Simmering resentment in a small coastal town. A missing manuscript. A dark family secret.
Scott Drayco isn’t a typical detective: a former concert pianist with synesthesia, he turned to law enforcement when a violent attack put an end to his music career.
After Drayco inherits a rundown Opera House in a Virginia seaside town following a particularly brutal case, he just wants to arrange a … particularly brutal case, he just wants to arrange a quick sale for the unwanted “gift” while nursing his battered soul in a peaceful setting near the shore.
Those hopes are shattered when a dead body turns up on the Opera House stage, a mysterious “G” carved into the man’s chest. With himself a suspect in the murder, Drayco digs into very old and very dangerous secrets to solve the crime and clear his name.
But first…Drayco must dodge a wary Sheriff, hostility over coastal development, and the seductive wife of a town councilman—before the tensions explode into more violence and he becomes the next victim.
“An engaging lead and atmospheric setting make for an ideal travel read.” – Library Journal
Over 500 five-star reviews on Goodreads! A Shamus Award finalist and Named Best Mystery in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
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Good but not great. I finished it, but didn’t really connect with the characters or plot.
Too Slow – started skipping pages to see if something would happen. Gave up after 36%
A good read, well written and an interesting main character. I recommend this book and author.
Most times I don’t enjoy a slower paced book but this one has so many descriptive layers I’m enjoying all the chars!
Scott Drayco, a former child prodigy pianist, worked for the FBI before becoming a “crime consultant.” He comes to Unity to evaluate the architecture of an opera house that he unexpectedly inherited, but his first task was reporting the dead body of Oakley Keys. Drayco offers to help the sheriff solve the mystery as two deputies are out with the mumps. Drayco takes up residence in a bed and breakfast run by Maida and the Major who hel him get to know Unity’s residents. Played To Death has many complex and interesting characters, and the plot is full of intricate twists and turns. Drayco withholds the contents of some of the discoveries, so the identification of the murder becomes a matter of intuition for the reader. I thought the book got a bit too long, but reading the four sections across four days worked for me.
Logical and cerebral, not the action packed of Jack Reacher, for sure. A good mystery and easily readable.
Complicated protagonist, very entertaining.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and there was plenty of action and suspense. The ending, or ‘whodunnit ‘ was truly a surprise to me. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
A mystery surrounding an historical opera house faces Scott Drayco who has come into ownership of it. This story is great because it’s something that might be happening right now in small towns that face progress, tourism, and the locals with mixed emotions about sharing their little piece of paradise that they’ve always called home.
Easy read, entertaining.
Beautiful imagery. Well-written but dragged out at times. I suspected the guilty person at the beginning, but all the red herrings and convoluted relationship info veered me off the scent. The ending tied up the plot into a neat package, but reading it all at the same time made it sound like a grocery checklist. All the characters were complex. No one just had a job without a myriad of other jobs, talents, and sad stories in their pasts. Very developed characters, but maybe more time was needed on focused plot development. Clues were more and more murky as time went on, taking the reader away from the solution, instead of closer. In any event, I really enjoyed reading this book.
Seldom do I read a mystery that I haven’t been able to figure out the culprit before halfway through. This book is an exception. It had so many items of intrigue that I was kept bouncing back and forth from one clue to another, unable to connect fully until the end. It could definitely use better editing because I detected many mistakes, but I can’t hold it against the writers skill. The author needs to hire a better editor. I gave it five stars because it was a good mystery story.
Lead character, Scott Drayco, is unique — borderline unbelievable — ex-pianist child genius, ex-FBI, now PI. The setting — Virginia Eastern Shore — is unusual and interesting. But the plot is filled with sub-plots and red herrings leading nowhere, complicating an otherwise well-drafted story.
quit after 1-2 chapters
Totally enjoyable read!
I enjoyed the book, complex and a nice variety of characters. Good start to a series. I am currently reading the rest of the series.
interesting.
Thanks
Combining piano playing with detecting is interesting.
Enjoyed this book and recommend it.