Darko Brunac (No username)

Piers Cardon (Dr.Sheppard)

Jay Cutts (No username)

Susie Golbiw (Misstulip)

Michelle Greer (micgreer)

Karen Hebbend-Bach (kazzer)

Ana Sofia Hofmeyr (PoirotM)

Louisa Hughes (Graybear)

Maria Karlsson (milako)

Samantha Lord (swilks1991)

Ryszard Oslizlo (kindov)

Srivalli Rekha (rekha.srivalli)

Klaudia Rosenkranz (klaurose)

(Agathasmykid)

By Chris Chan (GKCfan)

Two and a half years ago, right after I closed the case of the Fourth Mystery Man, I received a message from someone purporting to be the Fifth Mystery Man, warning me that he had another puzzle planned.  As the months passed, I started to think that perhaps it was all just a false alarm, but just over two weeks ago I got the following message from him:

Hello GKCfan–

            I know that you and your friends at www.agathachristie.com  were quite successful at tracking down the last four Mystery Men, but I doubt that you’ll find it as easy to track down me.  Are you aware that the props for the recent television production of And Then There Were None were placed on display recently?  I have stolen the ten little soldier boys used in the miniseries, and I have hidden links to finding them through the discussion boards on the official Agatha Christie website: http://community.agathachristie.com. 

Over the next two weeks, every day from Monday through Friday (I’ll take the weekend off), I will provide a series of three clues leading you to a discussion thread on the website.  When you’ve figured out what the three clues refer to, search the discussion board, until you find how I’ve altered one of the discussion posts.  You’ll find the stolen soldier boy, some information about And Then There Were None, and a clue to my identity.  Find all ten soldier boys, and you’ll be able to figure out who I am.

Here’s a hint: I’m a thief– but not a murderer– from one of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.  That’s all the help you’ll get for now.  Catch me if you can!

Very sincerely yours,

The Fifth Mystery Man

            As scheduled, on Day One, I received the following three clues:

1)  Dedicated to a dog! 


2)  Thanks, James Elroy Flecker! 


3)  It’s not nice to mark up books like that, even if you are trying to expose a murderer!

I immediately realized that the book in question was Postern of Fate.  Christie dedicated the novel “To Hannibal and his master,” a reference to the dog in the book, who was based on Christie’s own dog.  James Elroy Flecker wrote the poem Gates of Damascus, from which the phrase “Postern of Fate” is quoted.  And some books in the novel are marked up to spell out clues.  I followed the clues here: (http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/70/postern-of-fate/p3), and tracked down the first little soldier boy.

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/792/day-1-the-first-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/793/day-2-the-second-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/796/day-3-the-third-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/797/day-4-the-fourth-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/799/day-5-the-fifth-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/802/day-6-the-sixth-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/804

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/805/day-8-the-eighth-little-soldier-boy#latest

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/806/day-9-the-ninth-little-soldier-boy/p1

http://community.agathachristie.com/discussion/807/day-10-the-tenth-little-soldier-boy/p1

Hope this helps!

1)    Tiglath Pileser

2)    Aladdin in the Cave of Jewels

3)    Murder near crude colored glass

1) No, he’s not the American golfer.

2) F.A. and J.W. before T&T.

3) Some people can take a lot more morphine than others!

By now, you know what to do and what not to do.  Have fun!

1) Double trouble!

2) Shame on you, Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters!  Did George Harry Storrs serve as an inspiration, too?

3) A temporary goodbye to a good friend.

1) You used to dance, didn’t you?

2) “wonderful things on a rubbish heap”

3) This isn’t the end… we’ll meet again... over an unpleasant cup of tea.

1) Dhund

2)  It was MacGregor’s fault!

1)    Dedicated to a dog!

2)    Thanks, James Elroy Flecker!

3)    It’s not nice to mark up books like that, even if you are trying to expose a murderer!

I've figured out which Christie work these clues refer to– can you?  Figure out which Christie tale is being described here, and try to figure out where that mystery would be discussed on the website's discussion forums.  Then, search that thread until you find the missing soldier boy!  Read the information, and take note of the clue!

Remember, please don't comment on threads where soldier boys are hidden, but please feel free to comment on any other thread you like.  If you want to talk about these clues, brag about solving them, or provide oblique hints to other players, please do so on this thread.

And please remember, NO SPOILERS!!!!!  Thank you!

1) EVITCETEDSSREYASLYHTOROD 

2) A Capitalization Offense

3) “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”

Interesting!  I know just where to look– I hope that you have a good time unravelling the clues!  Find out what they mean, and then seek out that tale somewhere on the discussion boards!  Remember that more than one thread may discuss the story in question, but only one will hold the soldier boy and the clue.

Once again, please don't add any posts to the threads where the statuettes are hidden, but please add posts to any other threads you want.  

Once more, NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!  Have fun!

1) Didn’t I see this title before in A Murder is Announced?  Or something close to it?

2) Bad dog!  No… wait…  Smart dog!

3) Wigs… So many wigs…

The evidence clearly seems to point in one direction.  Figure out what story these clues refer to, and then seek out the necessary forum and an appropriate thread in that forum.  Have fun talking about this!  Feel free to introduce yourselves and meet new people!

Please excuse the repetition, but please don't add any posts to the threads where the statuettes are hidden, but please go ahead and add posts to any other threads you want.  And NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!  Best of luck to all of you!

1) Pearls Before Swine

2) That French chalk gets everywhere, doesn’t it?

3) You are Lucky Len of the Daily Echo and I claim my ten guineas!

You know the rules– no spoilers, no posting on the clue thread, but have fun and talk about whatever you want on the discussion boards!  Good luck!

1) Our beloved detective has a cousin with a stutter!

2) That’s not a real clergyman!

Who can make a puzzle?

Write a baffling clue?

All for the enjoyment

Of some Christie fans like you?

The Mystery Man…

The Mystery Man can!

The Mystery Man can cause he

Entertains the fans

And tests their sleuthing skills!

He's back!  A new Mystery Man has struck, and an And Then There Were None Mystery Man game is starting Monday, March 7th! 

Chris Chan (GKCfan) is leading the investigation.  Here’s his announcement:

Hello everybody!

I need your help.  Those of you have been visitors on the Agatha Christie website for the last several years may be familiar with the Mystery Man game.  Four times in four years, a dastardly villain committed a series of crimes– sometimes a string of murders, sometimes multiple kidnappings.  In every case, the only way to catch the killer was to track him or her through a series of clues connected to Agatha Christie’s works.

Today I received an email from someone who claims to be the Fifth Mystery Man.  Take a look:

Hello GKCfan–

            I know that you and your friends at www.agathachristie.com  were quite successful at tracking down the last four Mystery Men, but I doubt that you’ll find it as easy to track down me.  Are you aware that the props for the recent television production of And Then There Were None were placed on display recently?  I have stolen the ten little soldier boys used in the miniseries, and I have hidden links to finding them through the discussion boards on the official Agatha Christie website: http://community.agathachristie.com. 

Over the next two weeks, every day from Monday through Friday (I’ll take the weekend off), I will provide a series of three clues leading you to a discussion thread on the website.  When you’ve figured out what the three clues refer to, search the discussion board, until you find how I’ve altered one of the discussion posts.  You’ll find the stolen soldier boy, some information about And Then There Were None, and a clue to my identity.  Find all ten soldier boys, and you’ll be able to figure out who I am.

Here’s a hint: I’m a thief– but not a murderer– from one of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.  That’s all the help you’ll get for now.  Catch me if you can!

Very sincerely yours,

The Fifth Mystery Man

Fellow Agatha Christie fans, we have to recover the stolen soldier boys and catch the Mystery Man (or Mystery Woman– it could be either)!  Over the next two weeks, the new Mystery Man will send me some clues to the location of the stolen statuette, and each day I’ll post the clues so you can join me in the search.  There’s a special discussion forum to discuss the game, and please feel free to discuss the clues and introduce yourselves to each other.  However, please DO NOT provide spoilers!  If you figure out what the clues mean, do NOT post the answer.  However, if you find a soldier boy, and someone else on the discussion board is having trouble, feel free to provide an oblique clue– nothing too obvious, but a friendly nudge in the right direction is all right.  Also, please don’t add to the threads where you find the hidden soldier boys– it will move them up in the queues, making them easier to find.  But please feel free to discuss on other threads not used in the game, and add new threads of your own!

Each day for two weeks, Monday through Friday, you’ll be able to find a different soldier boy and find a clue to the Mystery Man’s identity.  When the tenth soldier boy is discovered, you’ll have all the clues you need to solve the case, and you’ll get information as to how to enter the contest!  If you’re late to the game, don’t worry– you can catch up in time– the deadline won’t be for a few days after the last clues are released.

And remember if you’re studying the message boards and find a thread that interests you that isn’t involved in the game, please feel free to contribute!

Please talk about the game and the new adaptation of And Then There Were None in these forums.  And please, contribute to other discussion forums as well!

Have fun with this game!  Let’s catch the Mystery Man!

–Chris Chan (GKCfan)