A “thoroughly enjoyable” mystery featuring an American musician in Ireland, murder, theft–and a ghost or two (Agatha Award-winning author Daniel J. Hale). Gethsemane Brown, African American classical musician currently living in an Irish village, has solved a string of murders, led a school orchestra to victory in a major competition, and gotten used to living with a snarky ghost. She can … snarky ghost. She can rest easy over the Christmas holiday. Right? Wrong. The ghost has disappeared, her landlord’s about to sell her cottage to a hotel developer, and her brother-in-law is coming for a visit–with one day’s notice.
She scrambles to call her spectral roomie back from beyond and find a way to save the cottage from certain destruction. But real estate takes a backseat when her brother-in-law is accused of stealing a valuable antique. Gethsemane strikes a deal with a garda investigator to go undercover as a musician at a charity ball and snoop for evidence linking antiques to a forgery and theft ring, in exchange for the investigator’s help clearing her brother-in-law. The problem is that during the party, she accidentally conjures the ghost of an eighteenth-century sea captain–then ends up the prime suspect in the party host’s murder. This investigation may become her swan song . . .
“Gethsemane is an appealing protagonist.” —Library Journal
“Gethsemane Brown is everything an amateur sleuth should be: smart, sassy, talented, and witty even when her back is against the wall. In her latest adventure, she’s surrounded by a delightful cast.” –Cate Holahan, author of The Widower’s Wife
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I really enjoy this series and I enjoyed reading this one. In this second book Gethsemane is hoping to settle down and enjoy a quiet Christmas. Instead Eamon has disappeared, the heirs are hoping to sell the cottage to a hotel developer and her brother in law is coming for a visit while investigating an art forgery ring. Add a murder and a new ghost for an exciting mystery. I really enjoy the Ireland setting and the characters. The mysteries are good and the solutions make sense. The book is well written and very easy to read. I am looking for word to reading more in this series. Enjoy
I liked the intricate plots and very non- traditional characters in these books. This is the second in the series and it helps to read Murder in G Major first. They have a spunky heroine and a touch of the paranormal. A fun read.
Death in D Minor, #2 in Alexia Gordon’s Gethsemane Brown Mystery series. What a fun, light-hearted read! The series is set in rural Ireland — how could it go wrong with such a great setting. Though the ghost, Eammon , is not as present as in the first book, there are enough actions, twists, and turns that it does not detract from the overall story. The characters are great and the mystery is interesting with facts I didn’t know about before reading this book. I enjoy the paranormal bits in this series.
The audio version has a great narrator and makes thy pages of the book fly by!
“Death in D Minor” earns 5/5 Ghostly Sidekicks…accident or not!
Gethsemane Brown, ex-pat living in Ireland, is quite the virtuoso in more than music; she has proven to be pretty good at sleuthing, too. Her skill gets challenged when the surprising appearance of her brother-in-law and curator Jackson Applethwaite, set to bid on an early American miniature sampler by a young slave Hester Creech on behalf of his museum, turns into his being accused of theft when the sampler goes missing…but could it be murder when the owner of the sampler is found dead? Inspector Iollan O’Reilly of An Garda Síochána (The Guardian of the Peace—Irish police) approached Brown for her assistance in their investigation of a ring of art forgers and thieves, so things get serious. She tries to conjure up her helpful ghost Eamon McCarthy to help exonerate her brother-in-law, but something goes delightfully wrong.
I am new to Alexia Gordon’s Gethsemane Brown Mystery series, so when offered the opportunity to read her second book, I grabbed at the chance and now…I am a big fan! Although I am a newbie starting with book 2 “Death in D Minor,” the story provided enough details and descriptions into the back story and character connections to keep me very engaged: Irish countryside? Ghostly sidekick? Forgeries? Murders? Who knew being a classical musician could be so…precarious! The story was exciting, nail-biting at times, humorous, and clever using the idea that Gethsemane can ‘summon’ up ghosts, even the wrong ghost, giving so many opportunities for a paranormal twist. Gordon’s characters are well developed this early in the series with Gethsemane becoming one of my favorite amateur detectives. But, Captain Lochlan, an eighteenth century ship’s captain, adds such a delightful dynamic! Playing out in the background we have intriguing references to needlework, comparisons with Irish and Black history, and issues with Gethsemane being an ex-pat. I really enjoyed this second book and am eager to go back and read book 1 “Death in G Major” to see how it all began.