The Mystery of the Vanished Victim

Book excerpt: A strange bird leads Gully to a bloody mystery at the United Nations Gully Queen is lounging around the apartment of his uncle, the world-famous sleuth Ellery Queen, when a knock comes at the door. It is Ellery’s neighbor, a harmless old man, with a beautiful mynah bird perched on his shoulder. He wants Ellery to find out where the bird came from, but Ellery is out of town, so the case falls to his nephew Gully. The bird says but one thing: “Katal! Katal!” Gully is baffled— until he learns that an Indian diplomat’s bodyguard has vanished from his hotel room, and that in Hindi, katal means “kill.” Searching for the bird’s owner takes Gully to the United Nations, where two Indian boys join the hunt for the missing guard. Together, they will find themselves in the thick of an adventure faster than you can say katal! Ellery Queen is one of the world’s finest detectives, but his adventures are nothing compared to the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories. Join Queen’s nephew, Gully, on adventures filled with danger, suspense, and thrills. The Mystery of the Vanished Victim is the eleventh book in the Ellery Queen Jr. Mystery Stories, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.