Paganini’s Ghost by Paul Adam

Sept. 2014

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Born 1958, in Sheffield, England; married; children: two sons.Education: Studied law at Nottingham University. Addresses:Home: Sheffield, England. Agent: United Agents; 12-26 Lexington St., London W1F 0LE, England; Zoe Pagnamenta, The Zoe Pagnamenta Agency, LLC, 30 Bond St., New York, NY 10012.

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, journalist, and screenwriter. Has worked as a journalist and as a writer for television and film.

WRITINGS:

Gianni Castiglione mysteries

The Rainaldi Quartet (Jan 2004)

Series: Gianni Castiglione mysteries, 1

(First book in series) When an elderly violin-maker is discovered murdered in the peaceful Italian countryside, his friends' investigation into his death sends them on a desperate search to uncover a priceless, long-lost Stradivarius violin as they match wits with a ruthless killer.

Paganini's ghost (Jan 2010)

Series: Gianni Castiglione mysteries, 2

A Parisian art dealer is found dead in his hotel room the day after a Paganini concert. In his wallet is a scrap of sheet music, torn from a page that belongs to the competition's winner. But how did the dead man get hold of it? And why? Detective Antonio Guastafeste asks violin maker Gianni Castiglione to help him navigate the curious world of classical musicians, their priceless instruments, and the unsavory dealers who prey upon them.

"Max Cassidy" Series; Mystery  Novels

• An Exceptional Corpse, Crime Club (London, England), 1993.
• Toxin, HarperCollins (London, England), 1994.
• A Nasty Dose of Death, Crime Club (London, England), 1994.
• Unholy Trinity, Little, Brown (London, England), 1999 , Arcade (New York, NY), 2000.
• Shadow Chasers, Little, Brown (London, England), 2000.
• Genesis II, Little, Brown (London, England), 2001.
• Flash Point, Time Warner (London, England), 2003, published in the United States as Oracle Lake, St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2007.
• Sleeper, Time Warner (London, England), 2004, published in the United States as The Rainaldi Quartet, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2006.
• Enemy Within, Time Warner (London, England), 2005.
• Knife Edge, Endeavour Publishing (England), 2008.
• Escape from Shadow Island, Corgi (London, England), 2009, Walden Pond Press (New York, NY), 2010.
• Paganini's Ghost, Minotaur Books (New York, NY), 2010.
• Jaws of Death, Corgi Children's (London, England), 2010.

Read A-Likes

	Daniel Jacobus Mysteries  by Gerald Elias (First book in series) When a rare and valuable violin disappears after a concert, unpleasant and reclusive violin teacher Daniel Jacobus is blamed. Jacobus decides to prove his innocence by finding the violin.
	English Ballad Mysteries by Deborah Grabien (First book in series) The owner of a restored eighteenth-century cottage, British folk musician Ringan Laine discovers that the property is haunted, and is assisted by his girlfriend Penny in researching the identities of his otherworldly tenants.

Brahms Deception by Louise Marley

When music scholar Frederica Bannister goes back to 1861 to observe Johannes Brahms she soon falls under the spell of the brilliant composer, and when she fails to return, her bitter rival Kristian North is sent back to find her.

Cruel music; the third baroque mystery by Beverly Myers

Tito Amato returns from an operatic tour expecting to relax with his family. Instead he finds his merchant brother Alessandro imprisoned on a trumped-up smuggling charge, a capital crime in 1740 Venice...Spying as he serenades Cardinal Fabiani and his guests, Tito peers into the dark mirror of Roman politics.

Mozart's last aria  by Matt Rees

In 1791 Austria, Madame Maria Anna Berchtold von Sonnenburg journeys to Vienna to pay her final respects to her brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who died under mysterious circumstances, and becomes submerged in a world of suspicion and intrigue.

White Heat by M. J. McGrath

August 2014

Melanie McGrath is a British author who has a particular interest in Inuit culture. In her book The Long Exile: A Tale of Inuit Betrayal and Survival in the High Arctic, she recounts the tragic Canadian forced relocation of the Ungava Inuit people. During the Cold War, the United States and Canada together ran a weather station on Ellesmere Island. Because the Canadian government felt it would be beneficial to have permanent residents there, the government forced the Ungava Inuit to move twelve hundred miles north of their home and inhabit the island. The relocation was very difficult to the Ungava as Ellesmere Island, located in the arctic desert, is one of the harshest climates ever to be inhabited continually by people.

….

In 2011 McGrath published her first work of fiction, a novel called White Heat. The work is set in Ellesmere Island, Unmingmak Nuna, an area in the far north reaches of Canada. Edie Kiglatuk, a woman who is half white and half Inuit, works as a guide for hunters, fisherman, and explorers, as well as a part-time schoolteacher for her stepson Joe. One spring, Edie and Joe lead two white men across Jones Sound to Craig Island, but when they arrive one of the men is mysteriously shot and killed. Edie and Joe know that it was a murder, but the Inuit Council of Elders, fearing the loss of tourism, cover it up as an accidental death. Things become complicated when an investigator arrives to look into the matter.

….

"My fascination is with place and its role in human existence. I am interested in all kinds of places, real and imaginary. My greatest passion is for the borders and margins, those regions both literal and metaphorical where places intersect. That's where all the most interesting things happen."

EDIE KIGLATUK MYSTERIES

            White heat (Aug 2011)     #1

The boy in the snow: an Edie Kiglatuk mystery (Nov 2012)    #2

The bone seeker (Jul 2014)    #4

OTHER WRITINGS:

• Motel Nirvana: Dreaming of the New Age in the American Desert (travel book), 1994.
• Hard, Soft, and Wet (nonfiction),, 1998.
• Silvertown: An East End Family Memoir,  2002.
• The Long Exile: A Tale of Inuit Betrayal and Survival in the High Arctic, 2007.
• Hopping: The Hidden Lives of an East End Hop Picking Family, 2009.

READ ALIKES

Liam Campbell mysteries by Dana Stabenow

Description:(First book in series) After numerous tragedies in Anchorage, Alaska State Trooper Liam Campbell sets off for a small native town to start anew and resume his life on the force, but upon his arrival, he is thrown into a murder case and encounters an entirely new set of challenges.

Kate Shugak mysteries by Dana Stabenow

Description:(First book in series) When a National Park ranger is reported missing and the man sent to find him disappears as well, former investigator Kate Shugak decides to brave the cold wilderness of north Alaska to crack the case.

Reason:  Set in remote northern climes (Kate Shugak's an Alaska-based detective, Edie Kiglatuk a guide to Canada's Arctic regions) these mystery series let both the wilderness and native cultures power their suspenseful, compelling plots. -- Shauna Griffin

Alaska mysteries by Sue Henry

Also Known as:Jessie Arnold and Alex Jensen mysteries

Description:(First book in series) Sergeant Alex Jensen tries to find the person who is systematically killing the top competitors of the Alaskan Iditarod dogsled race.

Erlendur Sveinsson mysteries by Arnaldur Indridason

Also Known as:Inspector Erlendur series

Reykjavik murder mysteries

Description:Gloomy Scandinavian police detective Erlendur Sveinsson investigates murders in Iceland while struggling to keep his life together after a broken marriage and dealing with his drug-abusing daughter.

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo

Description:Surviving a fishing boat collision that ends her friend's life, tough-talking Boston girl Pirio Kasparov, convinced that the incident was not an accident, is tapped by the Navy to participate in a research project at the side of a curious journalist who helps her unravel a dangerous plot involving the frigid whaling grounds off Baffin Island. A first novel

Blue Religion

Blue Religion -- July, 2014

Blue Religion is one of the Mystery Writers of America anthologies.

An anthology of nineteen tales set in various regions and historical periods includes T. Jefferson Parker's "Skinhead Central," Alafair Burke's "Winning," Michael Connelly's "Father's Day," and works by Edward D. Hoch, Laurie R. King, and other notable authors.

Table Of Contents:

Skinhead Central, by T. Jefferson Parker //  Sack O’Woe, by John Harvey // The Drought, by James O. Born // Divine Droplets, by Paula L. Woods // Serial Killer, by Jon L. Breen // A Certain Recollection, by John Buentello // A Change in his Heart, by Jack Fredrickson // The Herald, by Leslie Glass // Such a Lucky, Pretty Girl, by Persia Walker // Friday Night Luck, by Edward D. Hoch // The Fool, by Laurie R. King // Burying Mr. Henry, by Polly Nelson // Oaths, Ohana and Everything, by Diana Hansen-Young // The Price of Love, by Peter Robinson // Contact and Cover, by Greg Rucka // Rule Number One, by Bev Vincent // What a Wonderful World, by Paul Guyot // Winning, by Alafair Burke// Father’s Day, by Michael Connelly About the Mystery Writers of America (MWA):

http://mysterywriters.org/

Mission Statement

Mystery Writers of America is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. MWA is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition and respect for those who write within the genre. We provide scholarships for writers, sponsor MWA:Reads (our youth literacy program, formerly known as Kids Love A Mystery), sponsor symposia and conferences, present the Edgar® Awards, and conduct other activities to further a better appreciation and higher regard for crime writing.  MWA Anthology:

• To bolster the organization’s treasury, MWA set up an anthology series. The first anthology, Murder Cavalcade, was published in 1946 by Duell, Sloan, and Pierce. The un-credited editor was Ken Crossen. Richard Lockridge wrote the foreword.

• Currently, MWA averages about one short-story anthology per year. These themed anthologies are edited by best-selling writers and provide a showcase for MWA members

• Mystery Writers of America, Inc was established in 1945 by a dozen or so like-minded mystery writers for the purpose of promoting and protecting the interest and welfare of mystery writers and to increase the esteem and literary recognition given to the genre.

Some Previous Anthologies:

Mystery Writers of America Presents Ice Cold--Tales of Intrigue From the Cold War (2014)

Collects twenty short stories depicting spies, double agents, femme fatales, and the weaponry of the Cold War by such modern authors as Joseph Finder, Sara Paretsky, and T. Jefferson Parker.  

Mystery Writers of America Presents the Mystery Box (2013 )

A collection of short mysteries by leading writers includes Laura Lippman's "Waco 1982," Joseph Finder's "Heirloom," and R. L. Stine's "High Stakes."

Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance (2012 )

Features new stories in which characters take the law into their own hands in search of vengeance, with contributions by Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, and Karin Slaughter as well as up-and-coming new writers in the field.

Mystery Writers of America Presents the Rich and the Dead ( 2011 )

A collection of crime stories looks at dark and dangerous dealings among the wealthy, with contributions by Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Ted Bell, S. J. Rozan, David Morrell, Harley Jane Kozak and many more.

Crimes by Moonlight( 2010 )

Nighttime is the perfect time for the perfect crime. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris edits and contributes an all-new story-set in her Sookie Stackhouse universe to this anthology from the Mystery Writers of America.

Mystery Writers of America Presents the Prosecution Rests--New Stories About Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law ( 2009 )

Presents twenty-two stories that explore the world of the courtroom, from rural courthouses to the most influential judges, and the families hoping for justice.

Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part New Stories About Love, Lust, and Murder (2006 )

18 gripping stories about relationships from some of the top mystery writers working today, including Harlan Coben, P.J. Parrish, Lee Child, Ridley Pearson, R.L. Stine, Charles Todd, and Tom Savage.  

Mystery Writers of America Presents Show Business Is Murder ( 2004 )

An anthology mysteries set in the world of entertainment features original stories from John Lutz, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Edward D. Hoch, Carolyn Wheat, and other popular authors.

**Writing Mysteries --A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America (1992 ) Top mystery writers share insights and advice on writing for the genre, discussing how to develop ideas and characters, pacing and suspense, editing and revising work, and submitting manuscripts .

Police Procedurals (from Janise)

The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several unrelated crimes in a single story. While traditional mysteries usually adhere to the convention of having the criminal's identity concealed until the climax (the so-called whodunit), in police procedurals, the perpetrator's identity is often known to the audience from the outset (the inverted detective story). Police procedurals depict a number of police-related topics such as forensics, autopsies, the gathering of evidence, the use of search warrants and interrogation.                         From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some authors of police procedurals:

Burke, James Lee

Creasy, John  (AKA J.J.Marric)

Connelly, Michael

Cornwell, Patrcia

Crais, Robert

Deaver, Jeffrey

Hillerman, Tony

James, P.D.

Lehane, Dennis

Leonard, Elmore

McDonald, John D.

Penny, Louise

Simenon, Georges

Walker, Martin

Wambaugh, Joseph

Icelandic Mysteries

Set in Iceland -- Mysteries and More ...

Arnaldur Indriðason

          Erlendur Sveinsson Series: (Mystery)

Jar City - A Reykjavík Thriller (#1)

Silence of the Grave (#2)

Voices (#3)

The Draining Lake (#4)

Arctic Chill (#5)

Hypothermia (#6)

Outrage  (#7) [with Erlendur on leave, Elinborg takes center stage]

Black Skies (#8)

Strange Shores (#9; coming August 2014)

Operation Napoleon Book

    Historical thriller about a crashed WWII German plane.

Bates, Quentin

Gunnhildur Gislasdottir Series (Mystery)

Frozen Assets (#1)

Cold Comfort (#2)

Chilled to the Bone (#3)

Bergsveinn Birgisson

Reply to A Letter From Helga  (Fiction)

Icelandic farmer looks back on his life and why he didn’t respond to a love letter long ago

Brown, Nancy Marie

The Far Traveler - Voyages of A Viking Woman.  921 GUD

Offers a dramatic reconstruction of the life and times of Gudrid, a Viking woman who, according to Icelandic sagas, arrived in the New World, spent three years there, and gave birth to a baby, before sailing home some five hundred years before Columbus, drawing on the latest archaeological data, scientific research, and cutting-edge technology to trace her odyssey.

Kent, Hannah

Burial Rites - A Novel

Based on a true story, tells the tale of a young woman in Iceland in 1829 who was accused of murder and sent to an isolated farm to await execution and tells the farmer's family her side of the story.

Long, Dustin

Icelander  (Mystery)

A satirical crime tale follows the story of Our Heroine, a daughter of a dead legendary mystery-solver, who reluctantly takes up the investigation of her murdered close friend through the sewers and karaoke bars of Iceland, all the while endeavoring to remain out of the clutches of the inhuman Refusirkir.

Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson

The Journey Home  (Fiction)

Discovering that she is terminally ill, Disa leaves England to return to her native Iceland, where she hopes to come to terms with the painful events of her past: her fiance's death by the Nazi's and her mother's rejection.

Sjón

The Blue Fox Book (Fiction)

An elusive fox leads a hunter on a transformative quest, while a naturalist endeavors to build a life for a young woman with Down syndrome whom he rescued from a shipwreck years earlier.

From the Mouth of the Whale (Fiction)

In the chilling aftermath of Iceland's Lutheran Reformation in 1635, Jonas Palmason - a poet, naturalist and self-taught healer - has been condemned to exile for heretical conduct. Based on the historical figure Jon Gudmundsson,

The Whispering Muse (Fiction)

Invited to sail on a Danish merchant ship in 1949, eccentric Icelander, Valdimar Haraldsson, discovers the second mate on the ship is none other than Caeneus, the hero of Greek mythology, who regales his fellow shipmates with tales of the Golden Fleece.

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Thora Gudmundsdottir novels -- Attorney Thora travels throughout Iceland on behalf of her clients.

Last Rituals - A Tale of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft, and Modern Murder (#1)

My Soul to Take (#2)

Ashes to Dust  (#3)

The Day Is Dark (#4)