When an acclaimed scholar and musician is found murdered on the Twombly College campus where her husband teaches chemistry and is a forensic scientist, Emory Crawford decides she can help. She's a professor's wife, not an official. People will talk to her. So she heads out with her knitting tote and emerges as the most inquisitive, persistent and clever amateur detective since Miss Marple.
Slightly quirky, always creative, Pearl R. Meaker has been an artist, singer and craftsperson her whole life. Although she's always had stories in her head, they didn't come out to play with others until the advent of home computers with their ease of making corrections and moving bits around.
After several years of writing fanfiction in the world of Tolkien's Middle-Earth, she took a couple of writing courses and dove into writing original works of fiction, and The Can Be Mysteries were born.
When not playing with story ideas you can find Pearl playing with yarn either knitting or crocheting, doing other arts and crafts, bird watching and photographing nature, playing bluegrass fiddle (her husband plays banjo) or relaxing with her hubby on the sofa watching mystery shows on Netflix.
Oh - and reading all sorts of books, but especially cozy and other types of mysteries!
***I was provided with a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review***
The Devil’s Music was a quick, easy read at only 218 pages, but also an enjoyable one. The story is sprinkled with plant lore as well as bluegrass and folk music tidbits that add interest to the story. I would suggest not reading this book on an empty stomach, however, as the descriptions of all of the delicious sounding food served at various functions are sure to leave you hungry!
The Sleuth, Emory Crawford, is a likable protagonist. Even though she aspires to be a young Miss Marple, she has her faults, and they add to her charm. Her occasional fumbling around after clues makes her seem all the more genuine. I did appreciate the fact that she wasn’t all-knowing despite the “gift” that she realizes she has part of the way through the story. She still had to rely on her wits and ability to make logical deductions, not solely on her intuition.
Overall, a nice start to a new cozy mystery series.
The Devils Music is a gently gripping tail of mystery and murder to be solved. Put your Miss Marple down, Pearl R Meaker's Emory Crawford is a sleuth who solves crime with her head in way that is truly entertaining. Pearl R Meaker's Emory Crawford character belies a subtle strength and skill Christie's Miss Marple would share tea with anytime.
The great thing about this cozy mystery for me is Emery Crawford is real, the kind of crime solving genius you never see coming. She's not a Miss Marple clone, she's Emery Crawford. Pearl Meaker's story unfolds with grace and skill of a true murder mystery master story teller. Pearl R Meaker immerses her reader into Emery's world with delightful world building candor and plants them squarely in Emery's stomping ground magnifying glass in hand. A great tale all round.
This book had me doing two things all through the pages: Smile and Eat! I'm really amazed, because I just found out that this is the first book of the Author, and seriously, I still can't believe it! Why? Because it's excellent written, I absolutely adore Emory, her Husband and all of the characters, they're believable and well developed. Like a good Cozy Mystery, it's full of suspense, twists and turns, witty dialogues, some mistaken clues and suspects, and warm dead bodies. Like I said in the beginning, I had a big smile all through the book, Miss Emory is my new heroine! Congrats to the Author!!
I know, this is a pic of Miss Marple, but it could be Miss Emory too!!
*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*
This was a nice read! I love the concept of a middle aged woman who is a Miss Marple fan, finding herself with the chance to investigate a murder. Emory is a believable character, screwed intelligent and curious as so many career housewives and mothers are, while at the same time not always sure of herself. I like the contrast of Emory's strength and vulnerability. Overall the book is a straightforward, good, light read featuring a quirky, fun character. My only word of caution, have some snacks handy, the descriptions of food will make you hungry.
Thought for a first time author it was rather good. As a cozy mystery, I think it did a fine job representing it's genre. The characters could use a bit more development but all in all a decent first novel.
Loved it!. It seduces you into the story. Well written, an easy read. I love her comfortable chatty style. The plot is well constructed and surprises you at each turn. A great book for a wet day in front of the fire.
I received The Devil’s Music in eBook form from Promontory Press and although it was quite a short read, it was definitely enjoyable! This book is full of Miss Marple vibes so if you are an Agatha Christie fan then this one is for you!
The Devil’s Music is a detective novel that focusses on housewife Emory Crawford and her professor husband Jebbin. Emory and Jebbin’s lives take a dramatic turn when one of their friend’s Dr Dawson is murdered at an Anthropological Studies conference. Emory decides to channel her inner Miss Marple and investigate the murder herself.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this book but there were some elements such as Emory’s ‘touch’ (heightened intuition) that seemed unnecessary. I really enjoyed the characters although I feel like we don’t gain enough in depth knowledge into what makes them tick. The narrative seemed to concentrate on descriptive aspects of characters’ lives such as what they were eating. Despite this, The Devil’s Music proved to be a cosy little murder mystery that I will reread in the future.
If you’re looking for a neat little mystery novel to get you out of a reading slump then this one is certainly for you!
I give The Devil’s Music by Pearl R. Meaker 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I liked the idea behind The Devil’s Music as I’m a big Agatha Christie fan and if you love Christie, you love Miss Marple. The story itself was quite interesting. As in every good detective novel, there were clues scattered throughout the novel, several realistic suspects, and multiple murders. The background of the characters and the town was well-developed.
A few aspects of the story didn’t feel genuine, however. It didn’t seem realistic that the investigators would so easily provide information to Emory – especially as the information was provided freely and without the subterfuge that we expect from a Miss Marple character. I also felt that the intuition, which Emory supposedly had, didn’t feel authentic as it was only developed after the mystery was well on its way.
There were a few issues with the writing, which meant that I didn’t enjoy reading the book as much as I could have. There were entirely too many mundane details. I really don’t care what the characters are eating all the time. Also, the description of Emory’s daily activities were far too detailed for me. I just wanted the story to keep moving. I felt the language of Emory didn’t match her age either. Perhaps I try too hard to appear younger than I am, but as a middle-aged woman myself, I felt her language was much older than Emory herself was. There were some issues with the timing of the story as well. We learned some details early on, which Emory then wasn’t aware of at a later time period even though she had mentioned the detail earlier in the story.
With editing, The Devil’s Music could be an extremely enjoyable cozy mystery.
The Devil's Music by Pearl R. Meaker is book one in the Emory Crawford Mystery series. Twombly College is hosting the Midwest Anthropological Studies Society conference when one of the key speakers is found dead. I liked Emory, she seemed quite knowledgable and talented and we learned a lot about murder songs and various poisons and plants. The Twomblys were a bit weird though. A nice, light cozy mystery which I enjoyed very much.
This book was extremely trite. The vocabulary was vapid and juvenile. I learned more about what the characters had to eat than what motivated them. It read as a self published title. This might work as a high/low for an adult. But skip it if you are looking for a new mystery series, try the Corman Strike series instead.
I had picked this book up many times but the library doesn't have it so I bit the bullet and bought it. It was worth every dollar. Emory Crawford is the wife of a professor at a Twombly College. She is a housewife, mother and volunteer. She and her husband also play bluegrass music with another professor, Archibald Finlay Dawson. Dr. Dawson is a professor of anthropology who has written a best-selling book and is the keynote speaker at the Midwest Anthropological Studies Society (M.A.S.S.) at Twombly. He is also a pompous, arrogant ass who gets himself murdered.
While Emory husband, Jebbin, as a forensics professor, is observing the investigation into the murder, Emory decides to channel her inner Miss Marple and find the murderer.
Unfortunately, her first suspect also gets murdered so she has to start a square one but she does and ends up solving the case.
A very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the others in the series. I really like Emory and would love to sit on her porch and have a cup of herbal tea.
The Devil’s Music, a cozy mystery, is the first book in the Emory Crawford Mystery series. The Devil’s Music is also the debut novel of author Pearl R. Meaker, a fact belied by how well this novel is written.
The characters in The Devil’s Music are interesting, memorable, and realistic. I could identify with Emory. The self-doubts she has at times make her seem very real indeed. Author Pearl R. Meaker has created Twombly College, located in the fictional town of Twombly in fictional Golden County, Illinois, and has included enough realistic detail to make Emory's world seem true.
The Devil’s Music is told in first person by Emory Crawford. I like her sense of humor, and that of her husband, chemistry professor Jebbin Crawford. The Crawfords have two children — a son, Lanthan, and a daughter, Molly. "Their names are short for what's on their birth certificates. Lanthanum (symbol La, atomic number 57) David Leon Crawford, and Molybdenum (symbol Mo, atomic number 42) Helen Crawford. Elements. Perfect for a chemistry professor's kids, and really, normal enough sounding names once you shorten them."
The murder takes place during an anthropological society conference being held at Twombly College. In order to keep news of the murder out of the media, the college president "wants it, as he put it, 'cleared up by the end of the conference.' He also said it was 'best to get it taken care of while the suspects are all still here.' "
To help speed up the investigation, Emory assists her husband's forensics work by doing a little sleuthing. I like that Emory uses Miss Jane Marple as her sleuthing inspiration. I also like Emory's sleuthing motto, W.W.J.M.D. "I mean, after all, what did Jane do? She approached people as a sweet, kindly, understanding old lady and they opened up to her. She'd sit and knit — and listen in on conversations. She'd see everything. What Would Jane Marple Do?"
The pacing of The Devil’s Music is just right. I like Author Pearl R. Meaker's writing style. Right from the beginning, I cared about Emory and Jebbin Crawford and their friends at Twombly College.
I really enjoyed reading The Devil’s Music by Pearl R. Meaker, and recommend it to all Cozy Mystery fans.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of The Devil’s Music and voluntarily reviewed it. All opinions shared are 100% my own.
This is the first of a series of which there appear to be two so far. The story was pretty good and I have nothing against imaginary towns but I really object to 'special powers'. The Twombly family owns most of Golden County and founded the university and the observatory. That's alright but the family has this 'touch' which gives them insights into what is going to happen and enables them to be where they need to be. According to Emory they are right more than half the time and that's good enough for her to use Jairus Twombly's advice at least as a guide. It seems that Emory has a type of intuition, too, but she doesn't like to mention it much. The story seems quite reasonable. A group of anthropologists are attending their annual conference and Dr. Dawson is celebrating the publication of his book on murder and mayhem in American folk music. He, Emory Crawford and her husband Jebbin Crawford play blue grass music and provide the entertainment for the opening night's program. Late that night Dr. Dawson is found murdered in a garden on campus. We meet a number of the attendees at the conference, some of the faculty and staff at the university and discover some of the dynamics of the town. Emory is a volunteer at the university library, but she is chiefly at home supporting her husband (who teaches chemistry and forensic science) and her two children who are named for elements - the daughter is Molybdenum, usually called Molly- and I know we will meet them in later stories. What MS Meaker has done beautifully is introduce the characters in such a way that we see they have relations with each other, relations that are of long term standing. The county sheriff has a dislike on against Dr. Crawford, the source of which is unknown to the Crawfords. Dr. Chatterjee and his wife are close friends of the Crawfords. Yes, I enjoyed the story and liked the fact that she added a postscript to round off "what happened to the characters afterward". The second book in the series is out and I think I'll buy it.
Emory Crawford is a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a volunteer, an avid reader, a musician, a friend. Emory Crawford is not a detective or anything close to that.....or so she thought.
Emory's husband is a college professor and she loves being a college professor's wife. She loves Twombly College and volunteers on campus whenever she can. Her latest volunteering job places her at the Welcome table for a week-long Midwest Anthropological Studies Society's conference. Not only is she greeting the attendees but her and her husband, Jebbin, are involved in the opening ceremony.
Archie, a friend of Emory and Jebbin, has written a book pertaining to the field and will be a big part of the conference. Unfortunately he is found in a garden murdered just after the opening dinner.
The local authorities are looking to have the case solved before the week-long event concludes putting Jebbin and his friend Chatty is a tough spot researching and working in the lab. Emory decides to "help" out by talking to some of the others in attendance.
Emory is certain that she has solved the murder and knows who the murderer is......until he is found murdered in one of the gardens on campus as well.
Can she really solve the case, especially now that there are 2 murders ? She was told that she has the "gift".... what does that actually mean ?
The Devil's Music by Pearl R. Meaker is a very interesting story about music and death and how they come together. Even though it is a rather "dark" topic, you will not feel like you are in the dark. Meaker keeps you going right along side Emory as she wanders around campus playing Miss Marple......
I was given "The Devils Music" by Pearl Meaker, from the author and "Paranormal Romance & Authors that Rock" for an honest review. This is the first full length book from Mrs. Meaker and as much as I wanted to like it, I can't say that I did. The book follows Emory Crawford, a middle aged, house wife of a chemistry professor, who almost seems at times that she is unsatisfied with her life as a homemaker and mother. She is struggling with her daughters recent coming of age and moving on and it seems that Emory is having difficulty filling this void in her life. Emory and her husband Jebbin, enjoy playing bluegrass music and after a performance at the college he teaches at, they find the first of two murdered bodies. The story continues with Emory investigating and using her "women's intuition" to solve the crimes. I am rating this story a 3 out of 5 fangs. The story hints at Emory's and another professors paranormal abilities, but does not go into much detail or make this what I felt could have been a more interesting story line. The "killer" was unexpected, but unexciting and the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. Although, as mentioned this is the first of what seems to be being set up for future other books in the series, there were moments in the book that I wondered if I was missing other prior stories and character building. I can't say that I will be following any further investigations of Emory's.
Pearle Meaker’s “The Devil’s Music” is a murder mystery set in a small college in a small college town, the murder interwoven with academic desires, Zen gardens, and of all things, Blue Grass music. Film critic Roger Ebert said of romantic movies that when we walked into a theatre, we all knew what was going to happen: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Whether the movie was great, good, or painful was how much fun we had getting to that pre-understood end. It’s the same for murder mysteries. For a murder mystery to work, for it to be able to get us to the end in fun, for me it comes down to believability. Can I see myself there? Does what the writer tell me make me feel like I’m inside looking with, or outside looking in. Meaker takes me inside. Her eye to detail is amazing, from the smell and feel of the furniture in a library to the selections in a dinner buffet. She captures brilliantly the atmosphere of a small college, and that brilliant detail lifts the story and moves it along. A very enjoyable read.
I like cozy mysteries and this one fit the bill nicely. That things begin at a college felt right to me, as well. The only issue I would take is the ease with which this Junior Marple learns things--simply by sitting back and knitting? Maybe for some details, but all of them? Nevertheless, this was a fun read and one that made me want to know if/when the author plans to publish a sequel.
A sleepy college town, a middle-aged sleuth and her husband who happen to play bluegrass, and a murder. This cozy mystery is peopled with memorable characters and keeps the reader guessing until the end. A delightful read!
This is a lovely debut novel. It is a cozy mystery with an engaging heroine and interesting plot twists. I never gave any thought to "murder" songs yet I remember loving Joni Mitchell's song "Pretty Polly". If you like cozy mysteries you will love Emory and this new mystery series.
One of my absolute favourite combinations in print is academics, music, and mystery, and it's all here in this well written and beautifully atmospheric novel.
Charming, funny, smart and... well, cozy. This new series featuring amateur sleuth Emory Crawford is exactly what I was looking for to curl up with. A great read.
Move over, Miss Marple - Emory Crawford is here! This was a delightful mystery that enveloped me in its cozy setting and kept me turning page after page. A great read.