Book Review: Death In D Minor

Death in D Minor is listed above as a paranormal mystery — but to me, it ALSO has all the markings of a great “cozy” mystery:  the amateur sleuth (Gethsemane) is intuitive and well-educated (a concert musician), set in a small town (here – a quaint Irish village), has some quirky sidekicks (here a ghost stands in well, along with a helpful Irish priest) and while the mystery surrounds a murder, the story rates low on the violence factor.

I confess, I am rather partial to cozies. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good grizzly murder mystery or a fun romance – but this kind of mystery is pure enjoyment and escapism without being dark – something I can really use right now.

In Death in D Minor, author Alexia Gordon brings us the smart and determined Gethsemane Brown, a delightful classical musician who stumbles into a mystery. But whereas in many cozy mysteries the local police are generally unhappy with the amateur sleuth poking into the situation, in a fun twist Gethsemane is drawn into it by the police themselves. And she might be accused of a crime herself, as is her brother-in-law, just to twist things up a bit.

Speaking of twists, this book has a few that left me completely confused as to who the guilty party was. Aside from the actual mystery, what I LOVE about cozy mysteries is that I can count on interesting characters, and author Gordon does not disappoint. Gethsemane is spunky and determined, and INTERESTING – I love an intelligent protagonist. Her sea-captain ghost was a fun addition to the story, and I wish we had seen more of him.

I would love to see a guide to pronouncing the Irish names in future entries to the series because (embarrassing confession) I’m awful at confidently pronouncing them (betraying my Irish heritage) and I feel like a doofus it when I discover I’ve been pronouncing a name incorrectly (are you with me, Harry Potter fans, when you discovered it was NOT “Her-mee-ohn”).

Fans of Susan Boyer will love this book. I’m definitely looking forward to the next  in the series (and will be picking up the first)!  With that thought I can safely say that while this book is the second in the series, it works fine as a standalone.  If you are looking for a fun mystery, Alexia Gordon’s Death in D Minor needs to be added to your to-be-read list!