A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

Despite a few murders and a vengeful ghost, Killing in C Sharp is a delightfully fun and entertaining read. I found this to be a light-hearted paranormal novel, and I applaud the author for the absence of any gratuitous blood and spooky stuff. There is just enough blood and just enough spooky stuff to tell the story, and that was quite satisfying to me.

**Killing in C Sharp Characters**
Where would a light-hearted paranormal novel be without quirky characters? The cast of this tale does not disappoint.

Gethsemane Brown hails from the US, but now teaches music at a quaint Irish academy. Under ordinary circumstances, she would likely be pretty ordinary, but put her in a house with a ghost she befriends, and give her the reputation of people being murdered whenever she shows up, and the result is a wonderful character that anyone would enjoy spending time with.

Eamon, Gethsemane’s ghost of a friend, meshes with her very nicely. They are both protective of each other, and when one or the other falls into harm’s way, the other is quick to act! This devoted friendship fans the flames of literary conflict and pulls the reader right into the story.

The remainder of the cast includes a local police inspector, some unscrupulous writers, and a whole television crew determined to show the world that ghosts really do exist. All of the characters are gleefully flawed, and some of the backstories are very original. I can’t imagine this story being so good if any one of them was omitted.

**Technically Speaking**
There were no SPAG issues worth mentioning. The pace moved along nicely. I thought the character arcs were somewhat unique in that they didn’t go where I thought they would. But that’s a good thing.

The build to the climax is worth mentioning. Without giving any spoilers, let’s just say that the conflict naturally seems to build to a big showdown. You’re waiting for it. You know it’s coming. But when you get there – don’t blink! It’s over that fast. At first I felt a little disappointed, but then there’s this unexpected…. Well, you’ll just have to read it for yourself! (You won’t be disappointed. I promise!)

I am reading everything I can find by this author now. The book was well paced and I enjoyed the protagonist very much. Will be looking forward to more in this series.

Although not a huge lover of paranormal stories, I enjoy the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries. In this outing, Gethsemane; a violinist, conductor, and music conductor/teacher at a local school, has saved her cottage from developers, thus saving the spirit of composer Eamon McCarthy who inhabits the cottage where he once lived. Her landlord believes that the ghost of Eamon lives in the cottage, so he has granted permission for a team of ghost hunters to investigate. To deflect the investigators, she points them to the opera house where composer Aed Devlin plans to premiere his work about Maja Zoltán who died placing a curse to occur each year on the anniversary of her death. When the playing and singing of the opera conjure Maja's ghost, Gethsemane and Eamon have to come up with a plan to send her back to wherever she came from. Along with this, there is a murder during the dress rehearsal and as usual, Gethsemane is investigating to get her friend off the hook and out of jail.

Even though this is the third book in the series, there is enough of a backstory given that this book can be read as a standalone. I enjoy Gordon’s characters, they are all fully-developed and very interesting and quirky. Because this series takes place in the Irish village of Dunmullach, the reader gets to learn about living in a small Irish Village with all that goes with it. Gethsemane is a great MC. She is smart, confident, competent, as well being an in your face kind of gal. She loves Irish Whisky and is no shrinking violet. Father Tom plays a big role in this story delving into his older brother’s collection of books on the occult, Neill of the Gardaí and Saoirse the 12-year-old genius are also front and centre in solving this mystery as well as dealing with the spectre of Maja. A side story is the subject of reviews for pay, and poor reviews for non-pay. This is something that has always interested me, as well as the ethics of that. There is still enough humour in the story to counteract some of the more serious issues. The mystery was well plotted and wove into the paranormal storyline well. The final reveal was not what I had expected, but it fit the story well. With the twists and clues sprinkled throughout the story, this was a great addition to this series. Ms. Gordon has created a mystery/paranormal series that is a perfect balance of action, mystery, intrigue, and character development. Overall, I wouldn't say this was the best in the series so far, but it was definitely a fun and enjoyable cozy mystery. If you enjoy a Paranormal Cozy, then you need to pick up this book and series.

I do like a good ghost story and this one is a great one! Gethesmane Brown is a talented instructor from the US currently working in a small private academy in Ireland. Her mentor is a bit unusual, instead of being the life of the party he's more of the lifeless of the party. Eamon was a very talented composer who has taken quite a shine to Gethesmane and they worked together to keep his former home/her current home . In addition to fighting off ghost hunters on the home front there seems to be a vengeful murderous ghost brought on by an operatic aria in its final stages. This was highly entertaining with multiple subplots and a smattering of romance. Gethesmane is a wonderful character who has the best interests of everyone as a priority. This is a great series and I can't wait to go back and read the early ones and then move forward to the next one that Alexia Gordon orchestrates.

Killing in C Sharp is the third book in the outstanding Gethsemane Brown Mystery series by Alexia Gordon.

Gethsemane Brown is a conductor/musician/teacher. She is currently living in Ireland (read the first two books to learn more about why she is in Ireland). The house she is living in has been haunted by the previous owner, himself a musician and composer. Gethsemane learned a lot about the ghost-world and paranormal activity – or so she thought – from her interactions with that ghost, Eamon McCarthy. She and Eamon have gotten along quite well when he’s around – he’s even helped her solve a mystery – and so when a ghost-hunting television show wants to set up in her home to find and track Eamon, Gethsemane will do whatever she can to protect him. She does this by deflecting the crew. It so happens that there is another ghost, at a nearby opera house, that might show herself.

Aed Devlin is a composer who has written an opera about Maja Zoltán. Zoltán died placing a curse on the opera house so that terrible things would occur on the anniversary of her death. Now with the opera written about her, the curse is blown wide open and the ghost hunting team has more than they can handle – especially as people start dying.

Author Alexia Gordon has created a wonderful paranormal setting complete with rules that we are only just beginning to understand. It is couched in the real world and manages to ring true – except that ghosts interact with the living.

She has also given us a set of characters that are intelligent, harried by everyday life, and a lot of fun to follow. Gethsemane has to balance her day job with protecting her ghostly friend Eamon and finding ways to help solve mysteries.

I definitely liked the addition of the new, more evil spirit in this volume, but at the same time I missed the musical connection that was so apparent in the first book and still somewhat present in the second volume. The musical connection was there, with the new opera, but it was much less direct and didn’t have as much to do with Gethsemane’s abilities.

All in all, I am really enjoying this series. Gordon writes a smooth, detailed, and complex mystery that is quite enjoyable – especially for those who like a little paranormal thrown in.

Looking for a good book? Killing in C Sharp is the third book in the Gethsemane Brown Mystery series by Alexia Gordon and is a terrific read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

“That’s the safety valve,” Eamon said. “Keeps humans from creating havoc by wantonly summoning ghosts back. Imagine the damage you’d do if you knew the key to conjuring bank robber or mad bomber or axe murderer.”

To say I was excited to read and review the latest installment by Alexia Gordon’s mystery series is an understatement. I’ve loved this storyline since the first book, Murder in G Minor. The third Gethsemane Brown mystery book picks up right from where the second book, Death in D Minor left off – Gethsemane dealing with potential ghost hunters and the continued threat of eviction from the cottage she’s been calling home. Throw in her loving ghost, along with three murders that need solving and you have another brilliant story.

With this third book, author, Alexia Gordon continues to skillfully weave a story around murders, twists, and interesting characters. This time most of the interesting characters are ghost hunters with an added twist of an ancient curse in this story.

The third book is entirely set in the village of Dunmullach, Ireland. A cast of characters from ghost hunters to musicians to a controversial reviewer convenes on the village and soon all are drawn together by three murders. The first murder you knew was coming, but why that person was killed at such an opportune time shows that Gordon has skillfully crafted her story very well.

This latest story, which still reminds me of “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” left me guessing until the end on who killed who and what their underlying motives were. The story interconnects the characters in ways that are uniquely surprising and unexpected from the United States to Ireland.

What I love about Gordon’s writing is that she inserts actual facts into her books, like she did in Killing in C Sharp by using “ptomaine.” It’s an old term used to describe food poisoning caused by bacteria. It’s not often that you come across this word in the modern language and I’ve only read it in history books.

Another noteworthy twist is how did ghosts get captured in this story. You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I love that the poison garden is still carried through into this book, along with the young girl who can read Latin. I’m so glad that in this book, Gordon added more interaction and conservations between Gethsemane and “her ghost.” That’s what made me fall in love in with the story. If you love ghosts, murder, and solving mysteries then the Gethesmane Brown Mystery series is one you should add to your reading library.

I’ll continue to look forward to Gethesmane’s adventures with her ghost!

KILLING IN C SHARP:A Gethsemane Brown Mystery by Alexia Gordon ~ A delightful cozy mystery series with a paranormal element. And each book Gethsemane Brown has an adventure and a mystery to solve that always involves a ghost. These cute quirky storylines are quite humorous. I recommend this for all fans of cozy mysteries.

I’m putting up one review for all three of these books, partly because I read them all in a span of about 4 days, and partly because it’s difficult to talk about the second and third books without spoiling the first (and second).

I stumbled across this series looking for books to fulfill the Read Harder Challenge Task #21: A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author. A cozy mystery series about an African American musician stranded in rural Ireland and recruited by a ghost (and she doesn’t believe in ghosts) to solve his murder, which was written off as a suicide decades ago? Yes, please.

Early on, I was a little skeptical about the ghost thing. (Ha! See what I did there?) But Eamon is an absolutely perfect foil for Gethsemane, and their interactions are thoroughly charming.

Of the three books, I liked the second one, Death in D Minor the best. The book introduces Gethsemane’s brother-in-law, an interesting character in his own right as well as a window into Gethsemane’s life before Dunmullach. There’s also a new ghost in town, which is just fun. And there’s a needlework sampler that plays a major role, which I found even more appealing than the music angle (but that’s me).

I liked the second book so much I immediately downloaded the e-ARC of the third book, Killing in C Sharp, from NetGalley rather than wait for the book to be published next month. When the crew of a ghost-hunting television show arrives on Gethsemane’s doorstep, you know things are about to get interesting. In fact, they get downright bizarre. There’s another new ghost, and this one is not at all friendly.

As much as I enjoyed the books, though, I am troubled by the representation of queer (apologies to those who dislike that word, but it’s really the best catch-all in this case) characters – there are a few, but none of them seem quite okay. I don’t need every queer character to be good, but when every one is evil and/or mentally ill, that’s a problem. The representation of mental illness is a little problematic, too, especially in the first book.

Overall, I found the series entertaining and engaging, which is what I want in a cozy mystery. I’ll be keeping an eye out for a fourth book in the series.

I received Killing in C Sharp by Alexia Gordon from Net Galley, but read it recently because it's going to be discussed next week at the F2F mystery book club that I attend. It's the third in a paranormal mystery series whose protagonist, Gethsemane Brown, is a school musical director in a small Irish village. Like author Alexia Gordon, Gethsemane is African American. The first book in the series, Murder in G Major reveals how Gethsemane ended up in Ireland. If you feel that it's important to know the central character's background, by all means read Murder in G Major before this book. Yet I should point out that Gethsemane's U.S. background plays no role in Killing in C Sharp. So it's definitely possible to read this book first. I read Murder in G Major before there were any other books in the series and enjoyed it for the most part. This inclined me to read another book in the series.

Gethsemane rents a cottage that is haunted by a ghost. So the owner of the cottage decided to pay a ghost hunting TV series to film an episode at his cottage. Since I tend to suspect TV ghost hunters of faking the phenomena that they are supposedly investigating, I almost didn't read this book. I expected it to deal with frauds discovering that there actually was a ghost which is mildly amusing, but I felt that I had better things to do with my reading time. I turned out to be wrong about the TV ghost hunters. There was also content that was a great deal more interesting to me.

Gethsemane invited an Irish composer, Aed Devlin, to give a series of lectures to her students. Devlin was also premiering a new opera which was based on a Hungarian legend associated with a curse. I happen to be an opera fan, and the legend described in the book definitely caused this feminist to sit up and take notice. I researched the story and learned that it isn't an actual Hungarian legend. Alexia Gordon created it probably from the bones of a folk tale called The Walled Up Wife . It's a different yet equally awful story from a feminist perspective, but Gordon's addition of a curse and a ghost vastly improved the narrative.

The murder expected by mystery lovers happened, and the local Catholic priest was given an opportunity to contribute a very fine witticism which I just adored. I'll leave my readers to discover it for themselves.

I consider Killing in C Sharp better than its description and the mystery more intriguing than in the first novel in the series. The resolution was inventive. I can't wait to see what Alexia Gordon comes up with in her next Gethsemane Brown novel.

I couldn't really find any flaw in the book or story but something just didn't really hold.my interest the 1st half of the book. In the middle it sped up a little and got better and I am glad I didn't give up. Plot line is a little wordy and drags a little in the beginning and it really picks up nicely and smoothly and glides into a home run.

Gethsemane Brown is one of my all-time favorite characters, and in Killing in C Sharp, she does not disappoint. I was hooked from page one and felt right at home in the Irish village of Dunmullach with its quirky characters and small town atmosphere. In this third installment in the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries, Gethsemane is faced with her landlord's ultimatum to open her home to ghost hunters or leave. She has no choice, as she has come to love Carraigfaire, her cottage, (and its resident ghost, Eamon McCarthy), and she reluctantly agrees to the request.

Once the ghost hunters arrive, a wild ride ensues, with a vengeful ghost, a mysterious wasting illness and murder coming to Dunmullach. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and as anxious as the intrepid Gethsemane to rid the village of the evil brought on it by the malevolent ghost and to absolve a friend she feels has been unjustly accused of murder. Alexia Gordon has a gift for making characters (and ghosts!) come to life that makes this book so unputdownable and enjoyable.

I cannot wait for the next installment in this wonderful series!

I have really grown to love the Gethsemane Brown Cozy Mystery Series and, after reading KILLING IN C SHARP, think that each book is better than the last.

In KILLING IN C SHARP, we find Gethsemane fresh off the events of the previous book. Hoping to be able to settle back to normal (but what is normal since she moved to Ireland?), she is disappointed to find out that her landlord, and resident ghost Eamon’s nephew, has invited a television ghost hunting group to investigate the cottage. In addition to “hiding” Eamon, she must deal with a guest composer who has come to town to premier his new opera based on a centuries old legend. Gethsemane deflects the TV crew to the opera house, but things get out of control when the ghost from the legend is released and the curse attached to her makes people fall ill, not to mention the dead body found in the orchestra pit. Unethical music critic Bernard Stolz made enemies everywhere he went, and there is no shortage of suspects for his murder, but composer Aed Devlin is arrested for the crime. Gethsemane is sure Aed is innocent so she joins forces with her nemesis, true crime writer Venus James, to find the real killer, contain Maja and end the curse before some of the ill die, and keep Eamon from being exposed.

Gordon does a great job of taking unbelievable circumstances and making the premise of the tale totally believable. Do readers need to be open minded about ghosts and curses? Yes, but it is so much fun. KILLING IN C SHARP incorporates some of my favorite things into the story – opera, ghosts, Ireland – and makes for an entertaining, compelling read. The murder mystery is well developed and interesting, but it is the thread involving Maja that really shines. There are secrets, false identities, danger, and sacrifice within the book’s pages. Sounds like it could be its own opera, right? The suspects all have viable motives, and I did not have it all figured out until close to the end. The resolution is tragic in its own right. My only quibble with the book concerns a character’s sacrifice at the end of the book. I just do not feel like Eamon would be so fine with the consequence and result of this sacrifice.

Gethsemane is a great protagonist and amateur sleuth. She is strong minded and intelligent, yet also logical and snarky. I think she and I could be friends. The other recurring characters, including Inspector Niall and child genius Saoirse, are well developed and unique. I have even grown to like Venus.

I greatly enjoyed KILLING IN C SHARP and recommend it to any cozy reader, especially those who enjoy a pronounced paranormal theme.

I love me some paranormal books, and this one had a good story buried down deep in there, it was just a struggle to find it.

Gethsemane Brown is a music teacher (and more, I'm sure) who is an American expat in Ireland. She's found herself yet again in the middle of a murder mystery involving a centuries old evil spirit who is literally sucking the life force out of the small village where she lives.

If I could give half stars, I would. It would be a solid 3 1/2 stars. Being that I was at 3 1/2, I had to go either 4 or 3 and could not go 3. This was a slow read for me, I don't know if it was the distraction of the multitude of names that I struggled to pronounce or just my disbelief in the ability to trap spirits in electronics, but whatever it was, I had to muscle through it. It really was a good book beneath all the distractions and I'm sure I'll pick up the next one (because I love Eamon and I love Gets' sassy American self)

Thank you Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Third in the Gesthemane Brown series - I didn't read the first two, although there is a lot of character, background and scene setting before things actually start to kick off.

I'm not a fan. I loved the setting - Ireland - and the theme of ghostly revenge, however the character of Brown (and indeed of the supporting cast) did not illicit any connection / empathy that other "cozy crime" sleuths have done. I didn't have an invested interest in either character or the storyline that developed. For me personally, it just doesn't stack up with all the hype. Glad it was a freebie read.

This engrossing, nimbly written mystery is a welcome installment in the Gethsemane Brown series. Don’t let the presence of a dryly witty ghost and small-town setting make you think this can simply be labeled a cozy paranormal mystery. Some characters -- both living and dead -- are ruthless. The devices that they use to pursue their desires can be grimly ironic, which gives complexity to the story. I enjoy this series and have purchases it for the genre fiction section of the academic library where I work. Professional classical musician, Gethsemane Brown is engaging and relatable; how many of us have had to make a major life change due to changing realities of work and one’s own life? It’s completely believable that a highly educated African American woman over 30 may have difficulty finding work in a specialized field -- but Ms. Brown’s adventurous enough to try her luck in Ireland, where she meets both challenges and delights head on. Readers of the previous books will remember that our heroine began to settle in among the faculty of an exclusive boys’ school, but Gethsemane still considered returning to the U.S. for a prestigious career opportunity. However, things happen in this series, rather startling things. Quick, fun read from an author to watch and admire.

The book looks generally good. I got access to excerpt of this book. I wished to have access to the full book to provide a more deep review.

In the third book in this series, internationally recognized concert violinist-turned-music teacher Gethsemane Brown finds that the crew of a basic-cable paranormal TV show has come to the out-of-the-way Irish village of Dunmullach, having set its sights on finding evidence of the ghost of the late internationally renowned composer Eamon McCarthy. Gethsemane knows that the village’s peace of mind — not to mention Eamon’s and hers — will disappear if there’s proof of Eamon’s ghostly existence, since tourists and paranormal enthusiasts will turn Dunmullach into a pilgrimage site. But how to foil the TV crew?

There’s a secondary plot about the vengeful ghost of a murdered Hungarian princess, which proves a bit distracting. But my real problem with Killing in C Sharp is its many deus ex machina and, even more so, its implausible ending. (I can't reveal more without spoiling the novel, but trust me on this one.) And it’s a great pity. This novel could have been as wonderful as Murder in G Major and Death in D Minor with some restraint and revision. Here’s to hoping that author Alexia Gordon returns to her previous glory in time for book No. 4.

Gethsemane Brown saved her current residence from developers in the preceding book. Now, in book 3 in the series, she and her ghostly companion must face down some ghost hunters. The owner of her residence has given the ghost hunters permission to look for ghosts on the property. Gethsemane and Eamon must work together to keep Eamon from discovery.

Meanwhile, a distasteful critic has appeared on the scene as a new opera is prepared to debut. Only problem: the new opera draws the attention of a vengeful ghost who is seeking to take revenge on firstborn males. Can Gethsemane and Eamon keep the ghost from killing them all? When the critic turns up dead, can Gethsemane solve that mystery as well?

This is a well-written cozy mystery. I liked the characterization. It seemed almost like the village itself was a character as to how people interacted.

The pacing was good. The plot was well drawn and a little different with the addition of the vengeful ghost mystery to the murder mystery. I didn't see the end coming. I enjoyed being surprised by how things worked out exactly.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well worth a read. This book works well as a standalone since some it seems that some of Gethsemane's normal interactions are curbed by the vengeful ghost sickening people. Enough background is given to appreciate the mysteries and their solutions. And I suspect that like me, once you've read this one, you will want to read others in the series. This is a good read for fans of cozies, especially small town cozies.

Killing in C Sharp by Alexia Gordon was published March 6th, 2018 by Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

One thing I enjoy about this series is the author's writing style. Our heroine Gethsemane is presented as an intelligent and gifted woman. As someone who has read the first story but did not get to read the second yet this story still stands well on it's own.

I enjoyed Virgina and Gethsemane sleuthing together to clear Aed's name and ride the village of the power ghost Maja. They didn't just stumble upon the answers but used to connections they made through their careers. The opera and music were woven in beautifully to help with the plot without deterring from the mystery. And unlike most mysteries with a female lead there was no overpowering romance that distracts from the case at hand.