Played to Death

Jamie Brodie Mystery #11

by Meg Perry

“Having someone get murdered at your wedding has to be the worst.” Scott Deering, cellist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, doesn’t usually play weddings. But a friend’s family emergency finds him reluctantly anchoring a college string quartet at the wedding of a couple with more money than taste. When his second violinist goes missing after the ceremony, Scott is determined that the show must go on - until the violinist turns up dead and Scott’s day goes to hell.

Jamie Brodie and Pete Ferguson are attending the lavishly over-the-top wedding of an acquaintance of Pete’s when Jamie spots a ghost from his past in the string quartet - Scott Deering, the last guy he dated before Pete. The murder at the wedding is shocking, but it’s not Jamie’s business - until a theft from the music library at UCLA sucks him into the investigation. All Jamie wants to do is finalize the plans for his own wedding to Pete, but first he has to join forces with Scott to track down a killer - and deal with another ghost that throws everyone’s lives into turmoil.

Genres: Mystery, M M Mystery, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2015

About the author

I started reading mysteries where a lot of us started - with Nancy Drew. I graduated to Agatha Christie, then P.D. James. My new favorite is Peter Lovesey.

I've had the characters of Jamie Brodie and Pete Ferguson in my head for a long time, but just recently figured out how to tell their stories. Jamie is an academic librarian because I'm an academic librarian and it's the world I know best.

Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Neet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 11th book in the Jamie Brodie mysteries.In this mystery we find our intrepid librarian attending a wedding with his now fiance Pete.The wedding is a hoity toity affair which was invited to from an old associate of Pete.Of course it wouldn't be a Jamie Brodie mystery without a murder,and this is no different.A cellist is found dead and mystery ensues.Turns out that an ex of Jamie's was (also a cellist) was playing at the wedding.Scott dumped Jamie when he had an asthma attack and laid ill in the hospital.Though 3 years ago, Scott still feels guilty for being that cruel.Jamie has moved on from that heartbreak and is in a stable relationship with Pete, and planning his upcoming nuptials.Scott gets involved in the murder mystery and also the case of the missing musical score that has been stolen from UCLA Music Library.If that weren't enough another ex of Jamie's has moved back to Los Angeles to teach at the English Department of USC.Ethan swears to Jamie that he won't be in Jamie's life.Jamie starts to wonder if the devilish Ethan has ulterior motives.Also, Kevin is seeing in a platonic matter the intelligent and funny Kristen.Will it lead to something more? I ain't telling.This is a good read and this time we not only get Jamie's POV but also Scott's.Unfortunately, this is the last book until Ms. Perry writes her 12th mystery.All I can say is hurry Meg Perry, hurry!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

KU
As always, solid, dependable comfort read - murder and all. Plot driven with very little sex. All of the books in this series can be read as standalones and don't have to be read in any order.

[Jenette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting choices were made for this one and I can’t help but feel like the choice to include Scott’s POV here was a simple desire Perry had to share a completely unnecessary head canon she’d developed about two of her side characters (do they even count as side characters?) and because really, it’s her book and she can do whatever she wants, we had to sit through it. If she was hoping I’d come out the end liking Scott or Ethan she was wrong, Ethan is still awful and Scott was just there I guess? I get that Scott gave a reason to tell this story but Jamie had so little to do with this that I don’t actually know why this wasn’t just a small little spin off with Kevin cameo included.

[Finnegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment of the series has the viewpoint of Scott, one of Jamie's exes. I really like the series, and seeing that I have read 11 books already is a testament to that. I like that we have another POV, and the mystery was engaging, as always

[Suze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worlds collide in this one with Jamie’s significant ex’s Scott and Ethan playing the starring roles, and providing some ‘what!!’ moments.
Jamie and Pete are less involved in the murder but they have much more important issues to discuss and agree - the wedding is nigh!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was unexpected. I enjoyed the mix of two points of view but never expected the second person to be one of Jamie's ex boyfriends. Excellent series.

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Jamie has a type then: academic, optionally a bit sporty, and high maintenance. This definitely wins for the best deployment of the 'ex turns up' trope.

There's a lot of humour in this instalment - some of it even from Pete (shock horror!), and Jamie seems to have lightened up quite a bit. Why are the Brodie brothers always so serious?

Lovely ending too.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic