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Gethsemane Brown Mysteries #1
Murder in G Major
With few other options, African-American classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position turning a group of rowdy schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra. Stranded without luggage or money in the Irish countryside, she figures any job is better than none. The perk? Housesitting a lovely cliffside cottage. The catch? The ghost of the cottage's murdered owner haunts the place. Falsely accused of killing his wife (and himself), he begs Gethsemane to clear his name so he can rest in peace. Gethsemane's reluctant investigation provokes a dormant killer and she soon finds herself in grave danger. As Gethsemane races to prevent a deadly encore, will she uncover the truth or star in her own farewell performance?
280 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2016
369 people are currently reading
7199 people want to read
About the author
Alexia Gordon
9 books709 followersA writer since childhood, I continued writing through college but put literary endeavors on hold to finish medical school and Family Medicine residency training. My medical career established, I returned to writing fiction.
I won a Lefty Award, was nominated for an Agatha Award and a Silver Falchion Award, and was chosen one of Suspense Magazine's best debuts of 2016.
Raised in the southeast and schooled in the northeast, I migrated to the southwest after a three-year stint in Alaska reminded me how much I needed sunlight and warm weather. After a time in the desert, I missed deciduous trees so I headed northeast to the Chicago area. I completed Southern Methodist University's Writer's Path program in Dallas, Texas. If pushed, I will admit Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. I enjoy classical music, fine whiskey, art, travel, embroidery, and a good ghost story.
I am a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Crime Writers of Color. I am represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary Services, LLC and published by Henery Press.
You can find me on:
Facebook: @AlexiaGordon.Writer
Twitter: @AlexiaGordon
Instagram: @drlex1995
Goodreads: Alexia_Gordon
Pinterest: alexia_gordon
Blogs:
www.missdemeanors.com, one of Writers' Digest's Best 101 Websites for Writers.
https://femmesfatales.typepad.com/my_...
Podcast: The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon, part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network
https://anchor.fm/alexia-gordon
I won a Lefty Award, was nominated for an Agatha Award and a Silver Falchion Award, and was chosen one of Suspense Magazine's best debuts of 2016.
Raised in the southeast and schooled in the northeast, I migrated to the southwest after a three-year stint in Alaska reminded me how much I needed sunlight and warm weather. After a time in the desert, I missed deciduous trees so I headed northeast to the Chicago area. I completed Southern Methodist University's Writer's Path program in Dallas, Texas. If pushed, I will admit Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. I enjoy classical music, fine whiskey, art, travel, embroidery, and a good ghost story.
I am a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Crime Writers of Color. I am represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary Services, LLC and published by Henery Press.
You can find me on:
Facebook: @AlexiaGordon.Writer
Twitter: @AlexiaGordon
Instagram: @drlex1995
Goodreads: Alexia_Gordon
Pinterest: alexia_gordon
Blogs:
www.missdemeanors.com, one of Writers' Digest's Best 101 Websites for Writers.
https://femmesfatales.typepad.com/my_...
Podcast: The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon, part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network
https://anchor.fm/alexia-gordon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
August 28, 2024
This was a cozy mystery with a nifty unique take! I kept seeing the beautiful covers for this series come up as friends read it and being a music lover, knew I had to read it. Gethsemane Brown is a talented classic violinist from the US who has moved to Ireland to take a teaching job at a rural school for high school boys. Their orchestra is in sorry shape and there’s a big competition coming up.
If you’re a music nerd, you will LOVE the music references and little bits about rehearsals and competitions.
There’s also the complication that in Gethsemane’s new living quarters, there seems to be a ghost (apparently, she can see the dead!) and he wants her to track down the person who killed him and framed it as a suicide 25 years ago. So, some amateur sleuthing to do. The beginning takes a bit to gain momentum, but once things got going, I really enjoyed this. Looking forward to book two.
If you’re a music nerd, you will LOVE the music references and little bits about rehearsals and competitions.
There’s also the complication that in Gethsemane’s new living quarters, there seems to be a ghost (apparently, she can see the dead!) and he wants her to track down the person who killed him and framed it as a suicide 25 years ago. So, some amateur sleuthing to do. The beginning takes a bit to gain momentum, but once things got going, I really enjoyed this. Looking forward to book two.
October 1, 2016
Our protagonist, Gethsemane Brown, is too perfect. A concert violinist of renown. A petite, beautiful woman who excelled at softball as well as music. Clever, sarcastic, and doggedly determined to solve the murders of Irish composer Eamon McCarthy and his wife Orla. At first, I simply couldn’t get into the book.
Until I did. Author Alexia Gordon infused her debut cozy Murder in G Major with such charm and good humor that, like an over-eager puppy, she completely won me over. I neglected more obligations than I want to admit to race to the last page of this suspense-riddled light mystery. And I bet she’ll win over her other readers, as well.
The book ends with the promise of a sequel, one that can’t come too soon.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.
Until I did. Author Alexia Gordon infused her debut cozy Murder in G Major with such charm and good humor that, like an over-eager puppy, she completely won me over. I neglected more obligations than I want to admit to race to the last page of this suspense-riddled light mystery. And I bet she’ll win over her other readers, as well.
The book ends with the promise of a sequel, one that can’t come too soon.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2016
I'm sooo bummed. What the hell am I going to read now that could possibly top this???
If there is a Queen of geeks and nerds, Ms. Gethsemane Brown is it. All other geeks and nerds need to bow down and kiss the baton of her greatness. She quotes Negro League baseball stats when she's nervous and she knows her bourbon. Tchiakovsky rings in her head, warning her of danger.
(Tina, you are awesome. Smooches).
I'm probably going to fangirl very hard because that's how much I absolutely loved this book. It's like a wonderful cocktail comprised of Miss Marple, Blanche (Barbara Neely's intrepid sleuth Blanche Among the Talented Tenth), Lizzie Stuart, Phryne Fisher and Harriet Vane, with some Ghost and Mrs. Muir and the classic The Thin Man mysteries thrown in. Yes, it was THAT DAMN Good!!!
I absolutely love brilliant Black women characters, especially when they're in fields not always associated with Black people as a whole. Gethsemane was not only an uber-talented musician, but an associate conductor. Do you have any idea how rare Black conductors of either gender are in the entirety of classical music? I know of two. Gethsemane comes from a family of overachievers (DuBois would have considered them "the talented tenth"), and the way she speaks of them, I can't wait to meet the whole Brown clan.
I loved how this cozy village mystery takes place in Ireland. And I loved how Gethsemane, being a world class musician who's seen a lot of the world, fits right in. There's no "oh my gawd, what's in Ireland to do" or ingenue abroad. If anything, she wasn't planning to end up in a little village on the southwestern coast of Ireland, much less finding herself living with the ghost of a famous - and famously temperamental composer - Eamon McCarthy.
And this is where all the fun begins. Not only is Gethsemane in charge of a boy's school orchestra (and whipping said boys into shape for an upcoming battle of bands, classical style), but the restless and sarcastic Eamon needs her to prove that he did not murder his wife Orla, nor commit suicide.
Easy peasy, right?
The village of Dunmullach is chock full of Christie like characters - a priest with a rather eclectic taste in reading material, a flashy psychic, a good-looking and hard-working police inspector, the somewhat sardonic yet attractive fellow teacher (and both men may become potential romantic rivals) errant schoolboys and some less than savory denizens. And of course, that staple of UK life, the village pub.
Of course, if Gethsemane was a real woman I'd probably propose to her. She's just that freaking awesome, and there are few heroines of any genre I can say that about. Like most intrepid amateur sleuths, she sometimes gets in over her head, but her near scrapes only serve to make her even more tenacious.
It's the light-hearted banter between her and Eamon that really sparkles. It's like those screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's with witty women and the men who can't get enough of them. After Gethsemane stops denying that he's real, the two of them go at it like snarky best friends.
My one critique was the focus on the mystery at the expense of Gethsemane's real task of getting a bunch of rowdy boys ready for the All-County music festival. It would have been great to read more day to day interactions between her and her new charges. I'd have loved to watch the process unfold. With that said, this gripe wasn't enough for me to deduct any stars.
While not necessarily a cliffhanger, I'm absolutely incensed that Book 2 isn't out yet. Why??? After the awesome fierceness that was Gethsemane Brown, how do I follow her act? Oh wait, there's Goldie Vance #2. All hope is not lost.
And just in case you're wondering: damn right I'm recommending this book. Drop whatever it is you're doing (unless there's a baby involved. Don't drop them) and grab this book now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now! Stat!
Then after you fangirl/fanboy as hard as I have over Gethsemane Brown, let's put our heads together and write Netflix and tell them we have a killer idea for a series.
Esperanza Spalding (with fro) as Gethsemane Brown. I can definitely see that.
If there is a Queen of geeks and nerds, Ms. Gethsemane Brown is it. All other geeks and nerds need to bow down and kiss the baton of her greatness. She quotes Negro League baseball stats when she's nervous and she knows her bourbon. Tchiakovsky rings in her head, warning her of danger.
(Tina, you are awesome. Smooches).
I'm probably going to fangirl very hard because that's how much I absolutely loved this book. It's like a wonderful cocktail comprised of Miss Marple, Blanche (Barbara Neely's intrepid sleuth Blanche Among the Talented Tenth), Lizzie Stuart, Phryne Fisher and Harriet Vane, with some Ghost and Mrs. Muir and the classic The Thin Man mysteries thrown in. Yes, it was THAT DAMN Good!!!
I absolutely love brilliant Black women characters, especially when they're in fields not always associated with Black people as a whole. Gethsemane was not only an uber-talented musician, but an associate conductor. Do you have any idea how rare Black conductors of either gender are in the entirety of classical music? I know of two. Gethsemane comes from a family of overachievers (DuBois would have considered them "the talented tenth"), and the way she speaks of them, I can't wait to meet the whole Brown clan.
I loved how this cozy village mystery takes place in Ireland. And I loved how Gethsemane, being a world class musician who's seen a lot of the world, fits right in. There's no "oh my gawd, what's in Ireland to do" or ingenue abroad. If anything, she wasn't planning to end up in a little village on the southwestern coast of Ireland, much less finding herself living with the ghost of a famous - and famously temperamental composer - Eamon McCarthy.
And this is where all the fun begins. Not only is Gethsemane in charge of a boy's school orchestra (and whipping said boys into shape for an upcoming battle of bands, classical style), but the restless and sarcastic Eamon needs her to prove that he did not murder his wife Orla, nor commit suicide.
Easy peasy, right?
The village of Dunmullach is chock full of Christie like characters - a priest with a rather eclectic taste in reading material, a flashy psychic, a good-looking and hard-working police inspector, the somewhat sardonic yet attractive fellow teacher (and both men may become potential romantic rivals) errant schoolboys and some less than savory denizens. And of course, that staple of UK life, the village pub.
Of course, if Gethsemane was a real woman I'd probably propose to her. She's just that freaking awesome, and there are few heroines of any genre I can say that about. Like most intrepid amateur sleuths, she sometimes gets in over her head, but her near scrapes only serve to make her even more tenacious.
It's the light-hearted banter between her and Eamon that really sparkles. It's like those screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's with witty women and the men who can't get enough of them. After Gethsemane stops denying that he's real, the two of them go at it like snarky best friends.
My one critique was the focus on the mystery at the expense of Gethsemane's real task of getting a bunch of rowdy boys ready for the All-County music festival. It would have been great to read more day to day interactions between her and her new charges. I'd have loved to watch the process unfold. With that said, this gripe wasn't enough for me to deduct any stars.
While not necessarily a cliffhanger, I'm absolutely incensed that Book 2 isn't out yet. Why??? After the awesome fierceness that was Gethsemane Brown, how do I follow her act? Oh wait, there's Goldie Vance #2. All hope is not lost.
And just in case you're wondering: damn right I'm recommending this book. Drop whatever it is you're doing (unless there's a baby involved. Don't drop them) and grab this book now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now! Stat!
Then after you fangirl/fanboy as hard as I have over Gethsemane Brown, let's put our heads together and write Netflix and tell them we have a killer idea for a series.
Esperanza Spalding (with fro) as Gethsemane Brown. I can definitely see that.
February 1, 2017
That was delightful!
Just like Land of Shadows a book I read earlier this year, I feel as if this book were written just for me.
Like that book, it ticks off a lot of the things that make a book just work for me.
- African American female lead who is smart and excellently competent in her job
- Fantastic dialogue
- Funny
- good story
- good writing
- great supporting characters who are not cardboard but have personality
And in this case a nice hook in a good cosy mystery. Also one of my favorite tropes is the outsider who comes in and shakes things up and this book is definitely that.
Gethsemane Browne is a virtuoso violinist whose life has imploded around her. She was promised a job as the assistant conductor of the Cork Philharmonic orchestra only for it to be snatched from under her by the music director's mistress. Since she had given up everything in the states to take the position -- her job, her apartment, her boyfriend -- she was literally left with almost nothing.
Because she comes from a family of overachievers -- doctors, chemists, nuclear physicists, judges -- she can't slink back home an utter failure. It is not to be borne. So she takes a job as a music teacher in a teaching academy in a small Irish village. It happens to be the home of one of the world's most renowned composers and concert pianists, Eamon McCarthy. A man who had supposedly murdered his wife and then killed himself.
Only this isn't true as Gethsemane quickly learns. She is housed in Eamon's cottage as part of her teaching contract. What they didn't tell her is that the cottage comes with Eamon's restless ghost. Well, they didn't tell her because they didn't know. It seems only Gethsemane has the luck to be able to communicate with his ghost.
What follows is a fun mystery as Eamon inveigles Gethsemane to clear his name and restore his reputation. The two have a very Ghost as Ms. Muir vibe, but with a decidedly modern twist as the snark factor between them is high and the quips fly fast and furious. But there is affection underneath as their friendship flourishes as Gethsemane gets closer to the truth.
Gethsemane is a great character to hang the story on. She has a bit of an irreverent sense of humor, she knows her whisky and Negro League baseball, she is talented and extremely focused. Even though she enters into her amateur sleuthing reluctantly, once she gets her teeth into she refuses to back down even as other murders happen that are clearly connected and she is most likely a target herself.
I also rather enjoyed all the relationships and connections she makes with the very colorful local characters. Her prickly relationship with the cold case Inspector O'Reilly or her co-conspiratorial relationship with the nicely sarcastic math teacher Francis.
And finally, I like that the writing doesn't try to Americanize everything. The names and places and terms are specifically Irish. For instance she could have just said the 'Dunmallach police' but a local uses the term 'Dunmullach An Garda Síoichána.' Sure they don't trip off the American tongue easily but I appreciated that the author seems to have enough respect for her audience to keep it real...
The mystery gets solved in the end, but the story isn't entirely over. Our heroine has a bit of a professional dilemma she needs to work through and our resident ghost finds himself in a bit of a pickle.
I can't wait til the next one!
Just like Land of Shadows a book I read earlier this year, I feel as if this book were written just for me.
Like that book, it ticks off a lot of the things that make a book just work for me.
- African American female lead who is smart and excellently competent in her job
- Fantastic dialogue
- Funny
- good story
- good writing
- great supporting characters who are not cardboard but have personality
And in this case a nice hook in a good cosy mystery. Also one of my favorite tropes is the outsider who comes in and shakes things up and this book is definitely that.
Gethsemane Browne is a virtuoso violinist whose life has imploded around her. She was promised a job as the assistant conductor of the Cork Philharmonic orchestra only for it to be snatched from under her by the music director's mistress. Since she had given up everything in the states to take the position -- her job, her apartment, her boyfriend -- she was literally left with almost nothing.
Because she comes from a family of overachievers -- doctors, chemists, nuclear physicists, judges -- she can't slink back home an utter failure. It is not to be borne. So she takes a job as a music teacher in a teaching academy in a small Irish village. It happens to be the home of one of the world's most renowned composers and concert pianists, Eamon McCarthy. A man who had supposedly murdered his wife and then killed himself.
Only this isn't true as Gethsemane quickly learns. She is housed in Eamon's cottage as part of her teaching contract. What they didn't tell her is that the cottage comes with Eamon's restless ghost. Well, they didn't tell her because they didn't know. It seems only Gethsemane has the luck to be able to communicate with his ghost.
What follows is a fun mystery as Eamon inveigles Gethsemane to clear his name and restore his reputation. The two have a very Ghost as Ms. Muir vibe, but with a decidedly modern twist as the snark factor between them is high and the quips fly fast and furious. But there is affection underneath as their friendship flourishes as Gethsemane gets closer to the truth.
Gethsemane is a great character to hang the story on. She has a bit of an irreverent sense of humor, she knows her whisky and Negro League baseball, she is talented and extremely focused. Even though she enters into her amateur sleuthing reluctantly, once she gets her teeth into she refuses to back down even as other murders happen that are clearly connected and she is most likely a target herself.
I also rather enjoyed all the relationships and connections she makes with the very colorful local characters. Her prickly relationship with the cold case Inspector O'Reilly or her co-conspiratorial relationship with the nicely sarcastic math teacher Francis.
And finally, I like that the writing doesn't try to Americanize everything. The names and places and terms are specifically Irish. For instance she could have just said the 'Dunmallach police' but a local uses the term 'Dunmullach An Garda Síoichána.' Sure they don't trip off the American tongue easily but I appreciated that the author seems to have enough respect for her audience to keep it real...
The mystery gets solved in the end, but the story isn't entirely over. Our heroine has a bit of a professional dilemma she needs to work through and our resident ghost finds himself in a bit of a pickle.
I can't wait til the next one!
January 25, 2019
I rarely upgrade a rating when I re-read a book, but I have to say that I may have enjoyed this one better the second time around. I am so glad that I decided to reread the series before jumping into the upcoming release.
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
June 1, 2025
4.5★
An African-American violinist suddenly stranded in Ireland faces two daunting tasks: preparing the village school’s orchestra for a high-stakes competition they can’t possibly win and solving a pair of murders now celebrating their 25th anniversaries.
We meet Gethsemane Brown. (who would give their kid a name like that) She's a very accomplished classical musician who has abandoned her life in the states to take a job in Ireland. Unfortunately, that job has been pulled out from under her, given to some someone else, and now she finds herself stranded with no luggage and no money and a one-way ticket to Ireland.
Luckily, she’s offered to stay at a cottage in a tiny village in the Irish countryside and soon finds herself teaching at St. Brennan’s School for Boys. The orchestra has a big competition coming up and…they need help. A LOT of help. In the midst of all of these life changes, Gethsemane also comes to realize the cottage is inhabited by the ghost of a suspect in a long-ago murder-suicide case. He claims he’s innocent and wants Gethsemane’s help in clearing his name. “Definitely a ghost.... not a hallucination: a hallucination would’ve had better manners.”
The story is written, with a few healthy dashes of humor and several good tense moments. Gethsemane is an incredibly likable character, and her interactions with the ghost in the story were some of my favorites. I’m not a big fan of cozy mysteries as a rule, but I am very interested in trying another in this series.
An African-American violinist suddenly stranded in Ireland faces two daunting tasks: preparing the village school’s orchestra for a high-stakes competition they can’t possibly win and solving a pair of murders now celebrating their 25th anniversaries.
We meet Gethsemane Brown. (who would give their kid a name like that) She's a very accomplished classical musician who has abandoned her life in the states to take a job in Ireland. Unfortunately, that job has been pulled out from under her, given to some someone else, and now she finds herself stranded with no luggage and no money and a one-way ticket to Ireland.
Luckily, she’s offered to stay at a cottage in a tiny village in the Irish countryside and soon finds herself teaching at St. Brennan’s School for Boys. The orchestra has a big competition coming up and…they need help. A LOT of help. In the midst of all of these life changes, Gethsemane also comes to realize the cottage is inhabited by the ghost of a suspect in a long-ago murder-suicide case. He claims he’s innocent and wants Gethsemane’s help in clearing his name. “Definitely a ghost.... not a hallucination: a hallucination would’ve had better manners.”
The story is written, with a few healthy dashes of humor and several good tense moments. Gethsemane is an incredibly likable character, and her interactions with the ghost in the story were some of my favorites. I’m not a big fan of cozy mysteries as a rule, but I am very interested in trying another in this series.
May 22, 2017
4.5 Stars
After losing her career, luggage and with no money to speak of, Gethsemane Brown is stranded in a small picturesque village in Ireland. She quickly finds a job opportunity that includes lodging. Only she doesn't count on sharing the long empty cottage with a ghostly roommate who is also her musical idol, Eamon McCarthy. Twenty-five years ago, Eamon was (falsely) accused of murder-suicide. He scares, bribes and begs Gethsemane to find out who killed his wife, Orla and later him and staged it to look like a suicide. The suspect list is endless.
With no desire to return home to Virginia to face the scorn and ridicule of her high-achieving family members, Gethsemane -- who is a talented classical concert violinist (and conductor), secures a position at St. Brennan's School for Boys who are in desperate need of the services of a musical virtuoso. Geth has been tasked with readying a ragtag honors group of young boys into stellar orchestra musicians for the (never won ... yet) 75th Anniversary of the All-County School Orchestra Competition. The temporary (in her mind) teaching gig is just a stepping stone to her ultimate goal of procuring a highly coveted position as the new director for the Philharmonic in Boston.
Geth is determined with the reluctant help of Inspector O'Reilly (who has impeccable taste in well made shoes) to get him to reopen The McCarthy's cold case. Opting not to mention that by solving the case she'll also be able to reunite (as they were in life) the currently restlessly walking dead and separated souls of Eamon and Orla.
Between rehearsals, hounding Inspector O'Reilly, following clues and her daily updates to Eamon, they quickly form an unbreakable bond over music and their mutual love of Bushmills Whiskey. The affection in their relationship clearly shines through and Eamon constantly worries for Geth's safety after she has a couple of close calls. So much so that he encourages her not to continue with the investigation. Because the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to danger.
I deducted 1/2 star because I thought the killer was too obvious. People normally kill (excluding serial and thrill killers) for four basic reasons: love, hate, money or jealousy.
Coming Soon: Death in D Minor (July 11, 2017)
After losing her career, luggage and with no money to speak of, Gethsemane Brown is stranded in a small picturesque village in Ireland. She quickly finds a job opportunity that includes lodging. Only she doesn't count on sharing the long empty cottage with a ghostly roommate who is also her musical idol, Eamon McCarthy. Twenty-five years ago, Eamon was (falsely) accused of murder-suicide. He scares, bribes and begs Gethsemane to find out who killed his wife, Orla and later him and staged it to look like a suicide. The suspect list is endless.
With no desire to return home to Virginia to face the scorn and ridicule of her high-achieving family members, Gethsemane -- who is a talented classical concert violinist (and conductor), secures a position at St. Brennan's School for Boys who are in desperate need of the services of a musical virtuoso. Geth has been tasked with readying a ragtag honors group of young boys into stellar orchestra musicians for the (never won ... yet) 75th Anniversary of the All-County School Orchestra Competition. The temporary (in her mind) teaching gig is just a stepping stone to her ultimate goal of procuring a highly coveted position as the new director for the Philharmonic in Boston.
Geth is determined with the reluctant help of Inspector O'Reilly (who has impeccable taste in well made shoes) to get him to reopen The McCarthy's cold case. Opting not to mention that by solving the case she'll also be able to reunite (as they were in life) the currently restlessly walking dead and separated souls of Eamon and Orla.
Between rehearsals, hounding Inspector O'Reilly, following clues and her daily updates to Eamon, they quickly form an unbreakable bond over music and their mutual love of Bushmills Whiskey. The affection in their relationship clearly shines through and Eamon constantly worries for Geth's safety after she has a couple of close calls. So much so that he encourages her not to continue with the investigation. Because the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to danger.
I deducted 1/2 star because I thought the killer was too obvious. People normally kill (excluding serial and thrill killers) for four basic reasons: love, hate, money or jealousy.
Coming Soon: Death in D Minor (July 11, 2017)
February 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this series starter. Fortunately, I have the entire series in audio book format.
December 29, 2025
I reread this (my original review is at the bottom) and now it's just 3 stars due to something that primarily affects only people with a good understanding of classical music and high school orchestras of all levels and/or students even gifted ones. It doesn't affect the mystery, but I'll put it in spoilers so those of you who don't care about that sort of thing can skip it. I still love the idea of a woman maestro in general, and a black one to boot since there is an inordinate amount of sexism in who is a conductor and some orchestras won't follow even the best woman conductors (I have inside info on that last one ;) ). That is changing as older musicians retire--at least I hope so!
3+ stars
Gesthemane Brown flew to Ireland to take a job as the assistant conductor to an Irish orchestra (one promised, but lost due to the mistress of the conductor) and the airline lost her luggage to boot. Not wanting to go home and be barraged by her failure (her career has been excellent, but that matters little to her family who didn't want her to become a violinist, etc, in the first place) she has taken a short term job conducting orchestras at a high school where the advanced orchestra is suppose to compete in a prestigious competition in six weeks.
She is staying in the home of a late, famous composer and his late wife, who died, apparently by murder and suicide, twenty-five years before, but the ghost of the composer--who she can both see and here, wants her her to prove him innocent. As she reluctantly takes this on, there is soon trouble afoot.
I am not sure if I just didn't read enough of the blurb or how I didn't know this was a paranormal novel at first (not my cup of tea), but I really wanted to read it due the the classical music component and the idea of an African American maestra--female orchestra conductors are very much a minority as are black ones (whether African American, other heritage or from other countries) who is also a world class violinist appealed to me. I am planning to read the next book in the series at some point.
3+ stars
Gesthemane Brown flew to Ireland to take a job as the assistant conductor to an Irish orchestra (one promised, but lost due to the mistress of the conductor) and the airline lost her luggage to boot. Not wanting to go home and be barraged by her failure (her career has been excellent, but that matters little to her family who didn't want her to become a violinist, etc, in the first place) she has taken a short term job conducting orchestras at a high school where the advanced orchestra is suppose to compete in a prestigious competition in six weeks.
She is staying in the home of a late, famous composer and his late wife, who died, apparently by murder and suicide, twenty-five years before, but the ghost of the composer--who she can both see and here, wants her her to prove him innocent. As she reluctantly takes this on, there is soon trouble afoot.
I am not sure if I just didn't read enough of the blurb or how I didn't know this was a paranormal novel at first (not my cup of tea), but I really wanted to read it due the the classical music component and the idea of an African American maestra--female orchestra conductors are very much a minority as are black ones (whether African American, other heritage or from other countries) who is also a world class violinist appealed to me. I am planning to read the next book in the series at some point.
September 21, 2021
Wow! What a great book. I am so happy to have fallen into this this book and can't wait to get into the rest of the series. This follows the story of Gethsemane, a musician who is looking for her big break of sorts. Only to find herself in a small town in Ireland, broke, and in a haunted house.
While she has so many things to juggle, one including being a teacher; she is dedicated to helping a ghost who is living her house find out who killed him. I found the pace in the book to be perfectly matched. I didn't feel rushed and I didn't feel like they were sections that the author could have expanded on.
I felt that influence of Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew, and others in this story. I am so happy that this book is a series. I am interested to see if the school boys will get bigger roles in the upcoming books.
While she has so many things to juggle, one including being a teacher; she is dedicated to helping a ghost who is living her house find out who killed him. I found the pace in the book to be perfectly matched. I didn't feel rushed and I didn't feel like they were sections that the author could have expanded on.
I felt that influence of Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew, and others in this story. I am so happy that this book is a series. I am interested to see if the school boys will get bigger roles in the upcoming books.
February 18, 2017
Very well-written debut, and worthy of its Agatha Nomination. I only knocked off half a star because it took me forever to finish, but I have been very busy the last few days. Overall, wonderful and I recommend!
May 23, 2022
I listened to this one. It's a cozy mystery set in Ireland and focused around music, musicians, and an orchestra competition. It also had a ghost and a 25 year old murder mystery. Overall, a cute story with a likable protagonist. The mystery is solved by the end, but it leaves a number of plot lines dangling for book 2. The narrator did a great job - my only complaint is that she pronounced "orchestra" like Ackestra - a minor nitpick!
June 12, 2017
A cozy mystery with a paranormal twist - a really fun read. Looking forward to reading the next one!
October 24, 2020
Reread it AGAIN. Still love it!
May 3, 2017
I greatly enjoyed this debut by Alexia Gordon. I love it when a gut feeling about a book pays off. What was especially fun was not really knowing what I was getting into as I opened the book. I'd been intrigued by the notion of an African American heroine in a cozy mystery (not something one finds very often I assure you) and doubly intrigued by her occupation (unemployed musician and conductor) and the book's premise. Having lost out on a career changing position Ms. Gethsemane Brown has made the life altering decision to spontaneously relocate to the Irish countryside, leaving friends, family and everything she's known behind. Gethsemane is pretty sure this is just a stop gap on the road to greater things but before long she finds herself promising to bring a boy's school orchestra to the championships and vowing to solve a murder at the behest of the main suspect...who's also...umm...dead.
That's right it turns out that this is a murder mystery with a supernatural sidekick and the second he was introduced I spent thirty seconds being royally ticked that such a promising beginning was being derailed into some hokey urban supernatural thriller before I decided to plow ahead and I am very glad I did.
This book is funny, smart, sad, thrilling, very romantic and just a teeny tiny bit sexy. Gesthsemane is a wonderful heroine. Whip smart, lovely and super talented but not without some baggage. Its obvious that her relationship with her overachieving family is a source of stress she's clearly trying to escape and it can't be an accident that we watch her imbibe way more than her fair share of spirits throughout the book. She's inclined to go off a bit half cocked and is not averse to breaking the law to solve the case. So she's someone to root for who you also think could benefit from a night in a holding cell just to give her some perspective maybe.
Gordon also pretty effortlessly surrounds her with a huge cast of supporting players who I certainly expect to see playing their own roles in the mysteries I hope are to come. There's a few potential love interests (I love it when a heroine has options) and a collection of quirky (insane is probably a better descriptor in some cases) lads and lasses who I'm sure will become part of Gethsemane's posse and some straight up horrible people that she makes enemies of (because you gotta have enemies to cross swords with).
Then there's Eamon McCarthy the wrongly accused ghost who supposedly killed himself following the murder of his beloved wife. His story rapidly becomes almost as important as Gethsemane's and we come to know him almost as well as we do her. Their relationship is far from the typical "send the ghost to the light" kind of ghost story. Eamon is definitely trapped and longing to join his wife but against both their instincts he and Gethsemane start to form this incredible bond and very deep friendship. You start to forget that he's a ghost and she's a person and suddenly its about two damaged, lonely people finding solace and understanding where they least expected it. What starts out as kind of a trope supernatural thriller plot device becomes something much deeper and richer.
So if cozy mysteries packed with smarts and heart are your thing I can't recommend this enough. Gordon also has a real gift for setting. I'd never given much thought to visiting Ireland before this but she had me longing to go from page one. Her characters are wonderful and lively and their dialogue is equally crisp and witty and wise and the story ain't so bad either.
But I do have a bone to pick with you Ms. Gordon. She left me hanging on a bloody precipice of a cliff hanger and god only knows how long I have to wait to find out how everything comes out!
You evil, evil woman!!!!!!
That's right it turns out that this is a murder mystery with a supernatural sidekick and the second he was introduced I spent thirty seconds being royally ticked that such a promising beginning was being derailed into some hokey urban supernatural thriller before I decided to plow ahead and I am very glad I did.
This book is funny, smart, sad, thrilling, very romantic and just a teeny tiny bit sexy. Gesthsemane is a wonderful heroine. Whip smart, lovely and super talented but not without some baggage. Its obvious that her relationship with her overachieving family is a source of stress she's clearly trying to escape and it can't be an accident that we watch her imbibe way more than her fair share of spirits throughout the book. She's inclined to go off a bit half cocked and is not averse to breaking the law to solve the case. So she's someone to root for who you also think could benefit from a night in a holding cell just to give her some perspective maybe.
Gordon also pretty effortlessly surrounds her with a huge cast of supporting players who I certainly expect to see playing their own roles in the mysteries I hope are to come. There's a few potential love interests (I love it when a heroine has options) and a collection of quirky (insane is probably a better descriptor in some cases) lads and lasses who I'm sure will become part of Gethsemane's posse and some straight up horrible people that she makes enemies of (because you gotta have enemies to cross swords with).
Then there's Eamon McCarthy the wrongly accused ghost who supposedly killed himself following the murder of his beloved wife. His story rapidly becomes almost as important as Gethsemane's and we come to know him almost as well as we do her. Their relationship is far from the typical "send the ghost to the light" kind of ghost story. Eamon is definitely trapped and longing to join his wife but against both their instincts he and Gethsemane start to form this incredible bond and very deep friendship. You start to forget that he's a ghost and she's a person and suddenly its about two damaged, lonely people finding solace and understanding where they least expected it. What starts out as kind of a trope supernatural thriller plot device becomes something much deeper and richer.
So if cozy mysteries packed with smarts and heart are your thing I can't recommend this enough. Gordon also has a real gift for setting. I'd never given much thought to visiting Ireland before this but she had me longing to go from page one. Her characters are wonderful and lively and their dialogue is equally crisp and witty and wise and the story ain't so bad either.
But I do have a bone to pick with you Ms. Gordon. She left me hanging on a bloody precipice of a cliff hanger and god only knows how long I have to wait to find out how everything comes out!
You evil, evil woman!!!!!!
September 27, 2021
Gethsemane Brown, an African-American classical musician finds a school job in a small village in Ireland.
She really needs to succeed in this job. She has to leave her mark. But the old mansion that she’s staying in, is hunted by the ghost of her favorite composer. Who has been murdered. And accused of killing his wife before allegedly take his own life. Now his ghost begs Gethsemane to help him reveal the truth.
A nice cozy mystery. I loved the atmospheric scenery of Ireland during Autumn. I really liked the mention of classical compositions. And the humor, Gethsemane is a strong willed and funny person.
The story ends leaving a major plot thing unresolved. So I’m tempted to read the next one in the series. But I’ not sure quite yet, since I didn’t find myself hooked on the story. It was an ok read and I enjoyed it, but it’s not that I cannot wait to pick up the next one.
3.5 stars
She really needs to succeed in this job. She has to leave her mark. But the old mansion that she’s staying in, is hunted by the ghost of her favorite composer. Who has been murdered. And accused of killing his wife before allegedly take his own life. Now his ghost begs Gethsemane to help him reveal the truth.
I’m a musician. I’m a maestra. I’m not some Miss Marple-wannabe. I don’t know anything about investigating murders.
A nice cozy mystery. I loved the atmospheric scenery of Ireland during Autumn. I really liked the mention of classical compositions. And the humor, Gethsemane is a strong willed and funny person.
I get smart when I’m nervous. Right now I’m fecking brilliant
The story ends leaving a major plot thing unresolved. So I’m tempted to read the next one in the series. But I’ not sure quite yet, since I didn’t find myself hooked on the story. It was an ok read and I enjoyed it, but it’s not that I cannot wait to pick up the next one.
3.5 stars
April 25, 2018
This was adorable.
Gethesemane was endearing and funny. The cozy little Irish town was by turns charming and eccentric. The audio book narrator was really good with the various accents.
I took off one star cause the author made a disparaging comment about black names with apostrophe's and I detest that crap.
Gethesemane was endearing and funny. The cozy little Irish town was by turns charming and eccentric. The audio book narrator was really good with the various accents.
I took off one star cause the author made a disparaging comment about black names with apostrophe's and I detest that crap.
June 26, 2016
An American classical musician who stumbles into a ghostly quest on the windswept cliffs of Ireland -- this is my kind of mystery. I was lucky to get an Advance Reader Copy, and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
June 8, 2017
First Sentence: Gethsemane Brown leaned closer to the windshield.
Conductor and violinist Gethsemane Brown has come to Ireland for a dream job. Her luggage lost, her money gone, the job given to someone else, she has few options but to accept the challenging job of turning a group of school boys into an award-winning orchestra. The good news is that the job comes with a charming Irish cottage to housesit and the ghost of the former owner who presents her second challenge; provide him innocent of killing his wife and committing suicide.
Before automatically giving this a pass due to being a cozy and/or a paranormal, one might want to stop and reconsider. In fact, if one is old enough, think a bit on “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” but also a bit of “Midsomer Murders.”
There are many things with which one can identify in this opening. And that’s just the start.
It’s hard to imagine a better setting or name for a protagonist. And what a wonderful protagonist is she. Learning the history of her family goes a long way in explaining who she is and her behavior.
The dialogue is wonderful—“Well, which is it?” Eamon frowned down at her. “Ghost? Trick of the light? Or maybe a psychotic break? Or drunk on my bourbon?” enhanced by excellent analogies—“The theater’s Victorian beauty reminded her of Miss Havisham, past her prime but still proud.”—and descriptions—“She closed her eyes and inhaled the almond-vanilla smell of old books, one of her favorite scents.” There is also a lovely little change up to a classic riff on “The Godfather”—“Remind me why you come to me whenever you need help with something dangerous.” “Frankie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “Casablanca explains every situation.”
The only slight criticism was that the ending seemed a bit weak. It tried a bit hard to lead one to the next book, but that’s being picky.
“Murder in G Major” was an unexpected read, much more of a traditional mystery than a cozy: delightful characters, excellent sense of place, compelling author’s voice, and well-done pacing and flow to a thoroughly enjoyable story.
MURDER IN G MAJOR (Para Mys- Gethsemane Brown- Ireland-Contemp) – VG+
Gordon, Alexia – 1st in series
Henery Press – September 2016
Conductor and violinist Gethsemane Brown has come to Ireland for a dream job. Her luggage lost, her money gone, the job given to someone else, she has few options but to accept the challenging job of turning a group of school boys into an award-winning orchestra. The good news is that the job comes with a charming Irish cottage to housesit and the ghost of the former owner who presents her second challenge; provide him innocent of killing his wife and committing suicide.
Before automatically giving this a pass due to being a cozy and/or a paranormal, one might want to stop and reconsider. In fact, if one is old enough, think a bit on “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” but also a bit of “Midsomer Murders.”
There are many things with which one can identify in this opening. And that’s just the start.
It’s hard to imagine a better setting or name for a protagonist. And what a wonderful protagonist is she. Learning the history of her family goes a long way in explaining who she is and her behavior.
The dialogue is wonderful—“Well, which is it?” Eamon frowned down at her. “Ghost? Trick of the light? Or maybe a psychotic break? Or drunk on my bourbon?” enhanced by excellent analogies—“The theater’s Victorian beauty reminded her of Miss Havisham, past her prime but still proud.”—and descriptions—“She closed her eyes and inhaled the almond-vanilla smell of old books, one of her favorite scents.” There is also a lovely little change up to a classic riff on “The Godfather”—“Remind me why you come to me whenever you need help with something dangerous.” “Frankie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “Casablanca explains every situation.”
The only slight criticism was that the ending seemed a bit weak. It tried a bit hard to lead one to the next book, but that’s being picky.
“Murder in G Major” was an unexpected read, much more of a traditional mystery than a cozy: delightful characters, excellent sense of place, compelling author’s voice, and well-done pacing and flow to a thoroughly enjoyable story.
MURDER IN G MAJOR (Para Mys- Gethsemane Brown- Ireland-Contemp) – VG+
Gordon, Alexia – 1st in series
Henery Press – September 2016
April 26, 2018
I’ve long harbored a bias against cozy mysteries, but I decided to give one a try because the older I get, the less I can stomach violence. With cozy mysteries, you can count on the author to gloss over the gory details and focus instead on the characters and their efforts to crack the case. In Murder in G Major, violinist and conductor Gethsemane Brown is hired to direct the orchestra at an all-boys school in rural Ireland. After being passed over for a more prestigious job, Gethsemane is glad to have a paying gig and a place to live, but she’s less excited when she discovers her isolated cottage harbors a ghost. Fortunately, it’s a ghost of the friendly variety, but he wants Gethsemane to investigate his and his wife’s mysterious deaths years earlier, and there are people in town that don’t want her poking her nose into the past.
May 14, 2017
Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon is the first book in the Gethsemane Brown Mystery series. Musician Gethsemane Brown takes up a teaching position in the Irish countryside house sitting a house previously inhabited by a former composer who was accused of murdering his wife and then committing suicide. His ghost insists he was murdered and enlists Gethsemane's help to find his and his wife's murderer. An interesting book with likeable characters. I liked the way that Tchaikovsky's music would warn Gethsemane of danger. I found the mystery a little slow paced and drawn out but otherwise enjoyed it very much.
October 7, 2021
4.5-5 of 5 stars
Reallllllly enjoyed this! I really thought I knew who dunnit but I was wrong. I've already checked out the 2nd in the series even though it has a different narrator. Jessica Carroll did an excellent excellent EXCELLENT job with making each character distinct and unique in this first installment of the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series. I do hope that they stay in this same town (I won't attempt to spell it because I read this all via audiobook🤡😩) in Ireland. Murder in G Major does start out a bit slow. But once the story gets started it's a great time!
Reallllllly enjoyed this! I really thought I knew who dunnit but I was wrong. I've already checked out the 2nd in the series even though it has a different narrator. Jessica Carroll did an excellent excellent EXCELLENT job with making each character distinct and unique in this first installment of the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series. I do hope that they stay in this same town (I won't attempt to spell it because I read this all via audiobook🤡😩) in Ireland. Murder in G Major does start out a bit slow. But once the story gets started it's a great time!
September 19, 2018
This is is a new series for me and has started well. Classical musician Gethsemane Brown has left Dallas to travel to Ireland for a position with an orchestra there. Once she arrives, she finds out that the job was given to someone else and she is stranded. Her luggage has been lost and she has not money to return home. She accepts a position turning a rowdy bunch of schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra. For living arrangements, she ends up housesitting in a lovely cottage that once belonged to one of her musical heroes, Irish composer Eamon McCarthy. As she settles in, she comes face to face with the ghost of the cottage's murdered owner. He is thrilled that not only can she see him, but she can hear him as well. Many years before, he was falsely accused of killing his wife then committing suicide. He begs Gethsemane to clear his name so he can rest in peace.
I love the character of Gethsemane Brown. She is a brilliant African American woman, who is an accomplished violinist and conductor, is quite beautiful, is athletic and has a great sense of humor. I also loved the setting of this story. The cozy village of Dunmullach is inhabited by a delightful cast of characters - a priest with a rather eclectic taste in reading material, a flashy psychic, a good-looking and hard-working police inspector, the attractive fellow teacher, who is known for his historical practical jokes, schoolboys who are either shy, or pugalists, yet very talented, and some less than savory gentlemen who try to intimidate Gethsemane, but do not have a lot of success. We can't forget the local village pub and all its customers.
As a newly conscripted amateur sleuth, Gethsemane sometimes gets in over her head, but her near scrapes only serve to make her even more tenacious. The dialogue in this story is one of the best parts of the story. The witty, light-hearted banter between her and Eamon's ghost sparkles and entertains. The boys and the way Gethsemane puts them in their places is so honest and refreshing, no wonder they like her so much. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am glad the next book is already on my kindle to read. The mystery and investigation do not have a lot of clues; it is one of those, being in the right place at the right time, asking the right questions and using intuition to solve the crime. It was a bit unexpected, but the motive was true and the reveal was well done. I definitely recommend this cozy mystery to lovers of mystery with a little paranormal twist, Amateur Sleuths, and/or the Irish Setting of a small village.
I love the character of Gethsemane Brown. She is a brilliant African American woman, who is an accomplished violinist and conductor, is quite beautiful, is athletic and has a great sense of humor. I also loved the setting of this story. The cozy village of Dunmullach is inhabited by a delightful cast of characters - a priest with a rather eclectic taste in reading material, a flashy psychic, a good-looking and hard-working police inspector, the attractive fellow teacher, who is known for his historical practical jokes, schoolboys who are either shy, or pugalists, yet very talented, and some less than savory gentlemen who try to intimidate Gethsemane, but do not have a lot of success. We can't forget the local village pub and all its customers.
As a newly conscripted amateur sleuth, Gethsemane sometimes gets in over her head, but her near scrapes only serve to make her even more tenacious. The dialogue in this story is one of the best parts of the story. The witty, light-hearted banter between her and Eamon's ghost sparkles and entertains. The boys and the way Gethsemane puts them in their places is so honest and refreshing, no wonder they like her so much. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am glad the next book is already on my kindle to read. The mystery and investigation do not have a lot of clues; it is one of those, being in the right place at the right time, asking the right questions and using intuition to solve the crime. It was a bit unexpected, but the motive was true and the reveal was well done. I definitely recommend this cozy mystery to lovers of mystery with a little paranormal twist, Amateur Sleuths, and/or the Irish Setting of a small village.
June 30, 2016
[ I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank them for their generousity. In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising]
“You never know what you’ll find when you open yourself to all possibilities.”
And what did Gethsemane Brown,PhD have to lose? She's given up dreams and made decisions that have brought her to rural Ireland with lost luggage and less than 100€ to work at a small boys' academy as their music teacher. She'll be living in a semi abandoned cottage that once was owned by one of her musical heros and his wife, both dead 25 years. From a prestigious orchestra First Chair to this? And hold on to your bow strings...the house has a resident spirit, and the village has a bunch of ' interesting' souls that coalesce around secrets and mysteries....and murder.
Written with a light, smart erudite hand, this fast paced novel takes the reader to costal Ireland in a style that makes you want to return. I recommend this book to any reader.
“You never know what you’ll find when you open yourself to all possibilities.”
And what did Gethsemane Brown,PhD have to lose? She's given up dreams and made decisions that have brought her to rural Ireland with lost luggage and less than 100€ to work at a small boys' academy as their music teacher. She'll be living in a semi abandoned cottage that once was owned by one of her musical heros and his wife, both dead 25 years. From a prestigious orchestra First Chair to this? And hold on to your bow strings...the house has a resident spirit, and the village has a bunch of ' interesting' souls that coalesce around secrets and mysteries....and murder.
Written with a light, smart erudite hand, this fast paced novel takes the reader to costal Ireland in a style that makes you want to return. I recommend this book to any reader.
Read
March 30, 2021The Cozy Mystery Book Club livestream discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRO7w...
March 30th at 7:00 PM EST, YouTube Channel: Books Are My Hart
March 30th at 7:00 PM EST, YouTube Channel: Books Are My Hart
March 12, 2022
Absolute chaos but a lot of fun.
October 22, 2024
1⭐️= Not For Me.
Audio.
Although I know that many cosy mysteries are lighthearted with humour, I found this one just plain silly. Talking ghosts are maybe not my thing!😃
The nod to classical compositions was a light relief.
Audio.
Although I know that many cosy mysteries are lighthearted with humour, I found this one just plain silly. Talking ghosts are maybe not my thing!😃
The nod to classical compositions was a light relief.
January 23, 2022
It was like reading Wild Mountain Thyme
January 4, 2020
When a book keeps me up last my bedtime, causing me to lose sleep, and I don't mind, that book gets five stars. Murder in G Major is that kind of book. Fast paced, wonderful characters, an intriguing twist, and a charming ghost, to boot!
Read
May 4, 2017“The captivating southwestern Irish countryside adds a delightful element to this paranormal series launch. Gethsemane is an appealing protagonist who is doing the best she can against overwhelming odds.” – Library Journal (starred review)
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