSR to stretch its sword-and-sorcery mainstays into other genres, such as horror and sci-fi. Murder in Cormyr is the first book in a didn’t-really-catch-the-world-on-fire expansion into the mystery genre, ostensibly blending the traditional whodunit? with the world of wizards, trolls and elves.

It’s an uneasy mix – because putting magic on the table pretty much spoils the traditional mystery-book formula. D&D wizards and priests can presumably prestidigitate spells like “detect lie” or “speak with the dead” – making the questioning of suspects – both living and dead -- a fairly easy task. But author Williamson rather deftly maneuvers around these genre-mashing snares by focusing on a predominately human enclave with a just few retired wizards, who have largely eschewed their magical prowess.

Emphasizing “cogitation” over “conjuration,” Williamson offers a likeable little mystery with a cast of characters that is surprisingly well-rounded and complex. The mystery itself is a bit by-the-numbers, as the lead character, Jasper, interviews witnesses, tabulates possible suspects, and gathers clues about a purported ghost that may be linked to a series of murders. Williamson himself is the real strength here; the author’s sharp prose, clever characterization, witty dialogue, and dry wit keep the story moving and engaging. There are some genuinely laugh out loud moments, and this is one of those places where the strength of author’s craft compensates a whole lot for the plot (which, with its fake ghost, couldn’t help but remind me of a Scooby Doo episode with swords).

So ... despite the strength of the writer, this book doesn’t really rise above what you’d expect for a work-for-hire type property. The ending doesn’t really seal the deal, and it feels like some greater twist (or payoff) got missed. There are also a couple of significant loose ends – from Jasper’s notes about the bar wench Sunfirth to the decidedly sinister undertones that seem to color the departure of the adventuress Kendra – but nothing really comes of these points. Likewise, there’s some odd grafting of D&D monsters into the tale -- such as a hydra -- that feel like they should be significant, but ultimately aren’t. Maybe someone at TSR just insisted that Williamson squeeze a few more of their licensed critters into the pages.

That said, Murder in Cormyr wasn’t bad, but its appeal is probably limited to the hardcore D&D aficionado. It did, however, whet my appetite for more Chet Williamson.

P.S. … which brings me to one of those really odd moments of cosmic syzygy that gives you the feeling that just maybe there is plan for everything that happens in the universe. As I started writing this review, I was also catching up on a few of my favorite podcasts. As I'm writing, the amazingly good (and funny) Night of the Living Podcast has an interview with none other than … CHET WILLIAMSON! What in the world are the odds??? Weirdly, Williamson’s D&D books do get (briefly) discussed, but more importantly, is Williamson’s upcoming book Psycho: Sanitarium, an authorized sequel to Robert Bloch’s original horror masterpiece. The interview is worth a listen, and if I don’t get to any other of Williamson’s past works this year, I’ll be putting his new novel on my 2016 reading list!

[Scott E · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst book I’ve read that I’ve actually quite enjoyed. Absolute drivel, poorly written to the point where it works better as an unsuccessful parody of both mystery and fantasy novels. More forgotten realms in name rather than nature, apart from the general setting and the odd location/monster very little in it reminds you of the wider dungeons and dragons mythos

[Albion]

Light trash. Readable but best read when half asleep

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy and fun read if you are into Forgotten Realms books.

Williamson did a good job with the setting, fleshing out an area in Cormyr; the Vast Swamp. The main character is a young servant to a retired War Wizard. He has dreams of being like his hero, a detective in a a storybook (read Holmes) and become independent.

We see lots of other characters arrive in the small village of Ghars, and after a quick scene in, you guessed it, the tavern, all the characters are ripe with motive to hate Devo, a bousterious and arrogant villager...who is dead in the swamp the next morning. But to add to the mystery, he is dressed as a ghost that is fabled to haunt the Vast Swamp.

So, the young servant and his master are asked to investigate. As things move along (and while I really enjoyed it, I don't think Williamson is going to win any awards for plot), there are more muders, some twists and turns...but the good guys win it in the end.

[Ogre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while, you discover a diamond in the rough. This is one such time. While Chet Williamson is no Agatha Christie, this was an excellent mystery set in a realm of magic -- with a well-established reason early on why magic couldn't just solve the problem. The protagonist is believable and clever, although young and inexperienced -- a perfect narrator for this story. Whether you know the world of Faerun or not, this is actually a quite enjoyable magical mystery and I'd highly recommend it.

[Cameron Kunzelman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is comically bad and for that reason it is worth reading.

[KarhuAnderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly mediocre murder mystery that gets very little out of it's fantasy setting.

But also quick to read and entertaining enough. There's much worse out there, big names and small.

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something Different
29 September 2022

I’m going to be giving this book some credit for actually trying to be something that isn’t a typical pulp fantasy novel that you are going to expect from the people that brought you piles of useless materials that make up the Dungeons and Dragons game (though it is sort of to be expected, especially when there is a huge demand from the corporate masters to make as much money as possible, and there are only so many Players Handbooks, Dungeon Masters Guides, and Monster Manuals that you can conceivably sell – though I do work on the principle that the only book you really need is The Players Handbook).

The reason that I was actually impressed was that they decided to try and do a murder mystery, which certainly differs from the typical books that you get, namely a group of people going on a quest of some sort and either defeating some bad guy, or getting some MacGuffin, maybe even having to save the world, though it always surprises me the number of world-shattering events that seem to end up happening.

So, the story goes that in this small town on the edge of the Kingdom of Cormyr there are stories of this ghost of a brigand that lived something like five hundred years ago, and because of this ghost, people are somewhat hesitant to travel along the swamp road at night. Then one day this quarter halfling (its a bit of a long story) that happens to be the indentured servant of a wizard that no longer wants to use magic (also a long story, but it adds quite a bit of flavour to the novel) meets the ghost, runs away, and the next morning discovers that it wasn’t a ghost, but rather one of the people from the town pretending to be the ghost. As such, the wizard, who isn’t a wizard, decides that it might be a good idea to actually try to find out what is going on.

Look, for a murder mystery, it seems to be more like a Sherlock Holmes novel as opposed to an Agatha Christie novel, though there are probably enough hints left around for you to actually work out what is going on. The thing with the Sherlock Holmes novels is that they are always split in two, namely that you have the background as to what happened, and then you have Holmes spending the next half of the novel explaining to everybody, or at least to Watson, what happened, and usually you aren’t really able to work things out because there are a number of key issues that happen to not have been revealed until Holmes actually explains everything. This story is a bit like that.

As I mentioned, it is certainly different to pretty much all of the other Forgotten Realms novels that I have read and I certainly give them credit for that. It reminds me of something that my English teacher once told me, and that was to try to go outside of your comfort zone and to write stories that you normally wouldn’t want to, or be able to, write. For instance, if you are a horror writer, then many write romance. Actually, if you are any type of writer, maybe write romance, not that I’m particularly keen on writing romance, but I’m sure you know what I mean. Mind you, when I did do that, I sort of wrote a Jane Austen romance, though I’d never actually read any Jane Austin at that point. Mind you, that is actually something that Shakespeare did, which is probably why he stands above and beyond pretty much every other playwright that was around his time, and since.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little mystery, with a bit of D&D flavor. The protagonist is Jasper, who through a series of bad decisions and bad luck has spent the past year as a retired war wizard's indentured servant in a small town. Things start heating up with rumors of Zhentarim spies, Iron Throne agents, ghost sightings in the swamp, and a murder, just before the sleepy little town hosts a very important meeting of the merchant guild. Benelaius the retired wizard and Lindavar the newest war wizard begin investigating, with the help of Jasper, who is thrilled to be part of a real mystery like the detective novels he adores.

The author didn't play D&D before writing this book, and it shows. It feels like a pretty good mystery with generic fantasy sprinkles on top. Most of the characters are farmers, merchants, and regular townsfolk, with a couple of understated wizards and a few weird monsters in the background. Only one actual adventurer appears, and none of the characters ever really work together as a party. You never get the sense of dice rolling, or particular skill checks or classes, or the dynamics of a tabletop group and improv roleplay. Not what I expected out of a D&D novel, but it was funny, with interesting plot twists, good evidence gathering, clever and secretive characters, and evocative imagery in the fights and dream sequences.

[Dbgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dryish style and especially its humour didn't quite work for me in this book. Although I cannot say it's bad either. Describing things was good, I could clearly see the village and villagers. Murder mystery was neat, but I would have needed something more to be interested of this. At times they stuck on relatively pointless things which could have been either left out or shortened a bit. In a style that someone goes to sleep and writer tells what are all those things he has to do before going to bed. I know that some of these kind of things are important to create the world and atmosphere and introduce the character etc. but there were too many pointless things. Although the long story that gnome told (which could have been told in few sentences) was very funny, it was rambling but in a funny way and told us that gnomes are probably very chatty and warm-hearted guys. The dialect he spoke was funny at least in this Finnish version, don't know about the original. And I think it was chosen well of all these Finnish dialects.

[Ethan Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual and Interesting FR novel

I appreciate the experiment of writing a true, Sherlock Holmes style mystery in the FR setting. It gives opportunity for world building, and is an interesting thing in the typically adventurer-focused fantasy setting. I felt like magic was downplayed a bit too much, as was the involvement of deities or ability to question spirits of the dead, but otherwise was a very enjoyable murder mystery.

[Wayne Burton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very average read - sums up my sentiments about this book. The setting provided a significant boost, creating an immersive backdrop that enhanced the experience. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Jasper and Benelaius; it was a great balance between heartwarming and comical. However, when it came to the murder mystery aspect, the book fell short. I found myself disengaging during certain parts, as they failed to captivate my interest.

2.2/5

[Michaell Baumler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed from C.R.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fun mystery in the Forgotten Realms world. The ending was a bit lackluster, but I enjoyed the main character and the style.

[tygxd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, twisting tale of humor and intrigue

Far surpassed my expectations. A fantasy novel in which the mind triumphs over magic. A fun read, well worth it.

[Maria Iselinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and would have given it a higher star rating if the plot of the mystery was a bit better.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, enjoyable.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun murder mystery in Cormyr. Despite its title this is actually the third I’ve read about murder in Cormyr (at least, I could be forgetting something).

[Lewis Emmas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly simple whodunnit tale that follows an unassuming hero and investigator. The journey is better than the destination.

[Cloak88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun murder mystery set in the Dungeons&Dragons universe. 3.5stars

Written like Agatha Christie's Herculae Poirot detective novels, Murder in Cormyr centers around the retired wizard Benelaius and his servant Jasper. Having had enough of egoistical colleagues, court intrigue, the wizard Benelaius retires to a sleepy town somewhere in Cormyr and enjoy the quiet. A quiet rudely disturbed by a brutal murder and horde of people clamoring for him to solve it before the big and important trade gathering in the near future. Now Benelaius armchair-detectives the whole thing, while Jasper does the legwork and we get to enjoy the result.

Surprisingly this whole rather convoluted setup actually works. Benelaius, Jasper and the townsfolk make for interesting characters and the mystery for a good puzzel to solve. I didn't really know that much about the Forgotten Realm background, but this didn't detract from my reading. The story stands on it's own, and understanding the references or the bigger picture is mostly bonus. Cool, but not necessary for this novel on itself.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised how well the setting, the style and the mystery melded and made for a good story. So yeah a good novel, that also happens to be set in a D&D word and also happens to be a murder mystery.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jasper, servant to the wizard Benelaius, is tasked with gathering evidence about a murder in a dark swamp town.

What a fun and different interpretation of a Forgotten Realms novel! I read it in one sitting. I loved the Scooby Doo aspect, with someone first impersonating a ghost, and then a real freaking ghost killing the bad guy. The murder mystery structure is enjoyable to read, and each of the characters are fun and interesting, particularly Kendra. The story resolution is overly complex, with all of the spies and double crosses. The reader doesn't have enough information to guess at the conclusion, a disappointment in an otherwise satisfying mystery.

[Arthur Cravan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember totally loving this book. I got it out at the library, devoured it, & just thought it was tops. Back then, I'd have given it the full 5 stars. Now, just because I'm a bit more cynical, I feel like it wouldn't be befitting. But I intend to read this again sometime in the next few years to confirm its true rating in my heart!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent fantasy mystery. I enjoyed this quirky novel with deductive reasoning. hehe =)

[Buster LaFrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great whodunnit murder mystery in a Fantasy setting. Written in first person, which is different, but it works. Great read.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! there is the right amount of tension, magic, mystery, danger and fun, all well mixed together. I really wanted to know who the murderer was!

[Shiroiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Murder Mystery with a fantasy twist!