My hat's off to this writer. Homer Kelly is bombastic and enthusiastic during his foray into professorship at Harvard University,
along with his co-teacher and wife, Mary, who are met with a horrifying explosion and murder on their first days to this hallowed ground. The author (a Radcliffe alum) does not succumb to ancestor worship at Harvard, but deals with current administration meeting the tragedy of destruction head on with the "fallible fools" that tend to cluster at management levels. Our interests and sympathies are taken by many of the lively characters on the immense campus; we care what happens to them, and worry about their fates versus the very real threats of defeat by elite forces in Harvard's precincts. Charming B&W line drawings and the very satisfying excerpts from Handel's Messiah scores are clever devices for advancing the interesting plot and final denouement in this first rate mystery.
along with his co-teacher and wife, Mary, who are met with a horrifying explosion and murder on their first days to this hallowed ground. The author (a Radcliffe alum) does not succumb to ancestor worship at Harvard, but deals with current administration meeting the tragedy of destruction head on with the "fallible fools" that tend to cluster at management levels. Our interests and sympathies are taken by many of the lively characters on the immense campus; we care what happens to them, and worry about their fates versus the very real threats of defeat by elite forces in Harvard's precincts. Charming B&W line drawings and the very satisfying excerpts from Handel's Messiah scores are clever devices for advancing the interesting plot and final denouement in this first rate mystery.
3rd in the series, although they can be read independently, as I did. I read everyone and couldn't wait to pick up the next. I have all on my bookshelf as of this writing. Loved it!
The chronological order of the books is:
The Homer Kelly novels
* The Transcendental Murder (1964) aka The Minuteman Murder
* Dark Nantucket Noon (1975)
* The Memorial Hall Murder (1978)
* Natural Enemy (1982)
* Emily Dickinson Is Dead (1984)
* Good and Dead (1986)
* Murder at the Gardner (1988)
* The Dante Game (1991)
* God in Concord (1992)
* Divine Inspiration (1993)
* The Shortest Day: Murder at the Revels (1995)
* Dead as a Dodo (1996)
* The Face on the Wall (1998)
* The Thief of Venice (1999)
* Murder at Monticello (2001)
* The Escher Twist (2002)
* The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg (2003)
* Steeplechase (2005)
The chronological order of the books is:
The Homer Kelly novels
* The Transcendental Murder (1964) aka The Minuteman Murder
* Dark Nantucket Noon (1975)
* The Memorial Hall Murder (1978)
* Natural Enemy (1982)
* Emily Dickinson Is Dead (1984)
* Good and Dead (1986)
* Murder at the Gardner (1988)
* The Dante Game (1991)
* God in Concord (1992)
* Divine Inspiration (1993)
* The Shortest Day: Murder at the Revels (1995)
* Dead as a Dodo (1996)
* The Face on the Wall (1998)
* The Thief of Venice (1999)
* Murder at Monticello (2001)
* The Escher Twist (2002)
* The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg (2003)
* Steeplechase (2005)
Thoroughly enjoyable, and I seem to remember an especially harrowing episode full of suspense as to whether or not a certain character will get saved.
Victoria B. (vicky555) reviewed The Memorial Hall Murder (Homer Kelly, Bk 3) on + 32 more book reviews
I greatly enjoy this series. Homer Kelly and his wife Mary are teaching at Hahvard in the late 1960's with bombs going off during the rehearsals of the Handel's "Messiah" to be presented at Christmas. Very interesting, especially since I spent time in that area of Boston last month.
