There Was A Crooked Man

The crooked man has a crooked house and a crooked cat. Now he wants a crooked fish for his supper. But where has it gone? Simply written in lively, flowing text Usborne First Reading books are designed to capture the imagination and build the confidence of beginner readers. This book includes audio, simple comprehension puzzles and downloadable worksheets and teacher's notes. "For every parent, child and teacher weary of the monotony of the average reading scheme, Usborne's First Reading series will offer rays of sunlight. The books are carefully levelled and offer a huge variety of accessible and fun, fiction and non-fiction." - Tamara Linke (Proprietor, Tales on Moon Lane Bookshop)

Enhance your students' mastery of phonics skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing with engaging poetic language activities. The focus of this lesson is There Was a Crooked Man!

“There was a Crooked Man”, first published in 1936, is a classic “golden-age” murder mystery by George Worthing Yates (1901-1975), a prominent Hollywood screenwriter, mostly of science-fiction. Publisher’s synopsis: The corpse lay huddled in the rain on a terrace outside the executive offices of the Chelsac Theatre. The evening clothes were faultless, but the body had been horribly mutilated—years before. Who was the crooked man? Christien, the managing director of the theatre, had never seen the man before ... Percy Tussard, of the police, set to work on the case. And close on his heels came ancient and autocratic Lord Broghville. He threw the weight of his years, his influence, his impressive dignity and his immense intelligence into the search for the murderer ... “There Was a Crooked Man” adds to the ranks of amateur detectives a new one you cannot fail to take to your heart—the lonely and tremendous, the ancient and august Lord Broghville. You will meet him again in other mysteries by Mr. Yates — mysteries which, like this one, combine rich characterization with surprise and ingenuity of situation and unusual charm of style.

Chicago private eye Cat DeLuca, founder of the Pants on Fire Detective Agency, catches liars and cheats—and, from time to time, killers. Cat's brief marriage to runaround Johnnie Rizzo was a bust. But it gave her the mad skills she needed for her agency. She doesn't investigate for insurance companies and she won't find your long lost Uncle Harry. But if you're in Chicagoland and you suspect your partner is stepping out, give her a call. Cat comes from a long line, and big family, of Chicago cops, stretching back to the day when her greatgrandfather gave Al Capone protection and a truck to move bootleg whiskey. Most DeLuca men are straight-up guys. Some are flexible, like Ferrari-driving Uncle Joey. But Cat's Poppa stands above the rest, a man of integrity who one day took a bullet when on duty and became a hero. So why, after someone kidnaps Captain Bob's dog and claims to have evidence of cop corruption, do Captain Bob and Poppa not only deny the accusation, but order Cat to leave it alone? Long ago when they were partners, the two cops responded to a hit-and-run that claimed the life of one of Bridgeport's most beloved citizens. Daniel Baumgarten, owner and proprietor of Baumgarten's Jewelry was killed in the street outside his shop. The unsolved death was relegated to a dusty cold case file where it was almost forgotten. Until now. Meanwhile Cat's romance with FBI Agent Chance Savino still gives her goose bumps. Her Mama's latest scheme to marry her off involves a romantic cruise, insane amounts of champagne, and a hijacked priest to tie the knot. But saving Poppa and Captain Bob comes first. There Was a Crooked Man is another funfilled, surprising page-turner. It's a story of greed and betrayal. And the utterly astonishing things we do to save the ones we love.

Everything is crooked in this classic! Read along with the crooked man as he makes his way to his crooked house, where his crooked pets reside.