THE BARITONE WORE CHIFFON

THE BARITONE WORE CHIFFON
Mark Schweizer
208 pages
ISBN: 0-9721211-3-7
St. James Music Press
2004
$ 10.00 Paperback

Hayden Konig is still in North Carolina working as a police detective, part-time choirmaster and organist, and budding author in the Raymond Chandler style of writing detective novels. In this sequel to THE ALTO WORE TWEED, Hayden calmly handles situations as a consultant to a murder in York, England. A friend had suggested Hayden’s involvement since the victim was a choir member and on a fellowship from Raleigh, North Carolina and the bishop thought it would be proper to involve someone from the colonies.

The victim of the murder is found clinging to a cross. Usually this area of the church would have video surveillance but it was turned off so that the officer on duty could hear his daughter sing a solo. The cross is usually kept in a locked cabinet that Hayden finds curious since the obviously valuable prize kept in this is a golden chalice. This chalice also has a 32-carat diamond on it and was donated to the church in 1927. After some contemplation, Hayden suggests that the investigators look closer at the diamond to see if it is the authentic. Naturally, it is a fake. Now there is a murder and the theft of a 32-carat diamond.

When Hayden returns home, he finds a new priest in his church during Lent requires more patience than sometimes Hayden has at his disposal. With a Feng Shui Altar Guild, The Edible Last Supper, and a Clown Eucharist, Hayden is at a loss in choosing the appropriate reflective and reverent music. Notice that the mentioning of his acceptance of these new ideas is not mentioned. Even sometimes more noticeable are the priest’s wife name Jelly Barna and his butler/verger dwarf named Wenceslas.

During the Clown Eucharist, Peppermint, the clown, is found dead of asphyxiation. Whether consulting with the British, investigating the new murder in the church, or just attempting to dignify the changes at the Episcopal Church now, THE BARITONE WORE CHIFFON is an intelligent and humorous novel.

These novels should be read in order as I think the depth and development of the characters would be lost without the background of the first novel.

Mark Schweizer gives the reader a new approach to being humorous in the second novel. What will the next book be entitled? I personally am in favor of THE TENOR WORE STILLETTOS, just kidding. I also plan to purchase the next novel of his in this series. This is truly an example of a fresh approach to writing in the mystery genre.