Customer Reviews

Murder Duet

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As usual with Batya Gur's inspector Ohayon's books, the murder mystery and its solution are connected to a specific world - this time professional classical musicians, and the argument between "authentic" and "modern" playing practices. Highly entertaining and intelligent, full of empathy to the characters and their occupation, and for sure - Ms. Gur is in love with her hero. Beautiful and highly recommended.

In Jerusalem, police officer Michael Ohayon looks forward to playing Brahm's First Symphony to relieve him of his solitary existence. However, before he can bury himself inside the music, he hears a howling infant just outside his apartment. Michael goes outside to look and finds an abandoned baby. He also meets single mother Nita van Gelden, a cellist and part of a renowned family of musicians. The pair shares a love for classical music and a struggle to care for newborns.

Following their first encounter, a thief kills Nita's famous father. The robber stole some cash, jewelry and a famous painting. Nita's brother becomes the next victim. Nita, already having emotional problems raising her child by herself, psychologically falls apart. Michael investigates the murders even as he tries to keep the infant that should be turned over to the authorities. He also helps Nita cope with her losses and the trauma of trying to raise a child alone.

It has been several years since Israeli police officer Michael Ohayon made an appearance (see MURDER ON A KIBBUTZ, LITERARY MURDER, and SATURDAY MORNING MURDER). Fans that enjoy a compassionate police detective will welcome his return in MURDER DUET. The story line is entertaining with an insider's look at Jerusalem and classical music. Michael retains his caring nature, but this time goes overboard as his instant need to keep the baby seems like a Grand Canyonesque stretch for a loner like him. His need to assist Nita is more in line with his persona. Still, the who-done-it is fun and Jerusalem sings as only Batya Gur can make the city perform. Not quite a virtuoso performance, but clearly an entertaining entry in a wonderful series.

Harriet Klausner

This book was given to me by a friend with whom I share an ongoing discussion about classical music. We also both love suspense. This book is extremely interesting and satisfying in both regards. The story grabs you immediately, in part because of the sympathetic protagonist Michael Ohayon of the Jerusalem police, who is trying to listen to Brahm's first symphony. Gur's description of his emotions as he listens to the music is so fascinating, I had to revisit this piece of music immediately after I finally achieved to put the book down. The story continues its unusual path and we get introduced to a bunch of very interesting off-the wall characters. Although I was able to figure out who did it, the conclusion was most intriguing because the motive remains a mystery to the very end

I enjoyed this new book by the Israeli novelist Batya Gur just as much as her previous Michael Ohayon mysteries - in order, "The Saturday Morning Murder", "Literary Murder", and "Murder on a Kibbutz" (and they are best read in the order in which they were written to get the full flavor of the development of her detective's character). These books feature a truly interesting detective - Michael Ohayon, medievalist turned policeman - inside a series of well-drawn and fascinating situations set in Israel - a firm of psychiatrists, a university department of literature professors, a kibbutz, and now a symphony orchestra. In each of these books Ms. Gur brings to life the passions and debates which divide members of these groups and which lead to killing consequences which await the arrival of her detective to unravel the identity of the murderer. I cannot decide any more if her books are character studies wrapped in mysteries or mysteries wrapped in character studies, not do I much care. What I do know is that I get the same pleasure from these mysteries that I have received from the novels of John Le Carre and the "entertainments" of Graham Greene, where those writers seamlessly combined espionage with a drama based on character and not just action. I am as interested in the development of Michael Ohayon's personal life as I am in his resolution of the murders he is tasked to solve. I eagerly await the next volume in this series.

This was one of the best mystery books I've read this year.(And I read many). I loved all the information about classical and Baroque music, and the idea of Vivaldi writing a Requiem was fascinating. Titles of the chapters were even wonderful, The Way of the World Makes Sense, You Don't Find Babies in the Street and Torso. I'm going to read all the books Batya Gur has written.

I have read all of this author's works and the plots were always paramount, with great character development and intriguing ideas emerging strongly even through translation. "Murder Duet" for some reason is a poorly crafted story and even the translation cannot be blamed for the awkward writing. Into the recycle bin. Too bad. I waited a long time for this one to be published.

The last time I was this disappointed in a book was when I read Patricia Cornwell's Hornet's Nest. I always loved this series and the detective. Ms. Gur has forever ruined this character for me.