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Murder a Cappella
The international singing competition in San Antonio starts with a bang. Actually, it starts with two bangs - one for each woman gunned down in front of the Alamo. Tina Overton, a member of the same chorus, takes the murders personally, and vows to find out what happened.
With the help of Angela - her roommate, "deputy," and fellow chair of the costume committee - Tina goes behind the sequins to expose a sinister side of some who live for Sweet Adelines. While facing hemline emergencies and enduring hotel coffee, Tina sifts through catty gossip and dissects covert romances in search of motive and opportunity. When she won’t accept the easy answer, she becomes the next target.
Can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?
With the help of Angela - her roommate, "deputy," and fellow chair of the costume committee - Tina goes behind the sequins to expose a sinister side of some who live for Sweet Adelines. While facing hemline emergencies and enduring hotel coffee, Tina sifts through catty gossip and dissects covert romances in search of motive and opportunity. When she won’t accept the easy answer, she becomes the next target.
Can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2012
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
James R. Callan
12 books102 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
JAMES R. CALLAN took a degree in English, intent on writing. When writing didn’t support a family, he went to graduate school in mathematics, then pursued a career in mathematics and computer science. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Data Processing Management Association. He has been listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science, and Two Thousand Notable Americans.
But writing was his first love. He has published a number of books and picked up some awards along the way. Cleansed by Fire, the first of the Father Frank mystery series, and Murder a Cappella, another mystery which Callan wrote with one of his daughters, Diane Bailey, were both published in 2012.
Callan lives with his wife in east Texas and Puerto Vallarta. They have four grown children and six grandchildren.
JAMES R. CALLAN took a degree in English, intent on writing. When writing didn’t support a family, he went to graduate school in mathematics, then pursued a career in mathematics and computer science. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Data Processing Management Association. He has been listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science, and Two Thousand Notable Americans.
But writing was his first love. He has published a number of books and picked up some awards along the way. Cleansed by Fire, the first of the Father Frank mystery series, and Murder a Cappella, another mystery which Callan wrote with one of his daughters, Diane Bailey, were both published in 2012.
Callan lives with his wife in east Texas and Puerto Vallarta. They have four grown children and six grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 1, 2013
What a delightful mystery! Not only does it have a different kind of backdrop for a murder mystery, we get to learn about a world not a lot of us know about. Quartet competitions, specifically, the Sweet Adelines. This story takes you on unexpected turns and keeps you guessing until the end. The backdrop is the Alamo and since I live in Texas, I was happy to read about a place I have been to. The characters are believable as well as the story itself. James R. Callan and Diane Bailey have collaborated bringing their separate talents to this wonderful book. Diane is member of the Sweet Adelines, so brings that experience into the story. Kudos to them both for attention to detail. Great read.
March 27, 2019
Great read. Learn a lot about singing quartets. Intriguing to figure out the villain only to change my mind a couple more times. Very enjoyable read. 👍👍👍👍👍
September 9, 2019
Good mystery but seemed more like a screenplay than a story. Characters were kind of shallow.
September 8, 2014
The stereotypical image of barbershop music is a quartet of older men in straw hats, singing four-part harmony. What most people outside barbershop circles don’t know is that A) men’s quartets and choruses have young and middle-aged guys too, and B) there are ladies’ quartets and choruses. And both groups have regional, district and international competitions.
So... the scene is San Antonio, Texas. The Alamo plaza, to be precise, where an identically-dressed quartet of female barbershoppers is part of an open-air concert. It’s part of the Sweet Adelines’ international competition, and women have travelled from all over the US and beyond to participate.
When a sniper kills two members of the quartet, is it random violence? Or is someone after the singers?
Barbershopper Tina Overton is in town for the competition, but she’s a cop in her other life. The victims were her friends, and she wants to help find their killer. She works herself into the investigation as a liaison between the San Antonio police and the Sweet Adelines.
This is a mainstream novel and there’s some minor profanity. Because a lot of my readers are Christian, I’ll warn you there’s one instance of Jesus’ name used as a curse. The sad thing is, another word would have done as well and been less offensive. Otherwise, the novel’s a good read.
By definition, a competition for barbershop choruses involves a lot of characters. While only a few are central to the story, like Tina, Angela and the detective, there are a number of interactions with what I’ll call “mid-level” characters. At times I got their names jumbled. If you’re prone to that sort of thing, I’d suggest taking a blank paper for a bookmark and jotting down each person as s/he appears. First and last name (the detective uses surnames) and a cue, like “director.” It’s times like this I wish for the Agatha Christie-style cast list.
Murder a Cappella is the first barbershop-themed mystery I’ve read, and the authors do a fine job of balancing the intricate behind-the-scenes world of the women’s international competition with the unfolding mystery and clues. The solution took me by surprise.
If you’re a barbershopper, you’ll nod and smile at some of the details and situations. If you’re not, you’ll learn a bit about something new. You won’t feel lost in jargon or technicalities. This is Tina’s first time at International, and she’s new enough to her chorus that if there’s anything you need to know, she’ll need to know too. Her friend and mentor Angela will explain it in a non-disruptive way.
You can learn about co-authors James R. Callan and Diane Bailey at their respective websites. For more about Murder a Cappella, to read chapter 1 or to view the book trailer, visit the Sweet Adelines Mystery site. Yes, there will be more Sweet Adeline Mysteries. And that’s a good thing.
[review copy from my personal library]
So... the scene is San Antonio, Texas. The Alamo plaza, to be precise, where an identically-dressed quartet of female barbershoppers is part of an open-air concert. It’s part of the Sweet Adelines’ international competition, and women have travelled from all over the US and beyond to participate.
When a sniper kills two members of the quartet, is it random violence? Or is someone after the singers?
Barbershopper Tina Overton is in town for the competition, but she’s a cop in her other life. The victims were her friends, and she wants to help find their killer. She works herself into the investigation as a liaison between the San Antonio police and the Sweet Adelines.
This is a mainstream novel and there’s some minor profanity. Because a lot of my readers are Christian, I’ll warn you there’s one instance of Jesus’ name used as a curse. The sad thing is, another word would have done as well and been less offensive. Otherwise, the novel’s a good read.
By definition, a competition for barbershop choruses involves a lot of characters. While only a few are central to the story, like Tina, Angela and the detective, there are a number of interactions with what I’ll call “mid-level” characters. At times I got their names jumbled. If you’re prone to that sort of thing, I’d suggest taking a blank paper for a bookmark and jotting down each person as s/he appears. First and last name (the detective uses surnames) and a cue, like “director.” It’s times like this I wish for the Agatha Christie-style cast list.
Murder a Cappella is the first barbershop-themed mystery I’ve read, and the authors do a fine job of balancing the intricate behind-the-scenes world of the women’s international competition with the unfolding mystery and clues. The solution took me by surprise.
If you’re a barbershopper, you’ll nod and smile at some of the details and situations. If you’re not, you’ll learn a bit about something new. You won’t feel lost in jargon or technicalities. This is Tina’s first time at International, and she’s new enough to her chorus that if there’s anything you need to know, she’ll need to know too. Her friend and mentor Angela will explain it in a non-disruptive way.
You can learn about co-authors James R. Callan and Diane Bailey at their respective websites. For more about Murder a Cappella, to read chapter 1 or to view the book trailer, visit the Sweet Adelines Mystery site. Yes, there will be more Sweet Adeline Mysteries. And that’s a good thing.
[review copy from my personal library]
April 18, 2018
A fun book for fans of mysteries and barbershop, particularly if you're a Sweet Adeline or a loved one of a Sweet Adeline.
I was a little dubious at first, only checking out the book because of its subject. I didn't know the author or the publisher, and sometimes that can lead to a huge disappointment. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the book. While the mystery did not stump me--I had my suspect picked out early on, motive and everything, and every new piece of info I had about that person rang true to the murder--I felt that it could stump others. There was also a twist about the murders, and that did fool me for a short while near the end.
I did have to suspend disbelief on a clue that Tina, the main character--a Sweet Adeline and police officer--did not catch on to right away. The clue itself was a little convoluted , but still fun to puzzle out for the reader. But as a fellow Sweet Adeline, certain aspects of the clue were clear to me right away, and I didn't have the advantage that Tina would have had.
It was fun to see the International competition stuff in between the mystery. Having been to my first Regional competition a few months ago, I felt like I understood a lot of what Tina was going through in her first International competition, though hers was obviously bigger. And I had to laugh every time she mentioned an experience that I thought was just our chorus, but clearly is a more universal thing.
As often happens in a mystery, there's a big showdown between Tina and the murderer. While I wish this had taken place in a setting that was more related to the rest of the plot, I did like that Tina was dressed in her red, sequined, performance dress, still connecting it back to the Sweet Adeline competition.
Recommended for fans of: Sweet Adelines; barbershop; mysteries; books about music; books about competitions; books set in Texas; punny clues; ringing chords; big hair, outrageous make-up, and colorful costumes.
I was a little dubious at first, only checking out the book because of its subject. I didn't know the author or the publisher, and sometimes that can lead to a huge disappointment. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the book. While the mystery did not stump me--I had my suspect picked out early on, motive and everything, and every new piece of info I had about that person rang true to the murder--I felt that it could stump others. There was also a twist about the murders, and that did fool me for a short while near the end.
I did have to suspend disbelief on a clue that Tina, the main character--a Sweet Adeline and police officer--did not catch on to right away. The clue itself was a little convoluted , but still fun to puzzle out for the reader. But as a fellow Sweet Adeline, certain aspects of the clue were clear to me right away, and I didn't have the advantage that Tina would have had.
It was fun to see the International competition stuff in between the mystery. Having been to my first Regional competition a few months ago, I felt like I understood a lot of what Tina was going through in her first International competition, though hers was obviously bigger. And I had to laugh every time she mentioned an experience that I thought was just our chorus, but clearly is a more universal thing.
As often happens in a mystery, there's a big showdown between Tina and the murderer. While I wish this had taken place in a setting that was more related to the rest of the plot, I did like that Tina was dressed in her red, sequined, performance dress, still connecting it back to the Sweet Adeline competition.
Recommended for fans of: Sweet Adelines; barbershop; mysteries; books about music; books about competitions; books set in Texas; punny clues; ringing chords; big hair, outrageous make-up, and colorful costumes.
November 14, 2012
Take the glitz and glamour of an International singing contest, then have some of the women murdered and you have the setting for Murder a Cappella. A nice look at the Sweet Adelines International contest from the inside, with someone whose been there.
Tina is looking forward to an exciting week at her first International competition. But when two members of her chorus are shot and killed in front of the Alamo, she is driven to find out who did this and why. Was it some random shooting? Or an extreme Alsmo preservationist? Or someone who doesn't like Sweet Adelines? Or could it be connected to those particular women? And when she refuses to take the simple answer, Tina becomes a target herself. And through all this, she has to prepare to sing in the finals. Can she keep her focus to sing well? Can she keep herself alive?
Tina is looking forward to an exciting week at her first International competition. But when two members of her chorus are shot and killed in front of the Alamo, she is driven to find out who did this and why. Was it some random shooting? Or an extreme Alsmo preservationist? Or someone who doesn't like Sweet Adelines? Or could it be connected to those particular women? And when she refuses to take the simple answer, Tina becomes a target herself. And through all this, she has to prepare to sing in the finals. Can she keep her focus to sing well? Can she keep herself alive?
July 16, 2015
I judge mysteries by how they end. Who did it? What was the motivation? Was evidence presented from the beginning that made it possible to figure out who the murderer was?
On all counts MURDER A CAPPELLA succeeds. A pitch perfect murder mystery ending.
I also loved learning more about the world of the Sweet Adelines. I had never heard of them before reading this book, but had a marvelous time watching videos of recent competitions after I'd finished the book.
My only complaint would be the banter in the early part of the book was a little too girl-talky for me, at times downright silly considering two friends of the main character had just been murdered. I almost put the book down, I got so irritated, but I'm glad I kept reading. The last half of the book was certainly worth it.
On all counts MURDER A CAPPELLA succeeds. A pitch perfect murder mystery ending.
I also loved learning more about the world of the Sweet Adelines. I had never heard of them before reading this book, but had a marvelous time watching videos of recent competitions after I'd finished the book.
My only complaint would be the banter in the early part of the book was a little too girl-talky for me, at times downright silly considering two friends of the main character had just been murdered. I almost put the book down, I got so irritated, but I'm glad I kept reading. The last half of the book was certainly worth it.
September 28, 2012
I love a mystery where I can't guess the ending. A red herring sent me off in the wrong direction on this one... but I enjoyed the likable narrator and her funny friend, so I didn't mind the detour. Entertaining dialogue and a snappy pace kept me reading. I know nothing about singing or group competitions, but this novel placed me in that world in a way that felt authentic, and made me care about the outcome of the competition as well as the finding of the murderer. San Antonio, the Alamo, and the Riverwalk are all evocatively presented--makes me want to visit there again. A clever, fun book.
February 15, 2014
Tina, a police officer, is a newer member of the Sweet Adelines, a group composed of numerous barbershop quartets. It's the week of the international competition and she and her friend, Angela, travel to San Antonio to compete. She's looking forward to leaving police work behind and focusing on the fun and festivities of the event. But, when two members of the Sweet Adelines are shot and killed while singing at the Alamo, Tina's police instincts kick in and she becomes deeply involved in the investigation, placing her own life in serious jeopardy.
I highly recommend "Murder A Capella" by James R. Callan.
I highly recommend "Murder A Capella" by James R. Callan.
December 11, 2012
If you are a Sweet Adeline, have been a Sweet Adeline, even thinking about becoming a Sweet Adeline, you should add this to your list of books to read. It's a great 'who done it' from beginning to end but the best part is how really factual it presents Sweet Adelines at their best; comeptitors, entertainers, and the best support group for women I've ever been lucky enough to be a part. The book gives you just a week at an International Convention in San Antonia, TX. Enjoy and relive it if you were there in the 90s; I was!
July 4, 2012
Witty, intriguing, funny, deadly. Diane Bailey and James Callan put the reader right on stage with the victims and backstage the sleuths. Puzzling, right to the end. Are the Sweet Adelines as sweet as we think? Great mystery.
February 14, 2013
Knowing the author, chorus, and having competed at the San Antonio competition, this was especially fun to read.
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November 2, 2013loved it. I could do see some of my chorus fitting right in or joking around like that. ending was a bit surprising. great story
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews