Death at the Festival

Australia has some fine and challenging arts/music festivals. I was involved with one some years ago as a music reviewer and found this story gradually forming in my mind. Murder, of course, is never funny and needs to be treated with respect, but I am certain that those who are involved with sorting out the whys and wherefores of a crime would agree that some of the characters who get involved do have their comic side. Marius Hogbein, the festival director, is horrified when his beloved festival becomes the scene for murder. The victims are all famous, and that bodes no good for the festival’s reputation. But life has to go on, and he is dealing with performers who all have their own brand of ego to be reckoned with. The detective sergeant in charge of investigation, Nicholas Henry Jarvis Verdun, has no understanding of music—though he does try. And having to deal with temperamental musicians is outside his job description.