Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer by Wesley Stace

A review by Clea Simon

Early morning, June 23, 1923, a gunshot wakes the neighbors. The resulting discovery -- two persons poisoned, one shot in an apparent murder suicide -- shakes not only quiet Kensington but also the musical world. The murderer appears to be Charles Jessold, a gifted English composer. And the scenario, involving his wife and the man who may have been her lover, echoes the plot of his first opera, which has just had its final dress rehearsal.

Such is the set-up of Charles Jessold, Considered As a Murderer, Wesley Stace's wonderful third novel. But as fans of his previous books may already suspect, little of this initial crime will prove to be what it seems. As Stace, in the voice of gentleman music critic Leslie Shepherd, tells and then retells the story, a tragedy of larger proportions unfolds, involving, along the way, the changing English society of the early 20th century and the development of contemporary classical music.

Stace is a master of the puzzle novel. Perhaps because ...

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