The Memorial Hall Murder

In this addition to Ms. Langton's wonderful Homer Kelly mysteries, she again leads us through a maze of personalities possibilities and well described places to a very satisfying conclusion. Even if you've never been to Cambridge, she makes it possible, with her descriptions and drawings to imagine yourself there. Her characters are, as always, imperfect but lovable. There are just the right balance of humor, suspense and philosophy that make Ms. Langton's books worth reading - again and again.

"The Memorial Hall Murder By Jane Langton 8-1 hour audio cassettes Read by Michael Prichard Books On Tape, Inc. THIS GRIPPING STORY TAKES PLACE DURING REHEARSALS FOR A CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE of Handel's Messiah, and each chapter is introduced by a selection from his masterpiece. When someone bombs Memorial Hall, Hamilton Down, the corpulent and beloved choir master, disappears in the rubble. Fortunately on hand to help the local police set to work is Jane Langton's famous sleuth, Homer Kelly, present at Harvard as a visiting lecturer in American Literature. Kelly carefully baits his trap. It snaps shut during the Messiah's thrilling finale, a fitting conclusion to the story and a proper orchestration for justice." [from the back cover of the audio cassette case]

This is the first Homer and Mary Kelly book that I've read. When I come across a mystery that I really enjoy, I try to read all the other books by the author. So I look forward to enjoying the other 16 mysteries that Jane Langton has written in this series. If you like mysteries with lots of local color and humorous Tom Wolfe-like situations and observations, you won't be disappointed.

This is the book that launched Jane Langton's fame as a mystery writer. She has written much since that time, but I suspect this may be her best work. It has a light touch, a really interesting mystery, and a nice background of Harvardiana and classical music. The university setting is well done, which is unusual among "murder on the campus" books. Current Harvard students may be a bit puzzled (Memorial Hall was completely redone in the mid-'90's, years after this book was published). The plot is expertly constructed, and there is a strong sense of place and time, which allows the reader to care about the action and the characters. I give it 4 stars rather than 5 because I reserve 5 stars for something like The Hound of the Baskervilles.... This book is disappearing from library shelves, but there are still a lot of used copies about. Buy one now, before they are gone, too!

This book is one of my favourites. It combines my liking for mysteries and love of classical music. Homer and Mary Kelly assist some students at Harvard to find their lost and loved professor. We follow the rehearsing of Handel's Messiah, and I laughed out loud by the description of a characters tries to learn the music, playing the violin. (probably not as funny for non musicians though) Good book.