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Death on the Down Beat

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Death on the Down Beat

By: Sebastian Farr
Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
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About this listen

As a rousing Strauss piece is reaching its crescendo in Maningpool Civic Hall, the talented yet obnoxious conductor Sir Noel Grampian is shot dead in full view of the Municipal Orchestra and the audience.

It was no secret that he had many enemies - musicians and music critics among them - but to be killed mid-flow suggests an act of the coldest calculation. Told through the letters and documents sent by DI Alan Hope to his wife as he puzzles through the dauntingly vast pool of suspects and scant physical evidence in the case, this is an innovative and playful mystery underscored by the author's extensive experience of the highly-strung world of music professionals.

First published in 1941, this new edition gives Farr's only crime novel its long-deserved encore.

©1941, 2022 Estate of Eric Walter Blom, Martin Edwards (P)2023 Soundings Classics Detective Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction Crime

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All stars
Most relevant
I purchased this audio book as I love Simon Mattacks’ narration. The story is told through a series of letters and which leave clues as to the perpetrators guilt.

A knowledge of music would be helpful as some of the letters go into quite some detail, however the narration is utterly superb and it is worth a listen for that alone.

Simon Mattacks

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