Out of Tune Piano Blues

The extreme difficulty of conveying classical music in prose proves too formidable a challenge for Boyk, who grafts an murder mystery onto a contemporary coming-of-age story that explains how a 30-year-old concert pianist "learned that life can be tragic." In 1995, the musician, Arthur Singer, arrives at Wisconsin University at Black Falls to perform and conduct master classes. In less than a week, he becomes passionately involved with faculty member Fumiko Kawatani de la Rivi%C3%A9re, also a pianist, and lands in the middle of a homicide investigation when someone affiliated with the school is shot to death. Mystery fans, be warned: almost half the book goes by before the killing. The author includes a variety of documents, including instructions for visitors to the local prison, which distract rather than reinforce the insights about human nature he's trying to convey.