Eine Kleine Murder

Cressa Carraway Musical Mysteries #1

by Kaye George

Aspiring conductor Cressa Carraway arrives at her grandmother's cabin at a rural Illinois lake resort, hoping to find some peace and quiet so she can finish composing the symphony she needs to earn her master's degree in Composition. Instead, she finds her grandmother's corpse in the lake. The authorities dismiss the death as an accidental drowning, but when Gram's best friend drowns in the exact same spot, Cressa just knows something is off-key in this idyllic setting. Convinced that her grandmother's death was anything but an accident, she fights her instinct to flee and starts looking into things herself. There are lots of people and facts to consider, from the self-important property manager and his brow-beaten wife, to their salacious son, to the elderly widow who may be lacing her home-baked cookies with a dash of poison. As the body count rises, Cressa doesn't know which will be finished first-her symphony or her life.

Genres: Mystery

222 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Kaye George is an award-winning novelist and short-story writer who writes cozy and traditional mysteries and a prehistory series, which are both traditionally and self-published. Her two cozy series are Fat Cat and Vintage Sweets. The two traditional series feature Cressa Carraway and Imogene Duckworthy. The People of the Wind prehistory mysteries take place within a Neanderthal tribe. She has a suspense novel coming out in early 2025 called SOMEONE IS OUT THERE, and a new cozy series starting in 2026 featuring Comfy Cat. About 50 or more short stories have also been published, mostly in anthologies and magazines. With family scattered all over the globe, she makes her home in Knoxville TN.

Homepage: http://kayegeorge.com/

Reviews

[Edith Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading Eine Kleine Murder by the prolific Kaye George and really enjoyed it. Cressa, a composer from the city, shows up for a visit with her adored grandmother at her cottage on the lake. One deadly surprise follows another, but the theme of classical music follows her along, presenting both solace and challenges. Love this debut in a series, from Barking Rain Press. Look for it!

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cressa Carraway is a young musician, with dreams of becoming a conductor. She drives to a rural Illinois lake resort to visit her grandmother, anticipating a relaxing, peaceful visit with the woman who raised her and an opportunity to compose her music. But, when she finds her grandmother's body in the lake and soon discovers two other corpses, her visit quickly turns into a nightmare. Heartbroken but determined to find the murderer, she puts her own life in serious jeopardy.
I highly recommend "Eine, Kleine Murder" by Kaye George.

[Lynn Farris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all three books in Kaye George’s Imogene Duckworthy Mystery series: “Choke,” “Smoke,” and “Broke.” This humorous series revolves around a Private Investigator’s assistant. So I was nervous to read “Eine Kleine Murder” for fear it may not live up to my high expectations of a Kaye George book.

The name of the book added to my concern. “Eine Kleine Murder.” I wasn’t sure what Eine Kleine even meant. (I later found it means small.) Then, I saw the main character, Cressa Caraway was studying musical composition. Another area where I have little expertise.

Before I got through the first chapter, my concerns disappeared. I flew through the pages. Cressa Caraway, the main character, goes to her grandmother’s cabin retreat to find peace and write the symphony needed to get her master’s degree. However, the real story revolves around the universal themes of personal relationships and family dynamics.

For the rest of the review see: http://www.examiner.com/article/kaye-...

[Jacqueline Seewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is one “small” item in this mystery besides the title reference and that is the inclusion of the poisoning of some small children. However, the title is ironic in the sense that there are a number of murders and they do not seem small in the least. This novel is written in the first person. Cressa Caraway, a university student working on a Master’s Degree in classical music and also an aspiring conductor, visits her grandmother’s rustic cabin in rural Illinois only to discover her grandmother’s dead body in the nearby lake. The police write this death off as accidental, but Cressa knows that her grandmother was a strong swimmer. There are a number of creepy suspects living and lurking in the vicinity. Soon her grandmother’s best friend is also dead, drowned in the same spot. Cressa investigates and is nearly murdered herself. Mystery fans will enjoy this novel and find it very hard to put down. Cressa is involved with both music and murder in this well-written mystery which is part of a series.

[Janice Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine Klein by Kaye George

The premise of this story is delightful. The language of music is woven into the plot. Words like Soffocato (muffled, damped, choked) lend themselves well to a murder mystery. Each chapter heading gives a clue of what to expect with its musical header.

Cressa, a timid grad student, is working on a composition in order to complete her Master's Degree. Unlucky in love, she escapes to her grandmother's lake house to work on her thesis, a composition. Her grandmother dies just before she arrives, Cressa does not support the police premise that it was an accident. Cressa encounters a series of murders, there are plenty of suspects and twists to keep one guessing until the end.

The only part that puzzled me was the ex-boyfriend, the one who had a restraining order against him. He shows up more than once in violation of that order. What didn't she or her friend report him to the police?

A curl up and escape the real world book.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When aspiring conductor Tessa Carraway arrives at her grandmother's cabin in rural Illinois to finish composing her symphony, she finds her grandmother's corpse in a nearby lake. This sets off a chain of events that had me turning pages. The characters are realistically well-drawn, and I loved the clever music references, each appropriate to the mood of the chapter. I highly recommend this novel.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I honestly LOVED about this book was it was set at the little lake club where we have a cabin near the small town where my husband grew up. Not that it was fun to think of a murder taking place there, but still when descriptions were made, I was able to conjure up the place perfectly! Good little mystery, too.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing new mystery series that will hold you in your seat as events unfold in a dizzying array of events.


I'll fill this out more later.


FTC Full Disclosure: I received this book as a gift from the author.

[James Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this newest series from Kaye George. Unlike her humorous Imogene Duckworthy series, this is a more serious near cozy (I don't suppose children are allowed to be poisoned in a true cozy even if they don't die??). It takes a new, interesting character, Cressa Carraway, an aspiring classical music conductor, and thrusts her into a community of intrigue, murder, poisonings and motives galore. Good stuff.

Don't skip the book just because classical music is not your thing. Kaye uses musical terms to introduce each chapter, but they are unobtrusive and well-explained. If you are a classical music buff, it will only add to your pleasure.

Disclaimer: I read a very early draft of this book as part of a critique group and thought (as is often the case with early drafts) that it was just okay. The edits Kaye made between that draft and publication made it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

~ Jim

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cressa Carraway travels to visit with her grandmother, Gram, and discovers her dead body instead. That tragedy is compounded by Cressa's fight with Gram that she had hoped to resolve on this trip. Guilt-stricken, Cressa tries to create a tribute to Gram in the musical composition she is writing to complete her masters in music. Like the unfolding story and subsequents deaths that finally get ruled homicides, however, Cressa is stymied by pieces that come to her but don't fit together to create a symphony.

I really liked this book and hope Ms. George is working on a sequel. The characters are believable, even in the midst of murder and more murder. There are clues and red herrings galore, along with many suspects. Ms. George keeps you guessing, along with Cressa, right to the end.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine Kleine Murder by Kaye George, is a satisfying murder mystery with all the classic elements: a spunky and sympathetic heroine, a host of odd and creepy characters, a well-imagined setting, a satisfying, fast-paced plot, and--my basic requirement--good touches of humor. Ms. George has nailed the genre with Eine Kleine Murder, and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Sara Reber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine Kline Murder is the first book I have read by Kate George and I really enjoyed it. It has a murder, lots of twists and turns, and kept me going until the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new mystery book to read.

I won a copy of this book from the author in a Giveaway contest on Good Reads. This is my own honest review.

[Judy Sheluk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pitch perfect from the very first page, Kaye George's first book in the Cressa Carraway series is an entertaining mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed the musical references which introduce each chapter, and add ambience and atmosphere throughout the book.