Murder in A-Major: An Inspector Hermann Preiss Mystery.

Stephen Greenhalgh is Prospect Research Analyst, Advancement Services,
University of Alberta.

Murder in A-Major is the latest work by Canadian novelist and humorist Morley Torgov. Set in 1850s Germany, the book is the first in a series of historical mysteries to feature Dusseldorf detective, Inspector Hermann Preiss.

The novel opens with Inspector Preiss paying a visit to the home of musical genius Robert Schumann. Greeting the detective in an oversized housecoat and slippers, the eccentric Schumann complains to the man about hearing an unrelenting A-major everywhere he goes. Nonetheless, Schumann’s wife, Clara, is not convinced of her husband’s apparent delusions and tries her best to coax the inspector into dropping any further investigation; Preiss’s refusal leads him and Clara to butt heads on more than one occasion. Still, a failed concert and a recently tuned, yet still un-tuned, piano lead Inspector Preiss to believe that Schumann may not be mad after all.

The short chapters of this novel will entice the reader to keep reading as Inspector Preiss slowly begins to piece together various clues to reveal the guilty party or parties. The fast-paced action, clever dialogue, and amusingly snobbish number of lead characters will also entertain general readers and mystery buffs alike. Overall, Murder in A-Major is an excellent start to a promising new series in historical detective fiction.