Deadly Overtures

Music Lover’s Mystery #3

by Sarah Fox

A composing competition rises to a murderous crescendo in author Sarah Fox’s third Music Lover’s Mystery

DEADLY OVERTURES

Three talented classical music composers have been named finalists in a composing competition hosted by the Point Grey Philharmonic. With money and egos on the line, it doesn’t surprise violinist Midori Bishop that the competition has brought out jealousy and bitter rivalries among the entrants. What does surprise her is finding one of the finalists murdered in the theater. With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the symphony’s esteemed concertmaster, Midori orchestrates her own investigation, uncovering a medley of dark secrets and motives for murder. But can she bring the truth to light before the killer silences her forever?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Sarah Fox, writer of cozy mysteries, was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel.

Sarah is the author of the Literary Pub Mysteries, the Pancake House Mysteries, and the Music Lover's Mysteries.

Reviews

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had found out that unfortunately, this is the last book in the series, but the very sweet ending makes up for that!

Midori was trying to work on two mysteries. One was the theft of her best friend JT's recording equipment and the other was the murder of one of the young composers competition. There were quite a few prospective suspects and at first I had no idea, then towards the end I started putting things together and guessed--but I was almost thrown off the trail because of a clever red herring.

I really enjoyed this whole trilogy!

[Jody Holford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really satisfying ending to the trilogy and probably my favorite of the three.

[Debra B · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting series as I am a music lover, BUT ... I just could not connect with the main character. I realize the idea behind the cozy mystery , but when you have a character who ignores common sense and her physical well being ... well, let me just say that she strikes me as a super nosy parker who is just TSTL!!!

[Sarah Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable read, and I'm so sad there are only three Midori books! However, they are a solid trilogy and I can't wait for everyone to have fun finding out what Midori gets herself into in the finale to the Music Lover's Mystery series!

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5

I've come to really enjoy mysteries and I've long looked forward to reading books that have a connection to music, and so Sarah Fox's Deadly Overtures: A Music Lover's Mystery appealed to me right from the start.

But while I have found that I like mysteries, I have also discovered that I am not a big fan of the cozy mystery and this quite possibly qualifies as a cozy mystery. While the subject is murder, Fox writes with a gentleness that eases the reader into the story - a cozy attribute. This is not a bad thing if you are a fan of 'cozies' - but if you want a little more grit and grist in your fictional murders (as I do) then this is maybe not quite right for you.

Three classical music composers are competing for a prize being awarded by a local philharmonic (in Canada). Not surprisingly, the egos are just as impressive as the musical talent. Also not surprisingly, the contestants are familiar with one another and there is some strong rivalry at work. When one of the contestants is found dead at the concert hall, violinist Midori Bishop takes on her own investigation.

Author Sarah Fox does a nice job of weaving the story around the music, though music itself isn't really key to the mystery (you could substitute nearly any art form and artist for the music and musicians here). Still, it was a delightful read and a pleasant way to spend a few afternoons.

Looking for a good book? While this isn't high on my recommendations list, if you enjoy cozy mysteries and are looking for a music theme, Deadly Overtures by Sarah Fox works fine.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Herb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like these Sarah Fox mysteries, primarily because I’m an amateur musician. The one problem with them, just like the problem with any murder mystery series in a small area, are that the amount of murders seem a little excessive! I mean, if there were that many non-connected murders in your small business, you’d probably change jobs! But the main character, Midori, is very believable, even though most of the book is a little predictable. This one takes place during a composer’s competition, which is a good locale for competitiveness and possible grudges being carried through! Hopefully you’re social distancing, but it’s a good “beach read.”

[Melissa Castor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this third book in the series (and I think final book ☹️)! There is a competition going on for composers in this book. One of the four finalists is murdered. Midori gets involved investigating after Elena becomes a suspect and Hans asks for her help. Another finalist is murdered and Midori must find out what's going on before she's killed. Loved the ending between JT and Midori! This was such a great series with fun characters!

[Anne Siddell · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with the two previous books in the series, this is an undemanding but enjoyable read, perfect for a holiday or long train journey. The irritations are still there - clunky prose, repetitive formula and totally unrealistic lightbulb moment when our heroine figures out whodunnit - but it has a certain charm. Not sure I would have persevered had there been more than three books in the series, though.

[Cara Noyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character overhears a lot and does a great deal if snooping; Not very realistic. And really, Midori figured out the identity of the killer just seconds before he attempted to kill her? This was too far fetched.
Does this imply that just because one plays 2nd violin one can blend in and be practically invisible to the world?

[Tambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. 3rd book in the series.