Sword and Song

by Roz Southey

Overview

A sword, a book of music, and a murdered girl . . . Musician-sleuth Charles Patterson is called to a murder late one night - and is horrified to find he is acquainted with the victim, a young street-girl. There is little Patterson can do; his patron has arranged an engagement for him at a fashionable house party some miles away, and he must leave early next morning. But where Patterson goes, trouble is never far behind. A chance meeting with an American at the house party raises new questions about the murder - then he is attacked twice for no apparent reason. And his personal life, in the form of Esther Jerdoun, the wealthy woman he loves against all of society's conventions, is becoming more and more complicated . . . 4th in the Charles Patterson musical mystery series, set in early 18th century Newcastle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781906790899
Publisher:	Creative Content Ltd
Publication date:	09/30/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	695 KB

Editorial Reviews

The murder of an 18-year-old prostitute by a shadowy patron who has asked her to safeguard a mysterious book kick-starts Southey's lively fourth 18th-century mystery featuring Newcastle-upon-Tyne musician Charles Patterson (after 2009's Secret Lament). Soon after beginning to investigate, Charles, who has a knack for unraveling crimes, is off to work at a country house party, where he's surprised to find the rightful heir to the now missing book among the guests. Others in residence include an affable but deceptive host, a snobbish hostess, and Esther Jerdoun, the wealthy older woman Charles can neither afford to marry nor bear to be without. Violent attacks, a second death, and sundry encounters with spirits ensue. While the book's minor paranormal element feels jarring at times, Southey impeccably evokes the period, and the latest twist in Charles's unlikely romance will leave readers eager for the next installment. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

After being called to the scene of a suspected murder in which he discovers he knows the victim, 18th-century Newcastle-on-Tyne musician/sleuth Charles Patterson (Secret Lament; Chords and Discords) must attend a house party where he has been hired to provide the musical entertainment. Arriving with his friend and patron Claudius Heron, Patterson discovers that their host is quite odd and that the guests include Esther Jerdoun, a woman intent on marrying him. VERDICT With hints of the paranormal (ghosts who can talk to the living in a parallel universe), this unusual historical series just keeps getting better. From a fledgling, hesitant detective, Southey's protagonist has developed into full-grown sleuth. For readers who like a bit of the unusual. [Severn House has acquired Crème de la Crime, but Dufour will continue to distribute the titles this year; in spring 2011 Severn House will launch its first Crème de la Crime list, to be distributed by Ingram.—Ed.]

Library Journal