loribonesscaswell

Henley College has decided to offer a Winter Intersession over the holiday break, 4 weeks of classes, 3 credits each, 31 days braving the cold winter weather on campus. Dr. Sophie Knowles in teaching 2 classes, something she could deal with but then she learns the heating system in Benjamin Franklin Hall is not working and she also has to park way across campus as construction crews continue to work restoring the college’s bell tower and carillon, the huge instrument that consists of huge bells and the keyboard that play beautiful melodies. While she is looking forward to the bell tower reopening she is not happy about the cold windy walk only to enter the cold drafty building.

The bell tower has been closed for 25 years and Sophie is shocked to learn why—a student apparently leapt from it to her death but there seems to be so many secrets about the case, Sophie wonders if it really was a suicide.

Then one of Sophie’s favorite students, Jenn Marshall, is attacked in broad daylight on campus. The fact that she is one of the students that will be playing the carillon when the tower reopens just like the girl 25 years before seems just a little too coincidental to math professor Sophie. It seems like a perfect puzzle for her to figure out before someone else gets hurt.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
How come there were no professors like Dr. Sophie Knowles when I was in college? I absolutely hated math and the classes were so boring.

Sophie is a great amateur sleuth with her analytical mind. Her emergency helicopter boyfriend, Bruce, is a thrill seeker, who goes on hikes up icy mountains. He prefers Sophie stay out of these investigations but when their friend Detective Virgil Mitchell asks for her help all he can do is try to keep her safe. These three characters are all fantastic and I enjoy their interplay so much.

Madison really drew me in to this story with the mystery surrounding the carillon. My children all played in the bell choir of our church and understanding this on this much larger scale was very interesting. I love hearing music from the bell towers but never knew the mechanics behind it.

The way the cold case and the new case are written and how they may be connected is masterful. There is a lot of information and misdirection that keeps us readers on our toes. I thought I had this one figured out but I was wrong.

This entire series is very entertaining and this 4th installment is the best one yet!! The author also includes some brain teasers and puzzles at the back of the book. Maybe a few brain exercises will give me a better chance at solving the next mystery she tests us with.