THERE'S no bushrangers, but there's still plenty of wild behaviour as Beechworth provides the backdrop for Albury author Joanna Baker's latest murder mystery.
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Lead characters Matt Tingle and Chess Febey, who solved a killing at Yackandandah in Devastation Road, this time find themselves in Beechworth.
However, instead of enjoying a holiday, the pair are drawn into probing the fatal poisoning of amateur teen magician Tim Williams who died of cyanide consumption during a show at the Beechworth Town Hall.
The boy's best friend Jacob Langton, who is under suspicion, seeks their help and it soon becomes clear there are other potential killers, including a restaurateur and his young son.
With much of the action pinballing around Camp and Ford streets it is easy for North East and Border residents to visualise parts of central Beechworth where the drama unfolds.
The former asylum at Mayday Hills also features, with a meeting near the Bijou Theatre occurring as people wait for a ghost tour.
Matt remarks to Chess that "there's no real need for a ghost tour, is there? The place is creepy enough on its own".
After some thuggery, the mystery is solved with some sleight of hand which is hinted at in the title The Elsinore Vanish.
Some of the plotting stretches credibility, but The Elsinore Vanish is entertaining holiday reading, particularly for those who enjoy Agatha Christie-style mysteries.