Saturday, July 9, 2016

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor (Preston Barclay Mystery #2)



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LitFuse Publications book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 




About the book: 

Murder Mezzo Forte (Lamplighter Mysteries, June 2016)

He is a reclusive history professor with musical hallucinations. . . .

She a headstrong professor of religion, a converted Wiccan. Earlier, they solved a campus murder, but now police say they formed two-thirds of an illicit love triangle with a newly-murdered female colleague and they're probably guilty of her murder. A leak of the alleged scandal to the college administration threatens their jobs.

Their desperate attempt to prove themselves innocent of the triangle and the murder plunges them into a tangle of unsavory corporate relationships among college trustees. And it puts their lives in danger from a mysterious criminal organization that seems to have tentacles everywhere.

Can this ill-matched pair's stumbling efforts succeed against the entrenched forces of the police, the college's incompetent administration, and that powerful but unseen criminal organization? If not, they may end up unemployed, in prison, or suffering a fate much worse.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/295oYHO


About the author:


Donn Taylor led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. Afterwards, he earned a PhD in Renaissance literature and taught literature at two liberal arts colleges. His publications include three suspense novels, one historical novel, and a book of poetry. He lives near Houston, TX, where he writes fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.







Dynamic Uno here:   In the first book of the Preston Barclay Mysteries, Rhapsody in Red,  Press and Mara get caught up in a murder scandal at their school and end up having to prove their innocence before they too end up on the list of the murderer.

In this second book of the series, Press and Mara get caught up in unusual circumstances once again at the college where they teach.  Another faculty member has been murdered and Press and Mara get sucked into the middle of the investigation--this time for supposedly being involved in a love triangle.  Press and Mara must once again prove their innocence while trying to track down a murderer, hopefully keep their jobs, and trying not to get killed in the process.

 I've always imagined what the soundtrack of my life would be like at various moments throughout my day, but Preston has very specific musical hallucinations throughout his and makes the reader privy to such information.  (I only wish there was a way to listen to the music he hears as I'm reading the book.  Hopefully the audio-book will insert the various pieces of music in the background so the readers have an idea of the type of music he's hearing.)  

I thoroughly enjoyed this second adventure of Press and Mara--the unwilling crime solving duo at Overton University.  I also enjoyed the developing relationship between the two colleagues and am interested in knowing what the response was to the situation at the end of the book.  (Guess we'll have to wait and see...)

 For those of you who have not read book #1, don't worry--this book could be a stand alone, although the author does a fabulous job of informing his readers about the backstory along the way.  If you enjoy reading cozy mysteries with a touch of romance, then this is the book for you! 

Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!