Trouble in the Brasses

Odd. I really don't know why I like this one so much. It's a good story, with the usual well-drawn characters, an interesting mystery, and a very unusual setting, but again there are quite a few unpleasant chracters. Maybe it's just that there are also quite a few nice and interesting ones - especially Sir Emlyn and Lady Rhys. The 'marooned after a plane crash' setting is rather neat, and I enjoyed Madoc's efforts to get others involved so he wasn't dogsbody the whole time. Ace is a pain, but I like Ranger Rick and the sheriff. And so on. Somehow the mystery seems to be a side-story - despite Lucy's wails she never seemed to be in real danger, and Cedric was asking for it. Anyway, still a favorite.

Despite the title, it isn’t just the brass section of the Wagstaffe Symphony Orchestra that’s troubled. In this fourth book in the series featuring Detective Inspector Madoc Rhys of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rhys’ famous father, renowned conductor Sir Emlyn Rhys, has become worried about strange goings-on in the orchestra. But cruel pranks give way to murder when a French horn player is poisoned; soon thereafter, other musicians suffer as well, although I don’t want to spoil it for readers with too many details.

Charlotte MacLeod, writing as Alisa Craig, has penned a charming cozy with plenty of suspense and humor. The only downside is knowing that the late Ms. MacLeod left only one more book in this fun series.

Madoc Rhys, a Detective Inspector with the Royal Canadian Mounties, is called by the conductor of the Wagstaffe Symphony Orchestra to come on tour with them. The conductor happens to be his father. Something is not right in the orchestra, and it has gone beyond silly pranks and petty arguments. In fact, it has come to murder. The problem is, nobody knows this until they are trapped in the wilderness after a plane crash. Now Madoc must try to solve the crime with a minimum of resources and always keeping in mind his parents dignity.
This was a fun read. The mystery was rather obvious, but it didn't matter much because I enjoyed Madoc and his parents so much. Some of the other characters were interesting too, though a couple of them, in my show more opinion were rather overdrawn. show less

Enjoying this series from Charlotte MacLeod. I read a load of books in her other series and it is fun to get into this series. This particular one, 4 in the series, takes place after part of the orchestra get stranded in the desert after a plane accident at a deserted western 'mock' town. Again, it's a great cast of supporting characters. In this one, the murderer was pretty easy to identify but I didn't mind.

Mystery in an orchestra, December 22, 2006
Reviewer: Saralee Etter - See all my reviews

Fun for anyone who wants an insider's glimpse of an orchestra.

A plane carrying an orchestra along with the conductor, Sir Emmelin Rhys, his wife, and their son Madoc Rhys (who works as a Canadian mountie, not having inherited the family talent for music) crash-lands in the Canadian wilds.

Everyone is safe, but stranded in a remote and abandoned resort. When a murder occurs, it's up to Madoc to solve the mystery and get everyone safely home.

2.5 stars