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B-Very Flat
Is anyone really safe? Not necessarily. At nineteen years old, Serena Brinkman, an undergraduate violin major at Tilton University, seems to have a very secure future; she's got good looks, money, people who love her, and rare musical talent. She's also got a coveted Amati violin, a musical rival, friends whose secrets she knows, and an obsessed fan.
Serena's dreams are shattered when she suddenly dies on the night of a major music competition. Serena's partner, sure that her death was not an accident, asks for help from Dr. Joel Williams of Tilton's Department of Criminal Justice.
Williams, a former detective, becomes convinced that Serena was murdered, when he learns how unsafe her world really was. As he works with the Tilton Police Department to uncover the truth, Williams finds that Serena's looks, money, and talent, far from securing her future, made her a target.
Serena's dreams are shattered when she suddenly dies on the night of a major music competition. Serena's partner, sure that her death was not an accident, asks for help from Dr. Joel Williams of Tilton's Department of Criminal Justice.
Williams, a former detective, becomes convinced that Serena was murdered, when he learns how unsafe her world really was. As he works with the Tilton Police Department to uncover the truth, Williams finds that Serena's looks, money, and talent, far from securing her future, made her a target.
- GenresCrime
202 pages, Softcover
First published January 1, 2010
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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May 3, 2016There is a gentleness about this book: the characters are complex and none of them completely unlikeable, the police and amateur detective are not at loggerheads but are courteous towards each other and help each other tactfully, the mystery is resolved through much thinking and talking and interviewing rather than chase and sooting action scenes.
Yet it's not ditzy cozy literature either. It's a campus novel with a real puzzle at its heart, with the author laying the cards out on the table and daring the readers to draw their own conclusions.
Yet it's not ditzy cozy literature either. It's a campus novel with a real puzzle at its heart, with the author laying the cards out on the table and daring the readers to draw their own conclusions.
February 24, 2024
B-Very Flat by Margot Kinberg is an engaging and intriguing novel that keeps you turning the pages to the very end.
Kinberg takes her time establishing the circumstances that lead up to the murder of the university student in this book, masterfully building suspense as each of the major players in the story is revealed. This well-written story is told from the point of view of all of the characters involved, from the victim to the suspects to the investigators, providing a unique reading experience and a deeper understanding of what each character is going through and why they do what they do. The book is multi-faceted as a result.
Inspired to read the book because of the author, I didn't read the description of the book ahead of time, which heightened my sense of suspense and made the entire reading experience highly enjoyable.
Thank you to the author for the review copy. I look forward to reading more books in the series.
Kinberg takes her time establishing the circumstances that lead up to the murder of the university student in this book, masterfully building suspense as each of the major players in the story is revealed. This well-written story is told from the point of view of all of the characters involved, from the victim to the suspects to the investigators, providing a unique reading experience and a deeper understanding of what each character is going through and why they do what they do. The book is multi-faceted as a result.
Inspired to read the book because of the author, I didn't read the description of the book ahead of time, which heightened my sense of suspense and made the entire reading experience highly enjoyable.
Thank you to the author for the review copy. I look forward to reading more books in the series.
October 10, 2017
This book is great if you enjoy a good mystery without gore and violence.
Serena is a character you are soon attracted to, not only for her talent but for her intellect and character. I am not giving anything away that wasn't written in the back cover blurb, when I say she became a victim of someone for payback for something.
Once her death occurs, it becomes evident to her friend that she was likely murdered. Enter Joel Williams who cannot turn off his former detective role.
Margot Kinberg then palpably gets into motion as well, making for a who-done-it scenario typical of her writing.
I totally enjoyed this read as it encompasses a modern day university campus style, mixed with good old-fashioned detective work and reflexes.
Serena is a character you are soon attracted to, not only for her talent but for her intellect and character. I am not giving anything away that wasn't written in the back cover blurb, when I say she became a victim of someone for payback for something.
Once her death occurs, it becomes evident to her friend that she was likely murdered. Enter Joel Williams who cannot turn off his former detective role.
Margot Kinberg then palpably gets into motion as well, making for a who-done-it scenario typical of her writing.
I totally enjoyed this read as it encompasses a modern day university campus style, mixed with good old-fashioned detective work and reflexes.
February 13, 2025
I greatly enjoyed this engrossing whodunnit set in the music world as well as kind Joel William's usual academic one. Lots of suspects, all with very real motives - and with the first 100 pages being an unusual build to a murder mystery. I love Kinberg's straightforward story-telling; she really keeps her readers right on topic, page after page. And with none of the 'fluff' one often sees in contemporary 'cozy mysteries' of today. See if YOU can choose the correct murderer!
- J. Ivanel Johnson, author of the award-winning JUST (e)STATE mysteries
- J. Ivanel Johnson, author of the award-winning JUST (e)STATE mysteries
February 25, 2024
A musical genius finds that her talent and good looks can't prevent her from the dangers of the world around her. B-Very Flat is an entertaining and engaging novel that twists and turns like a virtuoso. If you like suspense and great character development, you will love this book by Margot Kinberg.
September 11, 2017
A campus crime novel with a classic whodunit feel to it - highly entertaining!
January 23, 2021
Margot Kinberg writes a great blog about mysteries and mystery writing, so I was very curious to read one of her books. I have to confess I read this more critically because of that, but over all I came away generally satisfied.
Set in a fictional Eastern college (I think... it was never really clear to me where Tilton is supposed to be located), the book unwinds itself very slowly and gradually, introducing us to the eventual victim and those in her circle in a very deliberately and methodically. We're left with a long list of possible culprits, each with a specific motive.
Joel Williams, star of the show (this is A Joel Williams Mystery, according to the cover), doesn't appear until nearly half-way through the novel, which is about when the murder occurs. This surprised me, though I'm grateful to have avoided more descriptions of him taking his dog for a walk (which had no impact on the plot) and other scenes that didn't seem to be driving the story forward.
Kinberg is a little heavy-handed in laying out her clues, and her writing delivers a stripped-down, reporter-giving-facts style rather than an engaging narrative, which makes some sections of the book feel slower than they might otherwise.
Overall this is a fine book, with interesting characters and a plausible plot, but it could have received a five star rating here if I hadn't been able to guess the perpetrator (as well as motive, means, and opportunity) after reading a rather uninteresting narrative leading up to its revelation.
Set in a fictional Eastern college (I think... it was never really clear to me where Tilton is supposed to be located), the book unwinds itself very slowly and gradually, introducing us to the eventual victim and those in her circle in a very deliberately and methodically. We're left with a long list of possible culprits, each with a specific motive.
Joel Williams, star of the show (this is A Joel Williams Mystery, according to the cover), doesn't appear until nearly half-way through the novel, which is about when the murder occurs. This surprised me, though I'm grateful to have avoided more descriptions of him taking his dog for a walk (which had no impact on the plot) and other scenes that didn't seem to be driving the story forward.
Kinberg is a little heavy-handed in laying out her clues, and her writing delivers a stripped-down, reporter-giving-facts style rather than an engaging narrative, which makes some sections of the book feel slower than they might otherwise.
Overall this is a fine book, with interesting characters and a plausible plot, but it could have received a five star rating here if I hadn't been able to guess the perpetrator (as well as motive, means, and opportunity) after reading a rather uninteresting narrative leading up to its revelation.
September 8, 2015
A violin virtuoso dies mysteriously on the night of a big performance, and police detective turned Tilton University professor Joel Williams investigates in this engaging mystery.
Serena Brinkman is nineteen years old and seems to have the world at her feet: she's an undergraduate violinist and music major at Tilton University with good looks, good friends, plenty of money, and a phenomenal musical talent. But the very things that give her such a good-on-the-surface life also put that very life in grave danger.
Margot Kinberg eschews the standard 'early murder, investigation starts quickly' format of most crime fiction, instead taking time to draw us into the world of Tilton University and its students and faculty. We meet Serena and the friends, lovers, roommates, teachers, and others who orbit around her. For some readers, this may make the novel seem slow-paced, but there's something absorbing about the way Kinberg crafts the cast and setting, building simmering unease; all is not well and something wicked is on the way.
Serena had a rare and valuable violin, an obsessed fan, and a musical rival - as well as knowing plenty of secrets about her various friends and followers - so when tragedy strikes on the eve of her major music competition, Serena's partner Patricia is sure it wasn't accidental. She enlists Dr Joel Williams, formerly a police detective and now head of Tilton University's Department of Criminal Justice, to her cause.
Over the latter part of this elegantly written mystery, Williams delves into Serena's life and uncovers plenty of question marks, providing a unique bridge between the university and its local police department. Williams had earlier appeared in Kinberg's debut, PUBLISH OR PERISH, and he's a likable and interesting recurring character for readers to follow. For those who often read the fast-paced, dark and gritty crime novels that dominate bestseller shelves nowadays, Kinberg's tale may seem slower or lighter, but there's a lot on offer here, almost a nod to the cozy mysteries of the Golden Age, just in a modern setting.
Absorbing and intriguing with a wonderfully drawn world, B-VERY FLAT is a great read.
This review was originally published on Crime Watch: http://kiwicrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/...
Serena Brinkman is nineteen years old and seems to have the world at her feet: she's an undergraduate violinist and music major at Tilton University with good looks, good friends, plenty of money, and a phenomenal musical talent. But the very things that give her such a good-on-the-surface life also put that very life in grave danger.
Margot Kinberg eschews the standard 'early murder, investigation starts quickly' format of most crime fiction, instead taking time to draw us into the world of Tilton University and its students and faculty. We meet Serena and the friends, lovers, roommates, teachers, and others who orbit around her. For some readers, this may make the novel seem slow-paced, but there's something absorbing about the way Kinberg crafts the cast and setting, building simmering unease; all is not well and something wicked is on the way.
Serena had a rare and valuable violin, an obsessed fan, and a musical rival - as well as knowing plenty of secrets about her various friends and followers - so when tragedy strikes on the eve of her major music competition, Serena's partner Patricia is sure it wasn't accidental. She enlists Dr Joel Williams, formerly a police detective and now head of Tilton University's Department of Criminal Justice, to her cause.
Over the latter part of this elegantly written mystery, Williams delves into Serena's life and uncovers plenty of question marks, providing a unique bridge between the university and its local police department. Williams had earlier appeared in Kinberg's debut, PUBLISH OR PERISH, and he's a likable and interesting recurring character for readers to follow. For those who often read the fast-paced, dark and gritty crime novels that dominate bestseller shelves nowadays, Kinberg's tale may seem slower or lighter, but there's a lot on offer here, almost a nod to the cozy mysteries of the Golden Age, just in a modern setting.
Absorbing and intriguing with a wonderfully drawn world, B-VERY FLAT is a great read.
This review was originally published on Crime Watch: http://kiwicrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/...
July 6, 2016
If you’re looking for a good whodunit book consider reading Margot Kinberg’s B-Very Flat. The setting takes place on a university campus where Serena Brinkman, an up-and- coming violinist is found dead. The motives for her murder are many: money, career advancement, obsession, jealousy and Kinberg makes sure through her swift pacing to keep us on our toes. The characters are well-drawn and the dialogue moves the plot forward. Although the novel is light and entertaining it does not lack in describing the foibles of human nature and the lengths people will go to maintain their status quo. As a sub-plot is a beautiful love relationship between Serena and her partner. If you like mystery puzzles you’ll love this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews