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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Christian Mystery, February 6, 2010
This review is from: Rhapsody in Red (Paperback)
Donn Taylor nails the politics of small universities, particularly those that are in transition. Having worked in faculty positions in a medical school and a small and a medium sized regional college and university I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of his characters. I enjoy a good mystery about three times a year or so and normally I turn to the Higgins Clarks, mother and daughter. However, some of the stories in these secular books have been so creepy that I have been watching for a Christian mystery writer for these forays out of the historical fiction realm.
Dr. Preston Barclay finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation, along with a younger Wiccan faculty member. Characterization is definitely unique, with Professor Barclay having musical hallucinations. His cast of characters all have a distinct voice and are all well-developed without being distracting. Taylor does an excellent job of fitting the music to the characters and scenes. The plot took a lot of great twists and turns and Taylor definitely knows how to pull the reader along with him. I was planning to go to sleep at ten last night but HAD to finish the book. A little after one, I closed the book, satisfied with an ending that nicely tied off all the plot strings. This would be a great book for: Christian mystery readers, faculty members of universities (who will shout "someone really understands!!"), and those looking for a well-written Christian book with a delightful male character as well as a strong female protagonist.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
engaging read, June 6, 2010
Unlike the previous reviewer, I enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, and the mystery was engaging. It was Christian, but not preachy,(a selling point for me)whereas a lot of
Christian fiction is. The main character was struggling with the death of his wife, and always had a musical score running in his head...that was kinda cool 'cause music runs in my head all the time, although not in the way that it did for this character. I had many literary comments (is that the right phraseology??), and that also kept me engaged.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Concert of Recovery, September 8, 2008
This review is from: Rhapsody in Red (Paperback)
In Donn Taylor's Rhapsody in Red, the reader glimpses university campus life, academics, and a thrilling adventure along the way as Professor Preston Barclay sleuths about with fellow Professor Mara Thorn to discover who killed a colleague. The professor is still mourning the passing of his wife, but a special treat throughout the novel is musical scores, symphonies, bands, and lone instruments that haunt, taunt, and sometimes annoy Professor Barclay because he suffers from a malady known as "musical hallucinations." Since I'm not an aficionado of music titles, I didn't know all the names of the pieces Barclay held in private concert; no doubt I'd have recognized more if I'd heard a few strains.
Adept, Taylor crafts the story to a satisfactory conclusion, and his humor throughout the novel is a real delight. He knows how to make a reader smile and keep turning pages. And for that reason, I'm giving this novel a five star rating. I laid aside all other reading material to read through his fiction at bedtime in just a few nights.
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