Murder at the Royal Albert

The Daniel Jacobus Mysteries, Book 8

By: Gerald Elias

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

This brilliantly conceived audiobook begins with the sudden death of a young violinist during a concert performance of Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with music from the Boston Symphony Orchestra woven throughout this truly classical whodunnit. Blind, curmudgeonly violinist Daniel Jacobus and his companions, Yumi and Nathaniel, join forces with Branwell Small, a questionably trustworthy partner in crime solving, and officious DCI Christopher Mattheson as they follow every baffling clue, twist, and turn.

The talents of a world-class orchestra and world-class narrator help create a thrilling audiobook full of secrets and surprises that will keep mystery and classical music lovers on the edge of their seats.

Music by Vivaldi, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Schubert, Beethoven, and others, played by the Boston Symphony orchestra.

©2023 Gerald Elias (P)2023 Alison Larkin Presents

Critic reviews

"Filled with twists and turns this murder mystery is sure to delight fans... A listening experience that shouldn't be missed...the perfect combination of mystery, music, and Alison Larkin's narration." (The Berkshire Eagle)

"Alison Larkin's crystalline voice adds verve to Gerald Elias's eighth mystery featuring Daniel Jacobus, who is blind. Elias, who is a violinist and composer, as well as a writer, clearly adores classical music and finds its adherents wonderful and quirky. Larkin's expressive narration lets the eccentricity shine in this tale about a musician's death in the midst of Mahler's 6th Symphony. Jacobus and his musical companions, Yumi Shinagawa and Nathaniel Williams, partner and spar with an overbearing Scotland Yard detective as they try to discover why anyone would kill a sweet-tempered young violinist. Larkin's attentive pacing highlights the book's wit, and her characterizations leave one grinning. Occasional musical interludes round out the atmosphere, making for an altogether delightful listen." (AudioFIle)

"In the eighth installment of the Daniel Jacobus mystery series by violinist and composer Elias (after *Cloudy with a Chance of Murder*), London’s Royal Albert Hall is sold out for a performance of Mahler’s dramatic Sixth Symphony by the Harmonium Orchestra. As the final note descends, a bullet kills one of the performers, young violinist Natasha Conrad, a student of Jacobus’s friend/protégée Yumi Shinagawa. Cantankerous Jacobus, whose career as a musician was cut short when he lost his vision, is urged by a devastated Yumi to investigate, and soon the charming cast of characters from previous Jacobus mysteries gathers to solve Natasha’s inexplicable murder. As in previous cases, Jacobus employs his extraordinary musical knowledge and well-developed four remaining senses to investigate a wonderfully twisty mystery. From Jacobus’s growl to Yumi’s passionate and youthful speaking voice, narrator Alison Larkin skillfully portrays the varied cast. She adeptly modulates her pace to allow the narrative to flow between plot developments and the wealth of musical knowledge Elias imparts. *VERDICT* Music aficionados and readers of Nero Wolfe should enjoy spending time with the eccentric and delightfully grumpy Jacobus and his friends; this novel works even for those new to the series. Includes fun musical interludes performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra." (Beth Farrell, The Library Journal)

The mystery of music

Murder at the Royal Albert opens on a high note of discord: A gifted female violinist is shot in the middle of her first performance, in a crowded concert hall in London. Despite the large audience, no one can identify the killer, so gathering clues is painfully slow, which confounds the authorities and frustrates the victim’s friends.

From there the mystery continues to reverberate, immersing the listener both classical music and crime drama. In this music world, with which the author Gerald Elias is intimately familiar, musicians experience bitter rivalries, to the point of wanting to kill each other. Violinist Daniel Jacobus, the alter-ego of the author, is blind, which makes him an acute listener, a great musician, and enables him to perceive things that others can’t. He leads the whodunit investigation to its satisfying conclusion.

The audiobook narration by Alison Larkin, performed over music by Vivaldi, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and others, does the story justice.

Five stars.

Brilliant musical mystery!

Alison Larkin’s narration combined with the musical moments in the audiobook make for very enjoyable listening. The creation of the personality of each of the characters in the book makes them come alive, as if they were all real people. The twists and unexpected turns taken to solve the mystery were fun and clever. Gerald Elias’ extensive musical experience is evident throughout the story with all of the nuances that are woven throughout, from musical history and stylistic concepts to the efforts of musical performance and pedagogy. If you are a classical music and mystery novel lover this is the perfect audiobook for you! One tip: I read the book beforehand and it made the listening experience even better! Very well done!

A great musical mystery & a treat for the ears!

As a music lover, I was drawn to a story about a violinist detective. The wonderful surprise I got was that there's lots of beautifully played music in the audiobook version. There was no need to seek out the music when it came up in the story - it was right there, played by the author (who can really play!) and some pretty distinguished musicians, including the Boston Symphony.

The music, while gorgeous, is still secondary to the story, which came to life through the English narrator's very wide-ranging vocal talent. The warm narration, and her ability to voice many different kinds of characters, made me feel I was inside the story, eavesdropping on the events. Murder at the Royal Albert is a very clever mystery which concerns the murder of a young violinist. I really loved the detective Jacobus - a total original - and Yumi, his younger and very different counterpart. Leonia, Yumi's aunt and their host, was another lively character that totally charmed me. The author reveals a very authentic and believable orchestral life as a backdrop for the mystery. You also get a superb picture of British life. The book is beautifully written with entertaining descriptions of food and drink - Elias is obviously a foodie as well as a writer and musician - and listening to it made me hungry.

A final brava to Alison Larkin's wonderful narration, and her ability to fill these characters with such humanity.

Murder at the Royal Albert was very satisfying. I plan to read the rest of Elias's Daniel Jacobus series. Meanwhile, this audiobook mystery is like no other I've ever listened to. I can't praise it enough!

Just about two hours in, I'm loving this audiobook

I'm a late-comer to the Daniel Jacobus Mystery series, but I wanted to start here, since I am a professional orchestra percussionist, and have also had the pleasure of performing at the Royal Albert Hall. This title "spoke" to me.

Though I'm just a couple of hours into the audiobook, I absolutely LOVE the delivery of this narrator, Alison Larkin, and the smooth, well-written flow of the text by author, Gerald Elias. (I might mention that Elias's description of orchestral percussionists is quite humorous, and also spot-on).

I'm looking forward to finishing this audiobook, and then going back to Vol. 1 of the Jacobus Mysteries, and moving forward from there. Meanwhile, loving this journey.

The blend of story and music is amazing!

The visual descriptions are great. I also felt like I was learning so much about music at the same time - even though it IS a murder mystery. Really delightful!!

Music enhanced the entire experience

I recommend this book to all mystery lovers and music lovers. The music woven through the book enhances the story telling and listening experience, giving it an emotional depth not commonly associated with murder mysteries. Nicely read and produced.

Both the story and the music are terrific.

Gerald Elias books are always fascinating and intriguing. His last, so he says, is superb. I so enjoyed it that I read it twice in the space of a few days. He’s a maestro—of classical music and crime thrillers.