Compass Stories

Former detective Buchanan thought retirement meant leaving mysteries behind. Then an anonymous package appears on his doorstep. Inside is an old brass compass with a simple note: This is a gift for you, and may come in handy. The compass has only one extraordinary ability. Twice each day, it will answer a single question by pointing the way. When a wealthy widow's priceless sapphire necklace vanishes from a locked room, Buchanan is drawn into a case filled with hidden motives, careful lies, and suspects who all seem equally innocent. The compass can point him toward the truth-but it can never explain it. Every answer raises new questions, and every clue must still be uncovered the old-fashioned way. To solve the mystery, Buchanan will need more than magic. He'll need every lesson he learned during twenty-six years as a detective. Because even a magical compass cannot tell him whom to trust.

A man tells his son a bedtime story about an old family heirloom, with a twist the kid didn't expect.