Playing with Fire

Daniel Jacobus Mystery #5

by Gerald Elias

The latest Daniel Jacobus mystery holds a mirror to the glittery facade of the concert world, delving into the multimillion-dollar sleight-of-hand of violin dealing . . . "
When an anxious phone call from obscure violinmaker Amadeo Borlotti disturbs Daniel Jacobus's Christmas Eve festivities, he and his dear friends Nathaniel and Yumi make light of it. A seemingly humble practitioner of his craft, Borlotti preferred the quiet life in the country away from the limelight. He even found love at an advanced age.
But his larceny, which began as a typographical error in a bill for a violin repair, grew incessantly. In the end he became a helpless captive of his past indiscretions and was consumed by it, and it is up to Jacobus and his team to find out how, and why.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Music

224 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2016

About the author

Shhh! I'll let you in on a little secret. I've been leading a double life. My award-winning Daniel Jacobus mystery series is set in the dark corners of the classical music world, of which I am intimately familiar as a former violinist with the Boston Symphony, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony and as a conductor, composer, and teacher. The first novel in the series, “Devil’s Trill,” was a Barnes & Noble Discover: Great New Writers selection, and has been followed by six more, most recently "Cloudy With a Chance of Murder," in 2021. "Combining the deductive reasoning of Sherlock Holmes with the rhetorical finesse of Don Rickles," is what Kirkus Review wrote about the series.

But I've branched out from there. My eclectic short stories and essays have graced prestigious journals and magazines on a variety of platforms. In addition, I've written a psychological-political thriller, "The Beethoven Sequence," an anthology of short stories, a musical memoir, "Symphonies & Scorpions," and a children's book, "Maestro, the Potbellied Pig," about a young harpist who finds true love in an unusual, rambunctious pet. The first two installments of the Jacobus series, "Devil's Trill" and "Danse Macabre," are also available in unique audio books, in which I perform the music that provides clues to the listener.

I continue to my horizons as a musician, as music director of the Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series in Salt Lake City, and as a recording artist of a first-ever recording of the sonatas of the Baroque violinist-composer, Pietro Castrucci. On we go!

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Playing With Fire" is a whodunit revolving around music, murder and arson.

Daniel Jacobus, concertmaster, has lost his vocation due to sudden blindness. His senses of hearing, smell and touch have been heightened. He possesses an acute memory. On Christmas Eve, Jake receives a desperate phone call from a small-time violin repairman named Amadeo Borlotti. Borlotti wants to confer with Jacobus immediately despite a heavy snowstorm. Jake insists that the meeting take place on Christmas Day instead. Overnight, Borlotti's house burns down, instruments being left for repairs vanish, and Borlotti himself is nowhere to be found. The police and fire chief request Jake's musical expertise in their investigation.

Jake has two close friends helping him with his inquiries. Nathaniel, an occasional cellist, is an expert in musical instrument fraud. Yumi, Jake's musical protege, is visiting for the Christmas holidays. Many questions arise. How did the fire start? Were combustible liquids,such as acetone and turpentine used in violin making, set ablaze by a bunsen burner in the workshop? Why were there no remnants of burned instruments? Why did Borlotti disappear? Jake uses a combination of humor, sarcasm and an intricate knowledge of violins to solve the puzzling crime.

"Playing With Fire" was a very entertaining as well as informative read. Author Gerald Elias, as a professional violinist having played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, possesses a wealth of knowledge on how the finest violins are crafted by luthiers using 300 year old maple and spruce. He describes false appraisals and instrument insurance fraud. The author portrays crusty Daniel Jacobus as a force to be reckoned with. I enjoyed every moment spent with this part-time sleuth!

Thank you Severn House and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Playing With Fire".

[C.C. Yager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel Jacobus seems to attract mysteries. On Christmas Eve, in the middle of a raging blizzard, he gets a call from a violin repair/dealer who wants to talk to him in person and is willing to venture out in the horrible storm to do it. But Jacobus puts him off until the next morning. When the sun rises the next morning, it brings the news that the violin repair/dealer's house has burned to the ground and he's disappeared. Jacobus becomes involved because he's probably the last person to have spoken with him. The mystery takes Jacobus around the Berkshires, to Saratoga Springs, and even a quick jaunt to Cremona, Italy with Yumi, his former violin student. Nathaniel is back, also, helping with his expertise in insuring musical instruments. I enjoyed the winter weather, although Elias forgot it on a couple occasions when he described fallen leaves rustling across a porch and such. My experience of big snowstorms in New England and in Minnesota is that the snow gets in every nook and cranny with the help of the wind.

I enjoyed this story, and the twists and turns of the insurance business in music as well as violin construction and authentication. Elias writes well and with punch. This novel didn't have as many funny moments. There were some stomach-wrenching moments, however, well described to bring them to life. And a satisfying ending. The pace was just right for the story, and I always enjoy to be kept guessing until almost the end.

Recommended for mystery readers who enjoy something a little different, for classical music lovers looking for an entertaining story and mystery, and maybe also violists! I've now read all the Jacobus mysteries and looking forward to discovering what Gerald Elias writes next.

[Danielle Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Jacobus, the blind MC of this story, seems to be a cross between Ebenezer Scrooge (the grumpy guy in the Christmas story) and Sherlock Holmes. Grouchy characters have always made me smile, unless they are also cruel, which is not the case of the main character. And since I do not really like unexpected visitors myself, I fully understand that he postponed Amadeo Borlotti's visit to the next day. But, as you surely expect, Borlotti dies in the fire of his string shop before Jacobus sees him.

And I do not really believe that we can put the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together by touch alone, as Jacobus does, unless these pieces are marked with Braille dotted clues. lolll

I must mention that I am not usually very interested in insurance frauds, which is the case in this story. But despite that, I found this novel interesting enough to give it 3½ stars.

Thanks to GoodReads and the authors and publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeff Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth Daniel Jacobus murder mystery related in some fashion to classical music and the stringed instruments related to its performance. This is a quick, relatively easy read that is entertaining. For fans of Elias’s first four books, I was a bit disappointed as this story seemed to be a little less twisting-turning than I perceived his first efforts were. Nonetheless, enjoyed it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable

[Natalie Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts were compelling, though I had a hard time engaging with this mystery. I just didn't like the main character much.

[GailW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marked change in writing style in this book compared to the early ones. And I don't mean that in a good way. The story-line itself isn't bad, the dialogue is downright sophomoric. Disappointing.

[Shiela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the intelligence, humor and music information in these books. It is a puzzle that this series is not more mainstream.

[Megan Tolson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I was a bit confused and not very interested but the more I kept reading the more I enjoyed it. I've never been one who is big into music and instruments and since this book was based around that it was kind of hard for me to get myself engaged into the book. Once the mystery started to unfold however it became more and more interesting with more players involved and was overall a very well written interesting book.

This book is about a blind violinist named Jacobus, one of his closest friends, Nathaniel and his protege', Yumi. Jacobus receives a frantic phone call from a repairman named Borlotti on Christmas Eve who asks to see him urgently but he denied his request because of the holiday and said he would see him the next day. Only, the next day does not come for Borlotti. Instead, Jacobus gets a visit from the local police department for his help in the case of the disappearance of Mr. Borlotti and the fire at his house.

This is where the story starts to get a little interesting as things come to light about the secrets Mr. Borlotti has been keeping from his friends. This leads Jacobus, Nathaniel, Yumi and the police on a twisted path all the way to Italy and back. Once this book took off for me I did not want to put it down. It truly was a great read and I think I will read the others in this series.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel Jacobus, blind curmudgeon and violin teacher, delves into the world of musical instrument theft, counterfeiting, and the accompanying insurance fraud with the help of friends Nathaniel and Yumi. The wintry new England setting provides the perfect backdrop for arson, murder, and music.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific story. It is quite believable. I too have been given different provenance for my bow. Who knows? This is one of his best books. Much better than the last Quartet story.
I think any string player might enjoy it.

[KarnagesMistress]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.