The Devil's Music by Pearl R. Meaker

When an acclaimed scholar and musician is found murdered on the Twombly College campus where her husband teaches chemistry and forensics, Emory Crawford emerges as the most inquisitive, persistent and clever amateur detective since Miss Marple. This cozy mystery is the first book in the Emory Crawford Mysteries Series.  (Summary via Amazon)


Emory Crawford is a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a volunteer, an avid reader, a musician, a friend.  Emory Crawford is not a detective or anything close to that.....or so she thought.

Emory's husband is a college professor and she loves being a college professor's wife.  She loves Twombly College and volunteers on campus whenever she can.  Her latest volunteering job places her at the Welcome table for a week-long Midwest Anthropological Studies Society's conference.  Not only is she greeting the attendees but her and her husband, Jebbin, are involved in the opening ceremony.

Archie, a friend of Emory and Jebbin, has written a book pertaining to the field and will be a big part of the conference.  Unfortunately he is found in a garden murdered just after the opening dinner.

The local authorities are looking to have the case solved before the week-long event concludes putting Jebbin and his friend Chatty is a tough spot researching and working in the lab.  Emory decides to "help" out by talking to some of the others in attendance.

Emory is certain that she has solved the murder and knows who the murderer is......until he is found murdered in one of the gardens on campus as well.  

Can she really solve the case, especially now that there are 2 murders ?  She was told that she has the "gift".... what does that actually mean ? 

The Devil's Music by Pearl R. Meaker is a very interesting story about music and death and how they come together.  Even though it is a rather "dark" topic, you will not feel like you are in the dark.  Meaker keeps you going right along side Emory as she wanders around campus playing Miss Marple......


Review by Missi S.