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Disharmony: A Sally Freberg Mystery
A literary agent with Amish roots is buried alive. Why? Meet… Sally Freberg, sexy 65-ish piano teacher who’s been braless since Woodstock and gets away with sticking her cute nose in Kansas City Police Department business. Rosie Chen, “a knockout” by Sally’s estimation, a novelist who confesses that an effective career generator is to bed agents and editors, regardless of gender. Emma Miller, a trim Debra Messing look-alike who gave up an acting career for her faith and is a cool and high-stepping Amish mother of nine. Jane Sims, fifty-something blonde voice coach of opera hopefuls and a happily outed lesbian with a serious yen for Sally. Ben Novak, anthropologist and randy octogenarian, determined to reclaim Sally after a lengthy misunderstanding but never shunning other offers on the way. Winona Stephens, author, American literature professor, and a candid critic of what has gone wrong in the book publishing business. Juan (John) Ontiveros, KCPD detective, stickler for detail who warms as much to Sally’s charms as to her uncanny sense for crime-solving. K-9-trained Karl Marx, Sally’s loyal German shepherd with the heart and fangs of a warrior-hero and the soul of a lover. …and several more memorable characters First Place winner, opening chapter, Kansas Authors Club district competition “Authors and Amish, music and mayhem—murder mystery Disharmony has something for everyone. A madcap romp through the Midwest, and a good read.” —Sara Rickover, author of Playing the Game “Sexagenarian sleuth Sally Freberg returns with her trusty K-9 companion, Karl Marx, in an engaging mystery that twists and turns with Ledgin’s penchant for bizarre characters, humor, and even some erotica.” —Jack Kline, author of Blowing Carbon “Fun mystery romp through the Midwest. Ledgin’s characters are never boring and keep you totally engaged until the surprising end.” —Betty Barnett, author of Jazz Town and Adam’s Needle “When you think you’ve found all the good mystery writers out there, think again. This may be Ledgin’s best novel yet. His writing is direct and humorous—his characters are vivid and captivating. Sit back and enjoy the wild ride!” —Pamela Boles Eglinski, author of The Third Knife, first in a series featuring Catalina and Bonhomme
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2016
1 person want to read
About the author
Norm Ledgin
12 books6 followersNoted author-historian Norman M. Ledgin, 90, of Stanley, KS, passed away peacefully at home Tuesday, June 18, 2019, after a fierce, two-year battle with degenerative lung disease. A member of the Kansas City Writers Group since its inception, he continued to critique colleagues’ submissions until five days before his death.
Born in Passaic, NJ July 15, 1928, Norm received a bachelor of letters degree in journalism at Rutgers University in 1950 and a master of arts in political science there in 1952. While at Rutgers, where he was inducted into the prestigious Cap and Skull Society, he made waves with his peace and civil rights activism, regardless of blacklisting consequences he was to suffer later in the early 1950s. He is listed on page 119 of the U.S. House of Representatives Report No. 378, 82nd Congress, First Session, April 1, 1951, which condemned a “Peace Offensive” by a few hundred “distinguished patriots with whom I’m proud to be forever listed as opposing manufacture, storage, and use of nuclear weapons, either by the U.S. or U.S.S.R.,” as he stated on his most recent Web page. Within those pages, he was one of 350 Stockholm Peace Appeal sponsors condemned by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Other actions that drew negative attention by Rutgers administration, but served his quest to end discriminatory practices at his alma mater, included his 1949 joining of Omega Psi Phi, a predominantly African-American social fraternity. At the time, Ledgin was on staff of The Targum, the campus newspaper he later served as editor-in-chief. During his tenure, he was the last person at Rutgers to interview Paul Robeson, its most distinguished alumnus, after his final concert appearance there prior to Rutgers banishing Robey for his views. Norm later participated in civil rights actions alongside Paul Robeson, Jr.
After he served minor daily and weekly newspapers in North Jersey (and was blacklisted from job access to others), Norm accepted a teaching post at McNeese State College (now University), Lake Charles, LA, in 1956. In 1957 he turned to safety work, leading accident prevention efforts in Southwest Louisiana as manager of the Calcasieu Safety Council (1957-1962), a branch of the National Safety Council. He then moved to a similar post in Kansas City, MO, where he won the National Safety Council Trustees’ award – the Flame of Life – his first year as manager. He founded Kansas City’s Municipal Court Driver Improvement School in 1966, received numerous other national awards, became the nation’s first Certified Safety Council Executive, and chaired the national Defensive Driving Program.
In 1969, at the Greater Kansas City Area Safety Council, he met, hired, and married his wife, the former Marsha Montague. Later that year, as chair of the Kansas City Youth Symphony, Norm, accompanied by Marsha, led its first European tour to London and to Kansas City’s sister city, Seville, Spain.
He resigned to return to newspaper work as editor-publisher of the Arthur (IL) Graphic-Clarion (1976-77) and was later editor-publisher of The Blue Valley Gazette, Stanley, KS, which he founded in partnership with Marsha in 1980. Shortly after their first son, Alfred, was born in 1984, Norm was diagnosed with colon cancer, which prompted his retiring from the newspaper business that year.
But Ledgin was neither one to sit on his laurels nor one to remain idle. He went on to serve on national, state, and local boards of nonprofit educational and philanthropic agencies. He chaired the Johnson County, KS Democratic Central Committee and served an elected term as clerk of historic Oxford Township, KS. Due to his interest and research, Norm lobbied successfully for local Santa Fe Trail historical markers.
Throughout his life he was an avid music enthusiast, in particular of classical. In fact, he wrote that he regretted not having pursued music professionally. Among other genres and artis
Born in Passaic, NJ July 15, 1928, Norm received a bachelor of letters degree in journalism at Rutgers University in 1950 and a master of arts in political science there in 1952. While at Rutgers, where he was inducted into the prestigious Cap and Skull Society, he made waves with his peace and civil rights activism, regardless of blacklisting consequences he was to suffer later in the early 1950s. He is listed on page 119 of the U.S. House of Representatives Report No. 378, 82nd Congress, First Session, April 1, 1951, which condemned a “Peace Offensive” by a few hundred “distinguished patriots with whom I’m proud to be forever listed as opposing manufacture, storage, and use of nuclear weapons, either by the U.S. or U.S.S.R.,” as he stated on his most recent Web page. Within those pages, he was one of 350 Stockholm Peace Appeal sponsors condemned by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Other actions that drew negative attention by Rutgers administration, but served his quest to end discriminatory practices at his alma mater, included his 1949 joining of Omega Psi Phi, a predominantly African-American social fraternity. At the time, Ledgin was on staff of The Targum, the campus newspaper he later served as editor-in-chief. During his tenure, he was the last person at Rutgers to interview Paul Robeson, its most distinguished alumnus, after his final concert appearance there prior to Rutgers banishing Robey for his views. Norm later participated in civil rights actions alongside Paul Robeson, Jr.
After he served minor daily and weekly newspapers in North Jersey (and was blacklisted from job access to others), Norm accepted a teaching post at McNeese State College (now University), Lake Charles, LA, in 1956. In 1957 he turned to safety work, leading accident prevention efforts in Southwest Louisiana as manager of the Calcasieu Safety Council (1957-1962), a branch of the National Safety Council. He then moved to a similar post in Kansas City, MO, where he won the National Safety Council Trustees’ award – the Flame of Life – his first year as manager. He founded Kansas City’s Municipal Court Driver Improvement School in 1966, received numerous other national awards, became the nation’s first Certified Safety Council Executive, and chaired the national Defensive Driving Program.
In 1969, at the Greater Kansas City Area Safety Council, he met, hired, and married his wife, the former Marsha Montague. Later that year, as chair of the Kansas City Youth Symphony, Norm, accompanied by Marsha, led its first European tour to London and to Kansas City’s sister city, Seville, Spain.
He resigned to return to newspaper work as editor-publisher of the Arthur (IL) Graphic-Clarion (1976-77) and was later editor-publisher of The Blue Valley Gazette, Stanley, KS, which he founded in partnership with Marsha in 1980. Shortly after their first son, Alfred, was born in 1984, Norm was diagnosed with colon cancer, which prompted his retiring from the newspaper business that year.
But Ledgin was neither one to sit on his laurels nor one to remain idle. He went on to serve on national, state, and local boards of nonprofit educational and philanthropic agencies. He chaired the Johnson County, KS Democratic Central Committee and served an elected term as clerk of historic Oxford Township, KS. Due to his interest and research, Norm lobbied successfully for local Santa Fe Trail historical markers.
Throughout his life he was an avid music enthusiast, in particular of classical. In fact, he wrote that he regretted not having pursued music professionally. Among other genres and artis
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