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Devil's Trill
The 1st Daniel Jacobus mystery.
Greed, lust, power, and murder are words not commonly associated with the world of classical music. Yet this is the setting into which blind Daniel Jacobus, a reclusive, cantankerous violin teacher living in self-imposed exile in rural New England, is inexorably drawn. For Jacobus, who spends his time chain smoking, listening to old LPs, and berating students in the hope they will flee, the evils of that world are epitomized by the "Piccolino" Stradivarius, a uniquely dazzling violin that has brought misfortune to all who possessed it over the centuries.
After the Carnegie Hall debut of nine-year old Grimsley Competition winner Kamryn Vander, who is managed by the ruthless Musical Arts Project (MAP), the priceless "Piccolino" is stolen with Jacobus at the scene of the crime.
But that's not the end of his problems. Haughty Victoria Jablonski, Vander's teacher and Jacobus's rival, is brutally murdered, and Jacobus becomes the primary suspect in both crimes. With the help of his musical partner Nathaniel Williams and his intriguing new student Yumi Shinagawa, Jacobus sets out to rid the world of MAP and prove his innocence against all odds.
Greed, lust, power, and murder are words not commonly associated with the world of classical music. Yet this is the setting into which blind Daniel Jacobus, a reclusive, cantankerous violin teacher living in self-imposed exile in rural New England, is inexorably drawn. For Jacobus, who spends his time chain smoking, listening to old LPs, and berating students in the hope they will flee, the evils of that world are epitomized by the "Piccolino" Stradivarius, a uniquely dazzling violin that has brought misfortune to all who possessed it over the centuries.
After the Carnegie Hall debut of nine-year old Grimsley Competition winner Kamryn Vander, who is managed by the ruthless Musical Arts Project (MAP), the priceless "Piccolino" is stolen with Jacobus at the scene of the crime.
But that's not the end of his problems. Haughty Victoria Jablonski, Vander's teacher and Jacobus's rival, is brutally murdered, and Jacobus becomes the primary suspect in both crimes. With the help of his musical partner Nathaniel Williams and his intriguing new student Yumi Shinagawa, Jacobus sets out to rid the world of MAP and prove his innocence against all odds.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2009
About the author
Gerald Elias
38 books43 followersFor decades, Gerald Elias has brought joy to countless mystery fans and concertgoers alike.
His dozen novels include the critically acclaimed Daniel Jacobus mystery series, set in the dark corners of the classical music world. An audiobook of Murder at Royal Albert, the eighth installment of the series, features musical excerpts by the Boston Symphony and Elias himself, and was declared “an altogether delightful experience” by AudioFile Magazine. His standalone Western mystery, Roundtree Days, was a 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalist. (Look for the sequel in 2026!)
Elias’s many short stories have appeared in such prestigious magazines and anthologies as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Coolest American Stories 2023, and in his own short story collection, It’s a Crime! Coming up are two all-new collections of lighthearted short crime fiction, Murder on Vacation and Murder Goes Abroad, both featuring a new hero, retired NYPD Police Chief Maury Gross and his perspicacious wife, Bobbi.
A former violinist with the Boston Symphony, Elias has performed and taught on five continents. He has also been music director of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series for over 20 years.
Elias currently divides his time between the shores of the Puget Sound in Seattle and the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, where he continues to expand his literary and musical horizons while enjoying the outdoors, travel, coffee, sports, cooking, and most of all, being a devoted grandpa.
His dozen novels include the critically acclaimed Daniel Jacobus mystery series, set in the dark corners of the classical music world. An audiobook of Murder at Royal Albert, the eighth installment of the series, features musical excerpts by the Boston Symphony and Elias himself, and was declared “an altogether delightful experience” by AudioFile Magazine. His standalone Western mystery, Roundtree Days, was a 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalist. (Look for the sequel in 2026!)
Elias’s many short stories have appeared in such prestigious magazines and anthologies as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Coolest American Stories 2023, and in his own short story collection, It’s a Crime! Coming up are two all-new collections of lighthearted short crime fiction, Murder on Vacation and Murder Goes Abroad, both featuring a new hero, retired NYPD Police Chief Maury Gross and his perspicacious wife, Bobbi.
A former violinist with the Boston Symphony, Elias has performed and taught on five continents. He has also been music director of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series for over 20 years.
Elias currently divides his time between the shores of the Puget Sound in Seattle and the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, where he continues to expand his literary and musical horizons while enjoying the outdoors, travel, coffee, sports, cooking, and most of all, being a devoted grandpa.
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