1. MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Concept Vocabulary

2. alibi An excuse used to avoid blame or punishment

3. cat burglar a burglar who is able to break into a building without being noticed

4. cozy mystery A mystery involving a close group of people who would not normally be party to a crime.

5. deduction A conclusion reached by logical thinking.

6. embezzlement to steal money or property entrusted to one’s care

7. evidence something which furnishes proof

8. felony a serious crime punishable by imprisonment

9. forensic science scientific examination of evidence for use in a criminal case; the study of scientific evidence found on a dead body or at a crime scene

10. hard-boiled mystery A detective story featuring a tough, unsentimental detective who has a matter-of- fact attitude toward violence.

11. locked-room mystery A mystery in which a seemingly impossible crime is committed; for example, a crime occurs in a room that apparently allows no entrance or exit for the criminal.

12. private eye another name for a private investigator, a person who is licensed to perform detective work but who is not a part of a police force.

13. red herring a clue or detail that draws attention away from the criminal

14. sleuth a detective

15. stool pigeon An informer or spy

16. suspect A person suspected of committing a crime

17. thriller A mystery designed to hold a reader’s interest through intrigue and suspense.

18. whodunit a mystery or detective story

19. Witness a person who offers evidence about a crime and/or is called on to testify in court