Death at the Festival

About the Book

Australia has some fine and challenging arts/music festivals. I was involved with one some years ago as a music reviewer and found this story gradually forming in my mind. Murder, of course, is never funny and needs to be treated with respect, but I am certain that those who are involved with sorting out the whys and wherefores of a crime would agree that some of the characters who get involved do have their comic side. Marius Hogbein, the festival director, is horrified when his beloved festival becomes the scene for murder. The victims are all famous, and that bodes no good for the festival’s reputation. But life has to go on, and he is dealing with performers who all have their own brand of ego to be reckoned with. The detective sergeant in charge of investigation, Nicholas Henry Jarvis Verdun, has no understanding of music—though he does try. And having to deal with temperamental musicians is outside his job description.

About the Author

My first crime story appeared in the Australian Golden Dagger Mysteries collection in 1988 and my second in the same series in 1989. It was not a genre I had tackled before, but it was fun, and eventually I moved on into novel length with this tale. Since those early days, I have published ten books with Trafford, including my autobiography, A Fragment of Life, and I hope to continue while the creative juices flow. As a very senior citizen, I enjoy the challenge of thinking out new themes and building new characters, and I recommend it to others who have seen their eighties go sailing past.