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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't think I've ever read a paranormal mystery, with a ghost asking for help in solving two murders (one of them his). I enjoyed the setting Ireland, with a fish-out-of-water American taking a teaching job. But the body count went higher than I was expecting, and it got a bit gruesome at the end. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm curious to see where the story goes next.
Loved this book. The story was great. I actually listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fabulous.
I think I just need to accept that I'll never be a cozy mystery girlie.
I have the same issues every time: the lead is precocious and insistent in pursuing dangerous mysteries (sometimes, mysteries that have nothing to do with them personally), some convenient connection helps out, the details of their professional lives make no sense. I have little clue how Gethsemane maintained her teaching job while she was running around breaking and entering. Also, the police were super lenient on the crimes she committed.
The names in this novel were insane. Gethsemane was crazy enough, but it's crazy that there weren't common names like Mary and Jane. Peg wasn't short for Margaret, it was short for Pegeen. Her sister's name was Naula. There was a Feargus, an Aengus, Saoirse, and the names kept going.
It was odd Gethsemane had no issue wearing a dead woman's clothes. Even weirder that Eamon complimented her in them and flirted with her quite a bit. There were what seemed like 3 men flirting with her (one of which was dead) and the whole back and forth with Francis would've been cuter if it was more developed and if he hadn't started out by being a jerk.
The orchestra boys were so underdeveloped that they all blended together. Overall, I wasn't attached to anyone in this story and I didn't think the reveal of the mastermind behind everything was all that exciting because that character didn't appear in the novel all that much.
So, since this is the 2nd or 3rd mystery novel with these elements, I think I'm throwing in the towel on the genre. It's just not my cup of tea.
I have the same issues every time: the lead is precocious and insistent in pursuing dangerous mysteries (sometimes, mysteries that have nothing to do with them personally), some convenient connection helps out, the details of their professional lives make no sense. I have little clue how Gethsemane maintained her teaching job while she was running around breaking and entering. Also, the police were super lenient on the crimes she committed.
The names in this novel were insane. Gethsemane was crazy enough, but it's crazy that there weren't common names like Mary and Jane. Peg wasn't short for Margaret, it was short for Pegeen. Her sister's name was Naula. There was a Feargus, an Aengus, Saoirse, and the names kept going.
It was odd Gethsemane had no issue wearing a dead woman's clothes. Even weirder that Eamon complimented her in them and flirted with her quite a bit. There were what seemed like 3 men flirting with her (one of which was dead) and the whole back and forth with Francis would've been cuter if it was more developed and if he hadn't started out by being a jerk.
The orchestra boys were so underdeveloped that they all blended together.
Spoiler
I didn't understand why Gethsemane jumped into to help 2 cheaters cover up their affair. Regardless of discovering the jilted wife wasn't all that innocent, Gethsemane didn't know that when she leapt to cover for Teague.So, since this is the 2nd or 3rd mystery novel with these elements, I think I'm throwing in the towel on the genre. It's just not my cup of tea.
A fun, lighthearted cozy mystery. I enjoyed the classical musician protagonist a lot. Was not expecting the story to be kicked off by a ghost, but it worked well. A lot of murders for a small town, but I guess that’s how it goes in these Miss Marple style places! Ends on a clear setup for a sequel, which I will probably read soon.
A great new cosy mystery series taking place in Ireland. Great for a vacation read complete with atmosphere, ghosts and adventure.
This month The Cozy Mystery Book Club is reading the first book in Alexia Gordon's award-winning Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series! I have been waiting to read this book with the Club for a while now I am glad that the time finally arrived! Not only did I enjoy the writing, I also enjoyed the distinctive signature look of the covers in this series.
I greatly enjoyed this cozy and am looking forward to immediately reading the next book in the series, not only because there is a cliffhanger that I need to find out more about but also because it's an engaging story.
Alexia Gordon is just brilliant, her descriptions are evocative reminding you that Ireland is an old and mystical place, so much so that it doesn't seem shocking at all when Gethsemane runs into a ghost or when the bodies start to pile up. The mystery and the language used in Murder in G Major kept me on my toes. I had to look up definitions for more than a couple of words and phrases in this book and I appreciated the opportunity to learn new vocabulary, as well as the proper pronunciations of Gaelic names.
Gethsemane Brown makes for a wonderful amateur sleuth. She starts out reluctant to get involved, she's an outsider and her background as a music scholar provides her with great researching skills and the ability to think outside the box. Now that I think about it, Dr. Gethsemane Brown shares some traits with Sherlock Holmes; both play the violin, both are blunt in their words, and both are doggedly determined to find out who done it.
This book has just the right of twist and turns and also a gothic flair. Who has even heard of a church with a poison garden? As Gethsemane says, only in Ireland.
The only reason it wasn't a 5-stars for me was the motive and I have some qualms with how the killer was depicted not a fan of that particular trope. I don't want to say too much and give anything away.
I loved Gethsemane and Eamon. Really nice duo!
I greatly enjoyed this cozy and am looking forward to immediately reading the next book in the series, not only because there is a cliffhanger that I need to find out more about but also because it's an engaging story.
Alexia Gordon is just brilliant, her descriptions are evocative reminding you that Ireland is an old and mystical place, so much so that it doesn't seem shocking at all when Gethsemane runs into a ghost or when the bodies start to pile up. The mystery and the language used in Murder in G Major kept me on my toes. I had to look up definitions for more than a couple of words and phrases in this book and I appreciated the opportunity to learn new vocabulary, as well as the proper pronunciations of Gaelic names.
Gethsemane Brown makes for a wonderful amateur sleuth. She starts out reluctant to get involved, she's an outsider and her background as a music scholar provides her with great researching skills and the ability to think outside the box. Now that I think about it, Dr. Gethsemane Brown shares some traits with Sherlock Holmes; both play the violin, both are blunt in their words, and both are doggedly determined to find out who done it.
This book has just the right of twist and turns and also a gothic flair. Who has even heard of a church with a poison garden? As Gethsemane says, only in Ireland.
The only reason it wasn't a 5-stars for me was the motive and I have some qualms with how the killer was depicted not a fan of that particular trope. I don't want to say too much and give anything away.
I loved Gethsemane and Eamon. Really nice duo!
3.5 stars for this first outing in Alexia Gordon's mystery series featuring Gethsemane Brown, a young aspiring maestra who ends up leading the student orchestra in a small Irish village. I liked the determined heroine, even if the explanation for her presence in this Irish backwater was preposterous. (That's probably why it's glossed over in just a few pages.) And while I don't usually like fantastical elements in mysteries, the best parts of this novel were the amateur sleuth's interactions with the ghost sharing her lodgings. I thought the plot dragged a bit in the middle and had too many confusing minor characters, but I'm intrigued enough to try the next in the series.
Spoiler
I wasn't prepared for the end of this mystery, which really felt like the start of a whole new story. I know Gordon was setting up the next book but the abruptness of the ending caught me by surprise and felt a little unsatisfying.Spoiler
Murder in G Major drew me in because of the mix of mystery and music, set in Ireland to boot. I did have a problem with the whole set up of how Gethsemane at the school and cottage; it just seemed a bit of a stretch, but it’s certainly not the first cozy mystery to force its heroine into the spot she needs to be.
It’s not surprising really that the Irish town is full of an odd mix of people, some good, some bad, some amusing, some crazy. Actually, even the cottage being haunted fits. I did love the interactions between Gethsemane and her ghost, the composer Eamon McCarthy. She’s feisty, he’s a hot head, together they’re perfect. I liked the school kids too, even if they weren’t really given much screen time.
The mystery itself was good, just the right amount of clues and suspects. and there was one bit of the ending that I just loved. This is the first in the series and I’m looking forward to seeing how Gethsemane’s friendships with the townsfolk evolve.
All in all, it was an okay book, a typical cozy with a ghost thrown in. If you like similar books, cozy mysteries with a touch of paranormal, pick it up. If not, don’t bother, it’s not good enough to make you step out of your comfort zone.
It’s not surprising really that the Irish town is full of an odd mix of people, some good, some bad, some amusing, some crazy. Actually, even the cottage being haunted fits. I did love the interactions between Gethsemane and her ghost, the composer Eamon McCarthy. She’s feisty, he’s a hot head, together they’re perfect. I liked the school kids too, even if they weren’t really given much screen time.
The mystery itself was good, just the right amount of clues and suspects. and there was one bit of the ending that I just loved. This is the first in the series and I’m looking forward to seeing how Gethsemane’s friendships with the townsfolk evolve.
All in all, it was an okay book, a typical cozy with a ghost thrown in. If you like similar books, cozy mysteries with a touch of paranormal, pick it up. If not, don’t bother, it’s not good enough to make you step out of your comfort zone.