After a cool period the autumn has suddenly turned warm and sunny in Schooner Cove, resulting in a typical Indian summer. In the midst of this off-season heat, Cecilia, Leo and Une discover a newspaper where someone has cut out letters and words. “Millions” and “kill” are just some of the words missing from the headlines. It gradually becomes clear that the newspaper has been used to make a threatening letter, one that warns against involving the police. It’s up to the CLUE gang to find out who sent the letter, and all signs point to the culprit being somewhere in Schooner Cove.

The guesthouse The Pearl is full of visitors in town for the autumn holidays, some odder than others – and many of them with things to hide. Out by the island Steinholmen a mysterious sailboat lies anchored, and in a grove of trees a dusty car with bloody rags in the back seat stands abandoned.

To solve The Liberty Mystery, Cecilia, Leo, and Une will this time have to acquaint themselves with the British philosopher John Stuart Mill, and his ideas about freedom.

The CLUE series’ name comes from the first letter in each protagonist’s name: Cecilia, Leo, Une, and Une’s dog Egon. In each of the series’ books a new mystery and a new ethical question is introduced along with the thoughts of one of the world’s most well-known philosophers. The CLUE books are best selling crime fiction for younger readers aged 9-12.