The townspeople are connected backward in time and laterally by avocation, employment, politics, age, and choice. The story is loaded with cogent information and irresistible characters. Don't miss Murder in C Major . Here we have a first novel from a promising American mystery writer. The method is an obscure poison, so obscure and fast-acting that it is not even clear for a while that murder is involved.
Inquiries do begin, however, and before long, another person is murdered.
It takes keen minds rather than violence to unravel the puzzle, but right does prevail. Enough clues are dropped to keep the reader going. It's a time-honored formula that works admirably if handled correctly and mixed with liberal parts of characterization and interesting setting. She has just begun playing viola with the orchestra when its first oboist dies suddenly. Joan finds herself caught up in solving the mystery, along with her son and Fred Lundquist, a charming policeman who came to Oliver to start over after a divorce.