Larry Karp

People die. You're a doctor, you adjust - either that, or specialize in dermatology. I'm a neurologist, a clinical professor at Manhattan Medical School down on First Avenue and 30th, and in my more than twenty years of practice I've done my share of death watches. But I still got knocked sideways one morning last December when my good friend Shackie woke me with news that Harry Hardwick was dead. "...seemed fine at the party last night, "I mumbled into the phone. 'He was," said Shakie. "He show more was murdered after the party. " show less

The Ragtime Traveler is a continuation of the Ragtime Trilogy from Larry Karp. This book brings the trilogy to the current times and is a collaboration of Larry and his son Casey.

It’s been some sixty years since readers have met Alan Chandler and today Chandler is suffering from cancer and is focused on passing his love of Ragtime music onto his grandson Tom.

One day a package arrives for Chandler from an old time friend Mickey Potash. In the package is four sheets of music that appear to show more be an unpublished song by Scott Joplin also included is a note that says: call me. When Chandler calls Potash reveals that he has a gym bag that is nearly full of music apparently written by Scott Joplin and some never before published. The next day Chandler and Tom are on their way to Sedalia, MO to look at this potentially valuable and historic music. Upon arriving they visit with Potash and look[ng over the contents of the gym bag Chandler is fairly certain that there are a number of unpublished songs. Potash explains that he got the gym bag from an antique dealer who claims to have gotten it at a yard sale.

Chandler and Ton take some of the music back to their hotel to study. The next morning when Tom gets up, Chandler is nowhere to be found. He guesses that he has gone back to Potash’s house. Tom heads over to Potash’s house, but instead of finding his grandfather and Potash, he finds the brutally murdered body of Potash. Tom decides to look around and finds that the room where the music had been hidden no longer contained the gym bag. When Tom returns to the hotel he finds that Chandler has returned and has an amazing tale to tell. The previous evening, after Ton has gone to sleep, Chandler had concentrated on an invitation that belonged to Joplin and soon found himself transported back to Maple Leaf Club and was able to talk with Joplin.

Chandler and Tom know that they have to track down the murderer and recovery the missing music. Tom sets out to find Jackson, who used to stop by Potash’s house to check on him. On the way to Jackson’s home, he comes across Saramae Blackwell who helps him find Jackson. Their investigation leads around Sedalia and off to Kansas City where some of the family members have been arguing what to do with the music.

A very enjoyable book with an interesting cast of characters. Whether one believes or not in time travel, it was a very important and interesting part of this exciting book. show less

A delightful story… Dr. Thomas Purdue has a wonderful collection of special music boxes and friends who share his passion. When one of them gets into trouble, they all join in the fray which starts to include murders. Larry Karp has a wonderful style. I'm now going to have to go back and read his others.

The second book in the Thomas Purdue Mysteries is even better than the first one! Thomas' friend Hugh has been robbed of his entire collection of musical snuff boxes and the robbery was committed with the assistance of his wife who then apparently died at the hands of the thief.

Thomas wants to help his friend but he also wants to get back at Vincent LaPriore, a collector who has used questionable methods for years in acquiring his collection of music boxes, all with a bird theme. Thus his show more nickname, the Birdman.

How Thomas and his group of fellow collections and some slightly shady individuals go about performing a scam to stop The Birdman and keep everyone safe is a fascinating look at the world of high cost collecting, low rent scamming and a truly complicated plan that is worthy of the moniker of Machiavelli!

Loving this series, will be reading more. show less