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Contents
Introduction 3
Fiction 6
1 Bug Muldoon and the Garden of Fear 6
2 An Inspector Calls 10
3 A Study in Scarlet 14
4 Lamb to the Slaughter 18
5 The Adventure of the Final Problem 22
6 The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency 26
7 The Mysterious Affair at Styles 30
8 The Murders in the Rue Morgue 34
Non-fiction 38
9 In Search of Sherlock 38
10 ‘Poirot has been my best friend’ 42
11 Jonathan Creek 46
12 ‘I’m a homicide detective in the LAPD’ 50
13 Sherlock Gnomes 54
14 Real Life Detectives 58
15 The Timeless Secret of Nancy Drew 62
16 Police Now 66
Poetry 70
17 The Bloodhound 70
18 What Has Happened to Lulu? 74
19 Macavity the Mystery Cat 78
20 Inspector Tweede 82
21 Flannan Isle 86
22 About His Person 90
23 The Man Who Finds Out His Son Has
Become a Thief 94
24 A Case of Murder 98
Key terms 102
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘detective’? You may have
read a book about a detective solving crimes, watched a film where
a detective outwits a villain or perhaps you are the family champion
at Cluedo! Maybe you have thought that you would like to become a
detective yourself one day and become famous by solving the ‘crime of
the century’! There are several reasons why you may enjoy detective
stories or films. Perhaps you enjoy the hunt for evidence and solving
clues and puzzles, or maybe you enjoy the thrill of mystery and danger.
However, have you actually thought about what a detective is and
what detectives actually do?
The dictionary definition of a ‘detective’ is ‘a person, often a police
officer, whose occupation is to investigate and solve crimes’.
There are different types of detectives, such as:
● police detectives
● private investigators
● amateur sleuths.
In this book, you will be reading about fictional and real-life detectives
and exploring what makes a successful detective story. You might be
surprised by how many fictional detectives you have heard of!
Undertake some research to find out the titles of the 22 books. Which
of the titles do you think sounds the most exciting or the scariest? Be
prepared to explain your choice to your class.
Sherlock Holmes
Probably the most famous fictional detective of all time is Sherlock
Holmes – in fact some people even thought he was real. However,
Sherlock Holmes was a character created by the Scottish writer
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries. The character lived at 221B Baker Street in London and his
stories are narrated by his trusted friend Watson. There are many
famous stories about Sherlock Holmes and his crime fighting skills.
How many of the Sherlock Holmes stories can you name? Who is Holmes’s arch enemy?
If you are not sure, you could undertake some research about the character.
Here are some images of actors who have played the role of Sherlock Holmes. Which is the closest to how you
imagine him to look? Share your opinion with your partner.
Using the pictures to help you and drawing on your own knowledge, list some of the clothes and props that are
associated with Sherlock Holmes. What do these suggest to us about the type of character he is? Share your
opinions with your partner.
Auguste Dupin
Interestingly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his character of Sherlock
Holmes on another fictional detective, Auguste Dupin, created by
the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin appears in several
stories and perhaps the most famous one is Murders in the Rue
Morgue. Arthur Conan Doyle said that Poe ‘was the model for all
time’. What you think he might have meant by this?
Hercule Poirot
Another famous fictional detective is Hercule Poirot, created by the
British writer Agatha Christie. He is probably best known for his
immense moustache and his intelligence in solving tricky cases.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
✪ To recognise implicit ideas in a text.
✪ To explore the writer’s techniques.
✪ To comment on the writer’s presentation of characters.
CONTEXT
Bug Muldoon is a fictional detective created by Paul Shipton but he is a
very unusual one. In fact, he is actually a beetle and his cases are set in
the world of the garden, with insects as his clients. Shipton deliberately
makes Bug sound and act like an American detective from novels and
television shows that were popular in the 1950s, especially the detective
Phillip Marlowe, who was created by the novelist Raymond Chandler.
The following extract is from Chapter 1, where Bug Muldoon is
approached by three worried earwigs to help find their missing brother.
p ‘Bug. The name is Bug.’
GLOSSARY
Tense: uncomfortable or stressed
Jiggled: wiggled
Oblige: please
Edgy: nervous
Struck out for: made a break for
Fee: charge
Expenses: costs
SKILLS FOCUS
✔ Understand how writers create effect through language and technique.
✔ Consider how the choice of language affects our opinion.
✔ Consider how the writer uses dialogue to create tension in the extract.
LOOK CLOSER
11 Read the extract again. What do we learn about the three earwigs and their relationships with each other?
Think about:
✪ how they behave
✪ what they say
✪ the language that the writer uses to describe them.
22 What impression does the writer create of Bug Muldoon here? You can use a copy of this table to help you.
Now write a paragraph to answer the question, using the information from your table to help you.
33 ‘“He said he was going to the meadow,” he blurted.’ What does the verb ‘blurted’ suggest?
44 The writer creates tension in the passage by using more dialogue than description. Pick out two pieces of
dialogue and think about how they create tension. Think about:
✪ the length of the sentences
✪ the punctuation used.
‘Larry’s antennae
p
waved nervously
as he spoke’
11 Bug Muldoon is a good detective. What characteristics (typical features) does he show here that
prove that he is good at his job? Write a list of these characteristics and add any ideas of your own
from other things that you have seen or read about detectives.
22 Imagine you are replying to a job advertisement to become a detective with the ‘Ace Detective
Agency’. Write your letter of application for this job. Think about:
✪ a formal letter layout
✪ how you found out about the job
✪ why you would be suitable for this job
✪ why you would like this job.
33 With a partner, share your lists about the typical characteristics of a good detective from Now
Try This Question 1. Discuss what you consider to be the most important qualities for a detective
and rank them in order from 1 to 5. Be prepared to explain and defend your ideas to the class.
Remember to use full sentences when speaking and use connectives like ‘because’, ‘since’ and
‘therefore’ to support your ideas.
FAST FINISHERS
With your partner and using all the information you have gathered from this chapter, write a script
where you are interviewing your partner for a job as a detective. Decide who will be the interviewer
and who will be the interviewee. Write down the questions you will ask and your partner can prepare
his/her answers. You might want to use these lines as a starting point:
INTERVIEWER: Good morning, Miss Smith. Please sit down.
APPLICANT: Thank you.
INTERVIEWER: I see that you have applied for the position of …
Practise acting out the interview.
2
PRACTICE QUESTION
Read the extract again. Choose four statements below which
are true. [4 marks]
✪ Copy out the ones that you think are true.
✪ Choose a maximum of four true statements.
A Bug is asked to investigate the case of a missing ant. o
B Bug’s surname is Muldoon. o
C The missing brother is called Larry. o
D The missing brother was last seen at lunchtime on the
previous day. o
E Eddie said his brother had been going to the meadow. o
F Larry does most of the talking for the earwigs. o
G The earwigs live in the city. o
H Bug is used to dealing with cases like this. o
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
✪ To recognise implicit ideas in a text.
✪ To comment on the writer’s presentation of characters.
✪ To understand the social and historical context.
CONTEXT
An Inspector Calls is a play written by J B Priestley (1894–1984) and it is
set in Edwardian England in 1912. It tells the story of the wealthy Birling
family who are somehow involved in the death of a young girl called
Eva Smith. A mysterious police inspector arrives at the Birlings’ home to
question them about their involvement with the dead girl.
The following extract is from Act 1 of the play and is at the point where
p T
he mysterious Inspector
Inspector Goole arrives to question members of the Birling family.
Goole
The inspector need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression
of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties,
dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully, The stage
weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the directions tell the
person he addresses before actually speaking. audience how the
Inspector enters
INSPECTOR Mr Birling? the Birlings’ home.
He is described
as being a very
BIRLING Yes. Sit down, Inspector.
serious man.
INSPECTOR [Sitting] Thank you, sir.
Mr Birling is polite
to the Inspector
BIRLING Have a glass of port – or a little whisky?
and offers him
some refreshments.
INSPECTOR No, thank you, Mr Birling. I’m on duty.
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BIRLING Well what can I do for you? Some trouble about a Mr Birling is
warrant? confused about
why the Inspector
INSPECTOR No, Mr Birling. has come there.
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LOOK CLOSER
1 Read the stage directions at the start of the extract again. What impression do you have of the Inspector
here? Think about:
✪ his appearance and the clothes he wears
✪ his behaviour
✪ the language that the writer uses to describe him.
4 Now, using your table as a plan, write two paragraphs answering the following question: How does
Mr Birling behave towards the Inspector and how do his feelings change as the extract develops?
12
11 At the start of the extract, the Inspector is described as being an intimidating character. Write a
short description of a character who is a bit scary or menacing. Think about:
✪ what your character looks like
✪ what your character wears
✪ how your character speaks and moves.
FAST FINISHERS
Now write a diary entry from the point of view of Mr Birling. You might wish to start:
I have never been treated so badly in my own home! Who does that Inspector
think he is? I’ve a good mind to report him …
33 With a partner, imagine what will happen next in the interview between Mr Birling and the
Inspector. Think about what you have found out about the two characters so far and try to
create tension between them. Remember to:
✪ set your interview out in script form
✪ include stage directions to describe the actions of the characters and to show the tone of
their voices and their moods.
Be prepared to act out the meeting in front of your class.
PRACTICE QUESTION
Read the extract again. Choose four statements below which
are true. [4 marks]
✪ Copy out the ones that you think are true.
✪ Choose a maximum of four true statements.
A The Inspector is a shy and timid character. o
B The Inspector wears dark coloured clothes. o
C Mr Birling is a police officer. o
D The Inspector has a glass of whisky. o
E Mr Birling has been a Lord Mayor. o
F The local police officers are well known to Mr Birling. o
G A young woman died six hours ago. o
H The Inspector uses short, blunt sentences. o
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
✪ To recognise implicit and explicit ideas in a text.
✪ To explore the writer’s techniques.
✪ To comment on the writer’s presentation of characters.
CONTEXT
Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective created by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle (1859–1930) during the Victorian period. Holmes lives in
the fictitious 221B Baker Street in London and is helped by his trusted
friend Dr Watson to solve mysterious and puzzling crimes. The most
famous novels about Sherlock Holmes are A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of
Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Like all successful crime fighters,
Holmes has a deadly enemy, Professor Moriarty, and, in his final novel,
Conan Doyle kills Sherlock off in a clifftop fight with Moriarty.
The following extract is from A Study in Scarlet, in which Sherlock
p S
herlock Holmes with his
Holmes reveals the identity of a murderer. It is told from the point of
trademark accessories: a
view of Dr Watson.
pipe and magnifying glass
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LOOK CLOSER
1 Read the opening of the extract. The writer shows a clear difference between the detective and the
murderer.
✪ Holmes is described as having a ‘triumphant expression’.
✪ The murderer is described as having a ‘dazed, savage face’.
What impressions do you have of these characters?
2 The metaphor ‘we might have been a group of statues’ is used to describe the behaviour of the characters.
Explain how they are behaving at this moment and why they are behaving in this way.
3 A few lines further on in the passage, the detectives jump on the criminal. The writer says that they ‘sprang
upon him like so many staghounds’. What impressions do you have of the characters’ behaviour now?
4 Think about how the writer makes the passage tense and exciting.
(a) Track through the passage from beginning to end and write down what actually happens and in what
order the events take place. You can do this in point form.
(b) Copy and complete the table on the next page to help organise your ideas.
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11 Imagine you are a newspaper reporter who has been asked to write a front-page newspaper
exclusive about the arrest and capture of the dangerous criminal, Jefferson Hope. Remember to:
✪ use a newspaper layout and a dramatic headline
✪ find a suitable picture and caption to match the story
✪ include an interview with Sherlock Holmes about the arrest
✪ include the important information for the 5Ws – who, where, what, when, why
✪ use details from this passage and make up any other details.
22 There are many synonyms for the word ‘detective’. Look at the table below and decide whether
these words are synonyms for the term ‘detective’ and how the dictionary explains them.
Mole
Lawman
Investigator
Sleuth
16
Villain
Spy
Agent
Offender
Criminal
Snoop
Lawbreaker
FAST FINISHERS
Carry out some research and try to find out where some of these terms originally came from.
23 How would you recognise a detective? With your partner, discuss what you think a ‘typical’
detective might look like, what a detective might wear and how he or she might behave.
Write down your ideas and be ready to share your opinions with the class. When explaining your
opinions, try to include as much detail as possible. Aim to speak in full sentences and include the
word ‘because’ to justify your ideas.
PRACTICE QUESTION
Read the extract again. Choose four statements below which
are true. [4 marks]
✪ Copy out the ones that you think are true.
✪ Choose a maximum of four true statements.
A The murder victim was called Jefferson Hope. o
B It took a long time to arrest the criminal. o
C Holmes and the police were so shocked at first that they
did not move. o
D Lestrade is an inspector involved in the arrest. o
E Jefferson Hope doesn’t put up any fight when he is being
arrested. o
F Jefferson Hope badly cut his hands when jumping through
the window. o
G The prisoner struggled so violently that his hands and feet
had to be bound. o
H At the end of the extract, the prisoner makes another dash
for freedom and escapes. o
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
✪ To select evidence purposefully.
✪ To understand how the writer creates mood and atmosphere.
✪ To comment on the writer’s presentation of characters.
CONTEXT
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) is a famous author of children’s books and
is probably best known for novels such as Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory, Matilda, The Twits and Fantastic Mr Fox. However, he also wrote
many stories full of suspense for an older audience, with mysterious
twists and shocks along the way.
The following extract is taken from the short story ‘Lamb to the
Slaughter’, in which an ordinary housewife, Mary Maloney, has murdered
her husband Patrick (a police officer) with a frozen leg of lamb! However,
she claims she came home from a shopping trip to find her husband
p M
ary prepares to murder her
dead. At this point in the story, the investigating officer, Jack Noonan,
husband with the frozen leg
has arrived to try to solve the murder.
of lamb
The search went on. She knew that there were other policemen
Mary Maloney
in the garden all around the house. She could hear their footsteps
peeps through the
curtains to watch
on the gravel outside, and sometimes she saw a flash of a torch
the policemen as through a chink in the curtains. It began to get late, nearly nine
they search for the she noticed by the clock on the mantle. The four men searching
murder weapon. the rooms seemed to be growing weary, a trifle exasperated.
‘Jack,’ she said, the next time Sergeant Noonan went by. ‘Would you
mind giving me a drink?’
Mary asks
Sergeant Noonan
‘Sure I’ll give you a drink. You mean this whisky?’
to bring her a glass ‘Yes please. But just a small one. It might make me feel better.’
of whisky to help He handed her the glass.
calm her down.
‘Why don’t you have one yourself,’ she said. ‘You must be awfully
She behaves in a
kind and friendly tired. Please do. You’ve been very good to me.’
way by offering ‘Well,’ he answered. ‘It’s not strictly allowed, but I might take just a
the sergeant a drop to keep me going.’
drink as well. One by one the others came in and were persuaded to take a little
nip of whisky. They stood around rather awkwardly with the
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LOOK CLOSER
1 Mary Maloney calls Sergeant Noonan by his first name, Jack, three times in the extract. Explain why you
think she repeats his name.
2 Mary is a crafty character who has planned how she can manipulate the policemen. How does the writer
use language to create this impression of her? Complete a copy of this table to help you organise your ideas
and then write your answer in a paragraph.
‘You’ve been very good to me.’ This creates the idea that …
‘dear Patrick’
3 When discussing the case, the policemen describe Patrick’s injuries as: ‘his skull was smashed all to pieces
just like from a sledgehammer’. What do these details suggest about the character of Mary? How would
this impression be different from Jack Noonan’s view of her?
4 Mary is able to deceive the policemen quite easily. What impression does Roald Dahl create of the
policemen? Complete a copy of the table below and then write your answer in a paragraph.
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11 Imagine you are Mary Maloney. Write an entry in your diary describing your thoughts and feelings
about what happens when the police arrive at your house to investigate the murder of your
husband. Remember the following points:
✪ Write in first person narrative.
✪ Think about Mary’s opinion of the police.
✪ Write in full sentences and paragraphs.
You can use this opening sentence or one of your own, if you prefer:
2 (a) What notes do you think Sergeant Jack Noonan would have written down about this case? Write
the notes that you think he would have made.
(b) Would these notes be different from the report he would write up for the Chief Inspector?
Explain the difference and then write the report Sergeant Noonan would give to his Chief
Inspector. You might want to use this opening sentence for your report:
FAST FINISHERS
A lot of dialogue is used in this extract but Roald Dahl does not often use the word ‘said’. With a
partner, make a list of synonyms or alternative verbs for the word ‘said’ that would indicate how the
person speaking is feeling. Have a competition with other groups in the class to see who can think of
the most verbs! Here are a few examples to begin with:
✪ Bellowed ✪ Groaned ✪ Sobbed
33 Using the following details, make up a murder whodunit story line with your partner by inventing
possible suspects and motives. Discuss your ideas, produce your plan and present your whodunit
to the rest of the class.
✪ Place – a manor house in the English countryside
✪ Victim – Lord Sotherby, the owner of the manor
✪ Weapon – a rope
✪ Body found – in the library
PRACTICE QUESTION
Read the story again. How has Roald Dahl structured the extract to interest you as a reader? Think about what
happens at the beginning, what happens in the middle and whether this is a turning point, and then what
happens at the end. Write three paragraphs. [8 marks]
21
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
✪ To recognise implicit ideas in a text.
✪ To explore the writer’s techniques.
✪ To comment on the writer’s presentation of characters.
CONTEXT
Many detectives have an arch enemy or master criminal to defeat and
capture. ‘The Adventure of the Final Problem’ is a short story about the
fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. In this story, there is no case for
Holmes to solve; instead it tells the story of Holmes’ final showdown
with his arch enemy, the notorious Professor Moriarty. At the end of the
story, Holmes and Moriarty fall to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls,
after a tense fight. Holmes sacrifices his life to protect the world from
the evil of Moriarty.
p H
olmes and Moriarty fall to
In the following extract, Sherlock Holmes is describing the character of
their deaths at Reichenbach
Professor Moriarty to Dr Watson.
Falls
Moriarty is ‘He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half Holmes describes
described as Moriarty as an evil
that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city.
clever and a good criminal genius
He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain
organiser who who has not yet
doesn’t commit of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of been caught.
the crimes himself its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well
but encourages every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans.
others to do his But his agents are numerous and splendidly organised. Is there a
dirty work for him. crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be Moriarty has
rifled, a man to be removed – the word is passed to the Professor, managed to get
the matter is organised and carried out. The agent may be caught. away with all the
In that case, money is found for his bail or his defence. But the crimes he has
been connected
Holmes is appalled central power which uses the agent is never caught – never so much
with.
at how evil as suspected. This was the organisation which I deduced, Watson,
Moriarty is, yet, and which I devoted my whole energy to exposing and breaking up.
at the same time, I had met an antagonist who was my intellectual equal. My horror
he is impressed Moriarty has
at his crimes was lost in my admiration at his skill. But, at last, he
by his intelligence finally made
made a trip – only a little, little trip – but it was more than he could a mistake and
and ability.
afford, when I was so close upon him. I had my chance, and, starting Holmes is ready to
from that point, I have woven my net round him until now it is all set a trap for him.
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