She's back!

Under the threat of eviction by Eamon's nephew, Billy -- Gethsemane (Brown) is forced to share her humble abode with (insert shudder) Paranormal investigators of the reality show Ghost Hunting Adventures.

Billy has made it clear that she either share digs or find new digs! Luckily Eamon (I love him) resident ghost and former owner of Carraigfaire has returned from limbo hell. Short on friends, Geth is very happy to have him back. In order to keep him, Geth has to make the investigators believe that ghosts DON'T exist. Father Tim (I'm paraphrasing) said it best ... "The world isn't ready to learn that ghosts actually exist!"

Meanwhile, the home-grown Aed Devlin returns to his humble roots to shed his label of disgraced musician and resurrect his stalled career by composing a new opera. He manages to resurrect more than his career, he or someone has resurrected the Maja (first son) curse. When Bernard, the critic that torpedoed his career is found pecs down with a trowel in his back -- the general consensus is -- it couldn't have happened to a nastier guy. No surprise, surprise -- topping the very top of the suspect list is Aed.

Between balancing the Paranormal investigators and trying to find out who framed Aed for the long-time in coming murder of the hated musical critic, Geth has her hands full. Especially since an unexplained illness has struck one or both of her future beaus (both first sons) who are in the hospital suffering the affects of what some believe is the Maja curse.

This time around Geth has a great support team in the forms of Eamon, Father Tim, Venus and Saoirse to help aid her in solving the murder mystery before she or all become the next victim on the killer's list.

So far, there is not a hint of romance on the horizon between Geth and her potentials. I'm appealing to Alexia (the author) to give us a kiss, hug or looks of longing because we all know that a spark can turn into a flame. Thankfully, Eamon has returned and he is here to stay because he was greatly missed by Gethsemane, and by me.

Read this book!

Killing in C Sharp is the third book in the Gethsemane Brown Mystery series.

Gethsemane and her resident ghost and friend, Eamon McCarthy are back once again for an entertaining read.

Gethsemane has recently blocked a hotel developer from purchasing the house where she is living and turning it into a tourist trap. Now to obtain some cash, Billy McCarthy, nephew of Eamon and owner of the house, has convinced a ghost hunter reality TV show to come and tape a show. Gethsemane is beside herself over this as she doesn’t need the attention that something like this will generate. Eamon is not happy either.

Also on Gethsemane plate is the arrival at the boy’s school where she teaches will be the noted classical composer, Aed Devlin. After having an unscrupulous reporter wrote a scathing review of Devlin’s work, his career crashed and burned. Devlin has come to the school to put the finishing touches on an opera he is about to complete. His opera is based on a Hungarian legend about a noblewoman, Maja, that was entombed in a castle wall and a curse was put on the firstborn son of those who were connected to the castle. Gethsemane and Eamom are also having to deal with the appearance of Venus James, an author, who wrote a scathing book about Eamon, alleging he had something to do with his wife’s death and his having committed suicide.

Soon after Devlin arrives in town, Bernard Stolz, the freelance writer whose article ruined Devlin’s career, also arrives. One evening at the local pub they have words, but everything seems to have calmed. Then at a rehearsal, which the ghost hunter crew is also attending, unexplainable things start happening that point to the Maja curse may actually be real. When the music concludes, Stolz’s body is found in the orchestra pit and Devlin ends up being arrested for his murder. Gethsemane believes Devlin is innocent and sets out to do her own investigation. Devlin is the only person he has ruined with his scathing reviews and Gethsemane needs to look at several of these.

I felt the story is a well-plotted story with a wonderful cast of believable characters and Gordon does a great job of weaving the story of Maja’s curse into the present day.

I enjoy listening to classical music and it is very satisfying to find a mystery series centering around it. I will be watching for the next book in the series.

In Killing in C Sharp Gethsemane faces a more malicious ghost who basically wants people to keep her name out of their mouths and will take things into her own hands when an opera is written about her. Ghost hunters are being foisted onto Gethsemane and invading her space along with an unintentional and unwanted house guest. With the arrival of the new opera a curse is released with death and mayhem following.

The fact that ghosts play a part in each story makes them different from the other mysteries that I generally enjoy. This story was another enjoyable quick read in a series that I will continue. Although this is book three in the series, it can be read as a stand alone.

4+ stars
This book picks up close to where the prior left off. Gethsemane Brown has successfully thwarted the owner of her rental cottage, Carriagefaire, from having it sold off to a hotel developer. Instead, the owner is taking advantage of the existence of the ghost Eamon, the famous composer and Gethsemane’s friend, to have a famous ghost hunting television show investigate the paranormal activity at the cottage for a sum of money.
In addition to the ghost hunters, an acclaimed composer, Aed Daniels, is scheduled to have his new Opera open at the local opera house. The opera’s story is based on an old Hungarian legion whose story has been plagued with disaster and death of the first born when prior attempts to retell the story has been produced. Additional complexity arises when a music critic who derailed Aed’s career with false allegations of an affair that the critic never retracted turns up in the village. Lastly, a true crime reporter who wrote about Eamon and his wife Orla when it was claimed to be a murder-suicide that took their lives. This reporter is not a favorite of Gethsemane’s as she hasn’t yet corrected her account of Eamon’s death after Gethsemane proved the claim false.
Alexia Gordon knows how to create an atmosphere that is ripe for murder by adding characters with obvious and hidden conflicts! This story is a little darker than the previous with a malevolent ghost called up through the opera’s aria who threatens the health of the first born in village and school. This gives a sense of urgency to resolving the murder. A definite page turner!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Henery Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

'Killing in C Sharp' is another sparkling addition to the Gethsemane Brown mystery series. Everything about it is good - the characters, the location and the expertly crafted mystery. The 'paranormal' aspects of the series are endearing because of the relationships with the deceased. I am enthusiastically happy the prospect of much more time for Gethsemane in Ireland.

Gethsemane Brown and her very dead friend, Eamon are just settling back into life at the cottage when Billy tosses her the news that he has invited a group of Ghost Hunters and their entire television crew to set up shop and try to find Eamon. 

Looking forward to the arrival of Aed Devlin to liven up the village with his new opera based on an old tale and a curse. When the critic who ruined his career is found dead in the orchestra pit and all the men start falling like dominoes, Gethsemane isn't the only one seeing a terrifying apparition on stage. 

Teaming up with Eamon and true crime writer Venus, she sets out to find out exactly who is involved and why before there are more deaths.

I enjoy every character in this series. Smart, strong woman teaching music and learning to live with a ghost? Yes please, I'm in!

Well Done!

Netgalley/Henery Press  March 06, 2018

I like this series. This isn't my favourite of the series, but it's still a good murder mystery - even if it is a bit too far into the ghostly for my taste. Gethsemane is a great heroine and I like the set up. I'm always a little ish-y about magic and ghosts and so far this series has been fine for me - but this time it was a little bit more than I tend to be able to go with. BUt still, it's fun, it's (mostly) lighthearted and although the ending came in a bit of a rush, it was all tied up neatly in the end.

Gethsemane Brown is back and better than ever. In this, the third installment of the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries, Gethsemane and Eamon have to face down an over enthusiastic ghost hunting team and figure out how to stop an angry ghost who has cursed the first born sons of the village. Along the way, Gethsemane trips over more than one body and has to solve their murders.
Alexia Gordon has written another terrific cozy mystery. Gethsemane is quickly becoming one of my favorite main characters. I love how smart, snarky, and full of energy she is. I am waiting anxiously for the next book.

This is the first book in this series that I’ve read. I enjoyed the characters, the story flowed well and there were plenty of suspects for the killer. I would have given the book four stars except that the Irish village didn’t seem very realistic. There’s no way that a town large enough to have a school and opera house would only have one pub.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Henery Press

I received a free, advance copy and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Once again Gethsemane Brown finds herself in the midst of things. When a hotel developer wants to turns her cottage into a tourist trap, a vengeful ghost decides it wants revenge for her murder centuries ago.

As if a spiteful specter wasn’t bad enough, there is a crooked music reviewer who turns up dead in the opera house orchestra pit. A famous composer is arrested for the crime as she must team up with a notorious true-crime author to clear his name.

The ghost wrath hits everyone including her friends. She must calm her own ghost and save

Oh my gosh, I was on the edge of my seat through most of this book. That ghost was seriously freaking me out. The mystery was intriguing and had me guessing the entire time. I did find the ending to be a bit bittersweet.

“Killing in C Sharp” earns 5+/5 Ghostly Apparitions…and Murderous Revenge!
So much is going on in Alexa Gordon’s third book that it just may be the best one yet. First, Gethsemane’s plan to thwart the sale of Carriagfaire Cottage has resulted in a hitch…no good dead goes unpunished? Revealing Eamon’s ghost to be “dead and well” may have derailed the lucrative sale, but it has forced Billy McCarthy, owner and Eamon’s living nephew, to contract Ghost Hunters Adventures to investigate paranormal activity…for a good sum of money, of course, and Gethsemane will cooperate or vacate the premise. Second, acclaimed composer Áed Daniels, scheduled to lecture and hold a master class at St. Brenna’s, has written a new opera based on a Hungarian legend fraught with death, shame, revenge…and a curse? Not only would the composer be in jeopardy from a thirteenth-century curse, but anyone who witnesses the production. Third, the composer has a serious conflict with a music critic who publicized a plagiarism claim that turned out to not be true, but instead of retracting his report, he doubled down with claims of an affair that led to a young woman’s suicide. Then, there’s a true crime author arriving hoping to revise her popular book after its claims had been debunked, Gethsemane’s continued friendship with her ghost roommate, and…another murder? Yes, this is the best book…ever!

Alexa Gordon has become a favorite…a big favorite! This third book delightfully entertains with a paranormal twist realistically incorporated into the storyline. It is not juvenile hocus-pocus; the ghosts, ghost hunters, curses, and unexplained events and smells all work well. Alexa’s descriptions and dialogue help give the reader a true sense of the surroundings, emotions, and personalities to get anyone invested in this series. Newbies need not shy away since enough background and character connections are provided without spoilers, but I highly recommend all three books be read in order…you wouldn't start with dessert in your three-course meal, would you? I greatly enjoyed the audio versions of book one and two so well that I can actually hear the Irish brogues in my head. That was fun!

Gethsemane Brown is looking forward to a visit from a once-famous composer whose career was ruined by a scathing review. When she meets Aed, she is glad to have the chance to hear his new opera. But on the other hand, she's disgusted by the fact that her landlord Billy McCarthy (nephew of her resident ghost Eamon) has ordered her to open her little cottage to paranormal investigators to prove that Eamon exists. But that's not all. She also has to deal with a true crime writer, Venus James, who wrote a book on Eamon and his wife Orla that was claimed murder-suicide (not true) which hasn't endeared her to Gethsemane.

But as if things couldn't get any worse, they do. Bernard Stoltz, the man who wrote the career-ending review, has also arrive in their little village and it's not just Aed who hates him, but she notices that Venus doesn't want anything to do with him, either. In fact, Aed and Bernard get into a fight and Venus refuses to stay at the same hotel as Bernard, leaving only Gethsemane to offer her refuge.

But it's the legend the opera is based upon that is causing the most problems - a young woman who was walled up in a castle by her own family. Maja has cursed anyone who writes of her, and one of the investigators, a woman named Poe, seems almost excited about Maja returning. When the opera is given a rehearsal, for all appearances it seems Maja has returned, along with her curse - that all first born men will die. There is an actual death, of course, but then something strange happens - Inspector O'Reilly takes suddenly ill, along with Gethsemane's fellow teacher Frankie Grennan - and half the boys who were attending; an investigator, and probably more in the village.

Now Gethsemane has to wonder how to stop the curse, keep the investigators from finding out about Eamon, find out who killed the man at rehearsal, and suddenly everything seems to be swirling around her when she gets help from two unlikely sources - Eamon and Saoirse Nolan, a twelve-year-old genius - who may be her only chance to save the lives of her friends...

I will say that of the three books I've read so far, I liked this one the best. Gethsemane has lost some of the arrogance I found to be present in the previous two, and has become more attached to her little village, and in turn, her new friends. While she hasn't lost her sharp wit, she has mellowed her sharp tongue which before seemed to me to be snarky. Therefore I like her better as a person. I also liked the fact that it showed in this book how much she cares about Niall and Frankie and how their health was foremost in her mind.

I liked the intrigue and the search for a killer; there were enough suspects with everyone hating the man; and soon secrets began to come to the forefront that only muddied the waters and made it harder for Gethsemane to find the answers. Unlike other books, this time with Frankie and Niall both being under the curse, it was up to her - with a little help from Venus - to find a killer and look for ways to stop the curse. It was an interesting journey with lots of action throughout.

There were a couple of things that bothered me - why would Maja take it out on everyone's children for what had happened to her? They had done nothing, and should not have been punished (and to tell the truth, the first born thing reminded me too much of The Ten Commandments); and when push comes to shove, I found the ending Not Quite Believable. The method used - and I won't state it here - just seemed a tad far-fetched for me (and for the record, I do believe in ghosts). It wasn't quite jumping the shark, but it came close - and that's just my personal opinion. However, I didn't allow it to influence my enjoyment of the book.

All in all, the killer was found (as we know they must be), justice was served in its own way for all involved, and there was of course, sadness involved, as you can't always have happy endings all around. A satisfying read and I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

A fun story and a return to the classical music roots. I devoured all three Gethsemane Brown books over the course of a long weekend, and I'm glad I did.

This is a fun to read ghost story, and the ghost is friendly too. I hadn't read the first two in this series, but I enjoyed the musical aspect and the Hungarian curse was also interesting. A "read-in-one-sitting" cozy mystery.

Irish village life. Ghosts and ghost hunters. Hungarian curse. Classical music. Combining all these elements, Alexis Gordon created another top notch mystery that will keep you guessing and enjoying until the end. Excellent series.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gethsemane's landlord shows up at her door and demands that she cooperate with the crew of a ghost-hunting show or be kicked out of the cottage, she has no choice but to do so. At the same time, a tragic opera is set to debut in Dunmullach, much to the consternation of those who believe in the curse said to be associated with the story behind the opera. When some of her friends and students mysteriously fall ill after a brief preview of the opera, some of the ghost hunters are convinced that the curse is real.

This is the third book in this series, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it much more than the previous installment. The story focused more on music this time around, which is what I missed in the last book. In addition, the secondary characters were a more interesting bunch in this book, and more of Dunmullach's residents were involved as well. The mystery kept me guessing until almost the end of the book, and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

My initial impression was that the author surely never set foot in an Irish village and probably never even visited the country where she set her series, so she might not realise how bizarre some of her book was, but I just found it irritating and it detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
However, putting aside the ludicrous village (with one solitary pub serving adults only, an opera house, a newspaper office, a fully staffed local Garda station with CSIs and even a resident cold case detective etc) and the use of expressions never heard or used in that part of Ireland, or for that matter probably anywhere in the country, the actual murder mysteries were okay
Personally, I cannot get past the incongruities, and because the whole plot hinged on them, I am not a fan of this particular series.

She's at it again and so is her trusty paranormal, (not so normal) partner.it had fun, humor and you just want more of everything. You know you're in for a treat when one partner kind of has to reign in the other and that's not an easy thing to do. It had laughs, quirky and intriguing characters and you definitely like the heroine and her trusty partner. So, if you get a chance check it out and enjoy this and the rest of the series that comes before and after. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Suspense from beginning to end! Gethsemane Brown might be my new favourite heroine! Despite not reading this series before, I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery novel as a stand alone.