Killing in C Sharp

Gethsemane Brown Mystery Series, Book #3

By Alexia Gordon

ISBN #9781635113044

Website: alexiagordon(.)net

 

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:

Gethsemane Brown fought off an attack by a sleazy hotel developer who wanted to turn her Irish cottage into a tourist trap. Now she must face a vengeful ghost determined to exact revenge for her murder centuries ago.

This ghost’s wrath spares no one—not Gethsemane’s students, Inspector Niall O’Reilly, fellow teacher Frankie Grennan, or a group of ghost hunters descended on Dunmullach to capture proof ghosts exist.

Proof Gethsemane has to quash to keep Eamon, her resident ghost and friend, from becoming an internet sensation.

As if a spiteful specter wasn’t bad enough, a crooked music reviewer turns up dead in the opera house orchestra pit, a famous composer is arrested for the crime, and Gethsemane must team up with a notorious true-crime author to clear his name.

If she doesn’t, friends will die, a ghost she cares about will never know peace, and she’ll star in a final act gruesome enough for any opera.

 

Review:

With its charming Irish setting, relatable characters, and believable paranormal storyline, Killing in C Sharp firmly places the Gethsemane Brown Mystery series on my must read list.

After saving her cottage from a greedy land developer, Gethsemane quickly finds that there is no rest for the weary when her landlord, and the resident ghost’s nephew, tries to recoup lost potential earnings by allowing a ghost hunting television show to investigate at the cottage. Gethsemane cannot let Eamon be outed and deflects the group to the local opera house where composer Aed Devlin is set to premier his new opera based on a centuries old legend that comes with a curse. Everyone gets more than they bargained for when the ghost attached to the legend is released, people instantly fall ill, and smarmy music critic Bernard Stoltz is found dead in the orchestra pit.  Aed is arrested, but Gethsemane knows he is innocent and sets out to find the real killer, contain the malevolent ghost Maja to cure those that are sick, and protect Eamon. Her plate is definitely full.

I really enjoy that Killing in C Sharp combines things that I love – opera, ghosts, and cozy mystery.  Gordon does a great job of making an outlandish premise plausible.  What could be silly is instead exciting and compelling. The mystery is engaging and well thought out.  I did not care much about finding justice for the victim, as is often the case in cozy mysteries, but finding the killer and handling Maja and her curse are a lot of fun.

I enjoy all of the recurring characters.  Gethsemane is no shrinking violet, even describing herself as not nice.  I think we could be great friends. I like her snark, intelligence, and devotion to her ghostly best friend Eamon.  Eamon is my favorite character, and his loyalty to Gethsemane is endearing. Inspector Niall, true crime writer Venus, child genius Saoirse, and teacher Frankie round out the cast.  The characters specific to this book are also engaging and realistically drawn and have fine motives to kill Bernard.

I look forward to the next adventure with Gethsemane and friends, and recommend Killing in C Sharp to cozy fans, especially those who enjoy a pretty heavy dose of the paranormal.

 

(Reviewer copy)