Murder by the Book (play)

[...] By The Book is a play written by Craig Sodaro. Based loosely on the Agatha Christie novel Ten Little Indians, [...] by the Book is a [...] mystery.

Characters

• Edgar Allan Poe, the leader and founder of the Raven Society.
• Mark Twain, Raven Society member, author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Charlotte Brontë, Raven Society member, author of Jane Eyre
• Louisa May Alcott, Raven Society member, author of Little Women
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Raven Society member, author of the Sherlock Holmes series
• Agatha Christie, Raven Society member, [...] mystery novelist
• Mary Shelley, Raven Society member, author of Frankenstein
• Emily Dickinson, Raven Society member, 19th century poet
• William Shakespeare, Raven Society member, 15th century playwright
• Violia Danglon, housekeeper

Plot

The Raven Society, a literary group, has come to their annual meeting to choose the books that win the Smoking Gun and Dagger Awards, their highest and lowest honor. Since there are eight authors, and their may end in a tie, Mr. Poe adds a ninth author, William "Will" Shakespeare. All of the women immediately take to the charming new addition. Then, they receive a note saying they will all die by their own words. Upset by the news, the women ask the men to check outside the meeting house. While they do so, Emily Dickinson, prone to fits of tars, cries, and then dies. After the men return, finding no one outside except the housekeeper, Mrs. Danglon, they discover Ms. Dickinson's death was the work of her poisoned handkerchief. While trying to solve the mystery, Sir Arthur is killed by a snake bite. Ms. Christie begins to do some researching. Mr. Twain swims off, trying to obtain a rescue party. Mrs. Shelley dies of electrocution. Finally, after a great deal of research and thought, Ms. Christie discovers who the [...] is: Mr. Twain. She also discovers that Mrs. Danglon's name is an anagram for Olivia Langdon, the name of Mark Twain's wife. Then Mr. Twain returns, prepared to kill them all. Then, Mrs. Shelley, who was not really dead, attacks him. Then, as Ms. Christie says, "All's well that ends well".