Mystery Vocabulary
Data, facts, or objects presented as proof in an issue, such as Cinderella leaving her glass shoe at the ball.
What is Evidence?
A detailed file or document containing background information, physical features, and traits about a person.
What is a Dossier?
The main character of a story who works to solve the central problem or mystery.
What is the Protagonist?
The 17-year-old protagonist who travels to Bath, England, for work and looks for a cheap place to stay.
Who is Billy Weaver?
An excuse or statement proving a person's whereabouts during the time a crime took place.
What is an Alibi?
A person who is formally believed or suspected to have committed a crime or offence.
What is a Suspect?
The villain or opposing character in a story who causes the problem or works against the hero.
What is the Antagonist?
The unsettling detail Billy notices in the guest bookâthere are only two other entries recorded over the past several years.
There was only two names; Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple
The reason or underlying cause that drives a person to act in a certain way or commit a crime.
What is a Motive?
A physical mannerism where a person constantly taps fingers, plays with objects, or bounces their leg.
What is Fidgeting?
A surprising event or outcome at the end of a spooky story.
What is a Plot Twist?
The distinct scent Billy detects in his cup of tea, foreshadowing that the landlady is poisoning him with cyanide.
What is the smell of bitter almonds?
A fake name or nickname used by someone to conceal their true identity.
What is an Alias?
On a suspect dossier, unique features like birthmarks, scars, hair colour, height, or tattoos are recorded under physical characteristics.
What are Distinguishing Characteristics?
n a spooky narrative structure, the section where the main character makes repeated attempts to overcome an obstacle.
What is the Middle (or Attempts / Rising Action)?
The landlady's eerie hobby, revealed when Billy discovers that her dachshund and parrot are not actually alive.
What is Taxidermy (stuffing/preserving dead animals)?
A person who is involved in a crime alongside another person; a "partner in crime".
What is an Associate?
A personality trait describing someone who avoids direct answers and frequently changes the subject when questioned.
What is being Evasive?
Descriptive details appealing to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch used to build suspense in a mystery story.
What are Sensory Descriptions / Sensory Details?
The literary technique Roald Dahl uses throughout the story (such as the cheap rent, warm fire, and strange memory games) to hint at Billy's tragic fate before it happens.
What is Foreshadowing?