Devil's Trill
A Daniel
Jacobus Mystery
Gerald
Elias
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-54181-3 (0312541813)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54181-1 (9780312541811)
Publication Date: August 2009
List Price: $25.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Daniel Jacobus is a blind, reclusive, crotchety violin
teacher living in self-imposed exile in rural New England. He spends
his time chain-smoking, listening to old LPs, and occasionally taking
on new students, whom he berates in the hope that they will flee.
Jacobus is drawn back into the world he left behind when he decides to
attend The Grimsley Competition at Carnegie Hall. The young winner of
this competition is granted the honor of playing the Piccolino
Stradivarius, a uniquely dazzling three-quarter-size violin that has
brought misfortune to all who possessed it over the centuries. But the
violin is stolen before the winner of the competition has a chance to
play it, and Jacobus is the primary suspect.
With the help of his friend and former musical partner, Nathaniel
Williams, his new student, Yumi Shinagawa, and several quirky
sidekicks, Jacobus sets out to prove his innocence and find the stolen
Piccolino Strad. Will he be successful? The quest takes him through the
halls of wealth and culture, across continents to Japan, and leads him
to a … murder.
Review: Gerald
Elias introduces Daniel Jacobus, an old, blind, cantankerous, crabby,
chain-smoking violin teacher who takes on new students only to hope
they leave him because of his argumentative and cranky disposition, but
also a suspected killer, in Devil's
Trill.
In the late 1700s, Antonio Stradivars produced a three-quarter sized
violin for a diminutive, self-taught, brilliant musician. Called the
"Piccolino", this most rare violin is now owned by the Grimsley family,
founders of the prestigious Musical Arts Program (MAP) in New York
City. Every 13 years, the Grimsley International Violin Competition is
held, attracting the most talented young musicians from around the
world. The winner is granted the honor of playing the Piccolino, on
stage, with full orchestra. But then the violin is stolen. Daniel
Jacobus, once a competitor himself, is not sympathetic. He has made it
known over the years that he believes the MAP has become a den of
corrruption and greed. He's known to have made the violin, a symbol of
the competition, a target of his wrath. He's initially a suspect, but
his old friend, Nathaniel Williams, who's company insured the violin,
doesn't believe he did it. But who would steal it? It's unique and
couldn't be sold without alerting someone. But then another violin
teacher, Victoria Jablonski, is found brutally murdered. Daniel is
suspected of this crime as well. Can Daniel discover who stole the
Piccolino and committed a murder, the reasons why? And, not
incidentally, clear his name?
Devil's Trill is as much
about character as it is about plot. Daniel Jacobus is a rather unique
amateur sleuth, the kind of character one loves to hate. "It seems as
though the competitions for child musicians, especially violinists, are
no less cruel to them than cockfighting is to its bloody contestants,"
he says. "And cockfighting is illegal." But the supporting characters
are equally memorable. Daniel has a student, Yumi Shinagawa, who was in
the concert hall when the Piccolino was stolen. She sees right through
him and recognizes him for the gifted teacher he is. She's willing to
help, but when it looks like Daniel is about to be arrested, he
arranges for her and Nathaniel to accompany him to Canada, and then on
to Japan. His flight makes him appear guilty but he's only trying avoid
being arrested in order to identity the culprit.
Devil's Trill is a
tautly constructed mystery, one that not only provides a
behind-the-scenes look at the high stakes world of music competition
but will keep readers guessing, and serves as a terrific introduction
to this series.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Devil's Trill and to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Devil's Trill? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Devil's Trill
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), August 2009
ISBN-10: 0-312-54181-3 (0312541813)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54181-1 (9780312541811)
Omnimystery keywords for Devil's Trill ...
Location(s) referenced: New York City, Canada, Japan.
