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A Bertie Bigelow Mystery #1
Melody for Murder: A Bertie Bigelow Mystery
On the South Side of Chicago, one SOUR note can lead to MURDER.When recently-widowed college choir director Bertie Bigelow reluctantly accepts a New Year’s date with Judge Theophilous Green, she never imagines the esteemed civil rights pioneer and inveterate snob will be found shot to death the next morning. She’s even more surprised when her talented but troubled student LaShawn Thomas is arrested for the crime.But Bertie suspects that someone in her tight-knit social circle is really the killer.Is it hot-tempered Patrice Soule, the voluptuous diva and recent winner of the Illinois Idol contest? Is it Charley Howard, the BBQ Hot Sauce King, a self-made millionaire with Mafia connections? Is it the mysterious Dr. Momolu Taylor? Newly arrived from Africa, he's invented a hot new sex drug that’s got some powerful politicians feeling frisky. Or could it be Alderman “Steady Freddy” Clark, corrupt South Side ward boss and would-be patron of the arts?One thing is Bertie Bigelow will need to keep her wits about her to avoid becoming the killer’s next victim.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
29 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Marie Wilkins
14 books73 followersAs a kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Carolyn Marie Wilkins dreamed of singing backup for Aretha Franklin while becoming the next Agatha Christie.
Although she’s still waiting for Aretha to call, Carolyn is now the author of five books. Mojo For Murder and Melody For Murder feature the crime-fighting exploits of Bertie Bigelow, a forty-something choir director and amateur sleuth living on the South Side of Chicago. Carolyn’s nonfiction work includes They Raised Me Up: A Black Single Mother and the Women Who Inspired Her; Damn Near White: An African American Family's Rise from Slavery to Bittersweet Success, and Tips For Singers: Performing, Auditioning, Rehearsing.
An accomplished jazz vocalist and professor at Berklee College of Music, Carolyn has performed on TV and radio with her group SpiritJazz, toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the US State Department, and played for shows featuring Melba Moore, Nancy Wilson, and the Fifth Dimension. When she’s not in the classroom or writing her next mystery novel, Carolyn can be found hanging out in the jazz clubs around Boston, MA.
Although she’s still waiting for Aretha to call, Carolyn is now the author of five books. Mojo For Murder and Melody For Murder feature the crime-fighting exploits of Bertie Bigelow, a forty-something choir director and amateur sleuth living on the South Side of Chicago. Carolyn’s nonfiction work includes They Raised Me Up: A Black Single Mother and the Women Who Inspired Her; Damn Near White: An African American Family's Rise from Slavery to Bittersweet Success, and Tips For Singers: Performing, Auditioning, Rehearsing.
An accomplished jazz vocalist and professor at Berklee College of Music, Carolyn has performed on TV and radio with her group SpiritJazz, toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the US State Department, and played for shows featuring Melba Moore, Nancy Wilson, and the Fifth Dimension. When she’s not in the classroom or writing her next mystery novel, Carolyn can be found hanging out in the jazz clubs around Boston, MA.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 22, 2015
I'm not sure why I kept thinking about Agatha Christie's Miss Marple when I was reading Melody for Murder by Carolyn Marie Wilkins, whose protagonist is Bertie Bigelow. The two fictional characters are cultures and oceans apart; where Miss Marple is British, a spinster, and a tea drinker, Bertie is African American, a widow, and can put away a half bottle of rum on occasion. Miss Marple lived before computers changed the complexion of murder mysteries, and Bertie could be your next door neighbor today—if you live on the South Side of Chicago, that is.
So when, three-fourths of the way through the book, Bertie's best friend asks: "Does it look like we're living in the middle of a Miss Marple episode?" I couldn't help but giggle. And when Bertie giggled, too, "took another sip of rum" and then said, "I'm no Miss Marple," my giggle became a cackling belly laugh.
Moments like this, when I'm reading and make a connection, are when I know why books are one of the most precious treasures on earth. I found several such connections in Melody for Murder because the characters felt real, with easily identifiable strengths and flaws of the human race.
I wouldn't say Wilkins has quite the mystery puzzle touch of an Agatha Christie, but then I'm not sure any mystery writer can top the undisputed Queen of Mystery, who is the best-selling author of all time, save for the Bible and Shakespeare. Of course Wilkins is still writing, and who knows what the future holds.
In Melody for Murder, Bertie is the choir instructor at a community college who comes under fire for the actions of one of her students, then is propositioned by an old friend. Murder arrives soon after and Bertie places herself in the middle of the investigation despite being told to distance herself from it.
The fact that she then becomes a snoopy, busybody looking for clues is when I started thinking about Miss Marple, because that is what Miss Marple always was, and what she always did. But whereas Miss Marple usually did her investigating from the background, Bertie jumps in the fray with accusations that put her on somebody's kill list, reminiscent of the girl who hears a noise in the dark cellar and goes downstairs to investigate.
And we all know what happens to that girl. But then Melody for Murder is a cozy mystery and not a horror flick, so the outcome can't be that bad. Can it?
by Pat Bean
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
So when, three-fourths of the way through the book, Bertie's best friend asks: "Does it look like we're living in the middle of a Miss Marple episode?" I couldn't help but giggle. And when Bertie giggled, too, "took another sip of rum" and then said, "I'm no Miss Marple," my giggle became a cackling belly laugh.
Moments like this, when I'm reading and make a connection, are when I know why books are one of the most precious treasures on earth. I found several such connections in Melody for Murder because the characters felt real, with easily identifiable strengths and flaws of the human race.
I wouldn't say Wilkins has quite the mystery puzzle touch of an Agatha Christie, but then I'm not sure any mystery writer can top the undisputed Queen of Mystery, who is the best-selling author of all time, save for the Bible and Shakespeare. Of course Wilkins is still writing, and who knows what the future holds.
In Melody for Murder, Bertie is the choir instructor at a community college who comes under fire for the actions of one of her students, then is propositioned by an old friend. Murder arrives soon after and Bertie places herself in the middle of the investigation despite being told to distance herself from it.
The fact that she then becomes a snoopy, busybody looking for clues is when I started thinking about Miss Marple, because that is what Miss Marple always was, and what she always did. But whereas Miss Marple usually did her investigating from the background, Bertie jumps in the fray with accusations that put her on somebody's kill list, reminiscent of the girl who hears a noise in the dark cellar and goes downstairs to investigate.
And we all know what happens to that girl. But then Melody for Murder is a cozy mystery and not a horror flick, so the outcome can't be that bad. Can it?
by Pat Bean
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
February 10, 2020
MELODY FOR MURDER is a truly enjoyable book. The characters are unique, the heroine is someone you find yourself rooting for, and the mystery is intriguing. Wilkins is a wonderful storyteller, and her humor really shines throughout the story. Readers looking for a smart mystery are bound to enjoy this book.
March 21, 2025
The 'cozy' mystery is constantly being reinvented and redefined. In this series, Wilkins' has introduced a combination of cozy with just a sliver of the old 'hardboiled' and some faster-paced suspense. With an inner-city setting in Chicago as well as a 'softer' college campus and district, and with Wilkins' passion for, and obvious knowledge of, music to be intertwined with various frauds, crimes and other antics (ie: the protagonist's hilariously misbehaving best friend Ellen, among others!) there are many dichotomies which beautifully balance this extremely well-edited-and-crafted novel. Not to mention a variety of diversity in cultural backgrounds, in professions, and just within the twists and beats of the storylines. There is so much packed into Melody for Murder that it cannot 'just' be genre-crammed into 'cozy', and all of these delights and window-openings to other worlds alone would keep a reader fascinated, even if there was not a compelling murder-mystery to try and solve. On top of all that, the author has a true gift of offering entertaining and subtly-developed characters, from main to tertiary. While most of them are slightly eccentric and make the reader laugh, we almost immediately realize that we know someone very similar, with the same quirks, thus making them even more endearing or believable. I can not wait to read another Bertie Bigelow mystery - she herself is a bouncing bundle of likeable traits and determination, even in her emotionally weaker moments. I would have loved to have sung in a choir under her direction; instead I shall sing her praises wherever I can!
October 27, 2024
Bertie Bigelow is not your typical amateur detective: the newly widowed college music professor has better things to do than follow the trail of a killer. On New Year’s Day, her life is blasted out of tune with one sour note after another. Her New Year’s Eve date is shot to death in his apartment and the underdog student she’s backing is the prime suspect. Even though her friends tell her to leave matters to the police, Bertie’s determination to clear her student’s name drives her to defy protocol, even in the face of danger. Chicago’s south side comes to life with vibrant characters and hot spots courtesy of Wilkins’ picturesque prose. See for yourself why the Bertie Bigelow mysteries are music to my ears
February 27, 2024
Easy to read
Being formerly from Chicago, I enjoyed the geographic references in the narrative. The neighborhood history was interesting as well. Looking forward to the next book by this author.
Being formerly from Chicago, I enjoyed the geographic references in the narrative. The neighborhood history was interesting as well. Looking forward to the next book by this author.
April 11, 2018
Entertaining
This is an entertaining read. I usually don't read stories with amateur detectives but the Chicago references pulled me in. Lots of excitement. A light read.
This is an entertaining read. I usually don't read stories with amateur detectives but the Chicago references pulled me in. Lots of excitement. A light read.
November 17, 2023
4.25. Very enjoyable. I loved the Chicago and academic setting. The author does a great job of showing how relationships in big cities can give you all the fuzzies of a cozy set in a small town. The main character Bertie is very likeable, has an Interesting friend group and profession. I figured out the mystery pretty easily. This didn't detract, because the mystery did make sense. This book is a few years old and there are only two in the series. I wish there were more.
February 24, 2017
Bertie Bigelow teaches music at Metro Community College, a school serving mostly black students on Chicago's South Side. She's preparing for the annual Christmas concert, which draws the community, eager to see the school's talented students. But things don't work out as planned. Instead of introducing the final number, LaShawn Thomas launches into a hip-hop number accusing the local alderman, sitting in the front row, of being a liar, a crook, and a junkie.
Bertie's not sure she'll survive this fiasco, but she has the holiday break to worry about it. She accepts an invitation from Judge Green to attend the New Year's Eve party of the Octagon Society, but that doesn't turn out well either. The judge has thwarted the application of Charley Howard, and the owner of a local health clinic is a little too attentive. Bertie is glad when it's time to leave. But then the judge becomes far too ardent. Bertie escapes but sees, to her surprise, LaShawn arriving at the judge's apartment building as she is leaving. In the morning the judge is found dead and LaShawn is soon arrested for the murder.
Recently widowed, Bertie just wants to keep her job at the college but she also wants to help her student, LaShawn. Her best friend, Ellen, wants her to get out and date, and the college head wants to know who to blame for the LaShawn Thomas fiasco. Bertie turns out to be an intrepid if sometimes inept investigator, motivated by a mix of worry and fear and Ellen.
The author kept me guessing throughout while taking me into the world of Chicago's South Side, and the struggles faced by young men and women trying to get an education amid poverty, crime, and the occasional indifference among those expected to help.
Bertie's not sure she'll survive this fiasco, but she has the holiday break to worry about it. She accepts an invitation from Judge Green to attend the New Year's Eve party of the Octagon Society, but that doesn't turn out well either. The judge has thwarted the application of Charley Howard, and the owner of a local health clinic is a little too attentive. Bertie is glad when it's time to leave. But then the judge becomes far too ardent. Bertie escapes but sees, to her surprise, LaShawn arriving at the judge's apartment building as she is leaving. In the morning the judge is found dead and LaShawn is soon arrested for the murder.
Recently widowed, Bertie just wants to keep her job at the college but she also wants to help her student, LaShawn. Her best friend, Ellen, wants her to get out and date, and the college head wants to know who to blame for the LaShawn Thomas fiasco. Bertie turns out to be an intrepid if sometimes inept investigator, motivated by a mix of worry and fear and Ellen.
The author kept me guessing throughout while taking me into the world of Chicago's South Side, and the struggles faced by young men and women trying to get an education amid poverty, crime, and the occasional indifference among those expected to help.
August 26, 2015
Carolyn Marie Wilkins’ academic mystery Melody for Murder introduced me to a world I’ve never seen, from the poverty of Chicago’s South Side to the glitz of charity galas in the African American community. Protagonist Bertie Bigelow is a young widow and a music professor at a South Side community college where she nurtures young talent and leads the choir. When one of her protogees embarrasses the college at a performance, Bertie’s job is on the line. Her effort to understand LaShawn Thomas’s behavior propels her into world of evil she’s never experienced. She’s forced to confront all her assumptions about the movers and shakers she thought she knew.
Wilkins’ plot is a dynamic puzzle that had me pointing to new suspects and discarding others with every scene shift. Even more skillful is her prose. She has a genius for sound and a pen that can bring music to life for her reader. Her ear for dialect and nuance flows easily from characters that spout Latin phrases to street talk. Bertie’s eye for fashion gives the reader welcome breaks from the violence and desperation she encounters, as striking African dresses, sumptuous furs, and power suits contrast with gang bandanas and shabby cardigans. In short, Wilkins’ characters spring to life in full color and voice as they make their moves against the Chicago setting. Melody for Murder is a great read!
Wilkins’ plot is a dynamic puzzle that had me pointing to new suspects and discarding others with every scene shift. Even more skillful is her prose. She has a genius for sound and a pen that can bring music to life for her reader. Her ear for dialect and nuance flows easily from characters that spout Latin phrases to street talk. Bertie’s eye for fashion gives the reader welcome breaks from the violence and desperation she encounters, as striking African dresses, sumptuous furs, and power suits contrast with gang bandanas and shabby cardigans. In short, Wilkins’ characters spring to life in full color and voice as they make their moves against the Chicago setting. Melody for Murder is a great read!
October 18, 2015
A truly delightful read! Carolyn Marie Wilkins has penned a fabulously entertaining, cozy mystery that’s sure to keep readers eagerly turning the pages of this beautifully written story.
Read full review in the 2015 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2015 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
October 10, 2016
A Great Modern Mystery!
A modern whodunit featuring a music professor as an amateur sleuth. Music and mystery go hand in hand as Bertie Bigelow search her Chicago neighborhood's cast of characters for her student's killer. Not a cozy mystery but not a gory, hard-boiled crime novel either makes this steady-paced story an enjoyable read. I loved every page!
A modern whodunit featuring a music professor as an amateur sleuth. Music and mystery go hand in hand as Bertie Bigelow search her Chicago neighborhood's cast of characters for her student's killer. Not a cozy mystery but not a gory, hard-boiled crime novel either makes this steady-paced story an enjoyable read. I loved every page!
October 7, 2016
I don't normally take this long to read a book but this one just did not hold my interest so it was very hard to keep reading. The characters were likeable enough but the story itself just dragged on and on and on.
December 21, 2015
I loved this story and am waiting very impatiently for Bertie's next case!
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December 29, 2015Great new mystery ...
January 8, 2016
Page turner
Very good. Short chapters and well developed and interesting characters. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
Very good. Short chapters and well developed and interesting characters. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews