Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Heart

by Ellis Peters

Paperback, 1990

Status

Available

Call number

Fic Mystery Peters

Publication

Time Warner Paperbacks (1990), Paperback, 224 pages

Description

Singers and musicians are gathered for a course in folk music that will occupy a weekend in the fantastic country mansion called Follymead. Most come only to sing or to listen, but one or two have non-musical scores to settle. When brilliantly talented Liri Palmer sings Black, black, black is the color of my true-love' s heart she clearly has a message for someone in the audience. Passions run high, and there is murder brewing at Follymead.

User reviews

LibraryThing member MrsLee

This was an enjoyable read. The mystery surrounds a group of folk singers in the middle of a course for the public at a private musical college. Inspector Felse's son, Dominic happens to be there that weekend. It has taken me a bit to enjoy the Felse mysteries as much as I like the Cadfael series,

but I am beginning to appreciate the interplay between Inspector Felse and his family. The character of Felse reminds me a lot of the character of Sherriff Hugh in the Cadfael books, only modernized. This mystery was good, I was able to figure it out, but didn't feel cheated or that it was too easy. It's also possible I've read it before and forgotten!

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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

Interesting. An odd lot of characters. I remembered the secret, and that there was an odd twist to the crime, but not what actually happened. Nor did I really remember the characters - Dominic & George Felse, of course, Tossa (her first appearance, I think), Felicity, Liri and Lucien, the

Arundels... There's a long list of characters that play major parts in the story. And some that ought to be major who barely appear despite carrying out their parts. I enjoy the folk music - I'm always singing some of the songs referenced in the book for weeks after reading it. Like Joyful Woman, the internal landscape of some of the characters - Felicity in particular though not exclusively - plays a major part in the story. The acts undertaken and the motivations for the acts are very complexly based. The actual events are quite simple and rather stupid (as in, it was all a misunderstanding!), but the physical and emotional settings make it an interesting and very complex story. Also fun to read - well, it is a Peters, that pretty well goes without saying.

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LibraryThing member turtlesleap

I always enjoy Ellis Peters and this one is typical of the genre--an old fashioned whodunit.

LibraryThing member charlie68

A good but not great offering by Peters, but definitely worth reading. Very different from Brother Cadfeal, obviously in history and scope, but still good work from this author.

LibraryThing member antiquary

Being s folk music fan, I love the setting of this one, which is a folk music festival involving an encounter between a beautiful young women singer and an equally glamorous young male singer who engage in a kind of public musical lover's quarrel (in which she sings the song that gives its title to

the story, wickedly clever filk) later there is a murder and Felse is involved. The lover's quarrel has a ner solution (which I recently realized echoes that of Iolanthe) but the solution to the mystery is much grimmer and the one aspect of the story I dislike. Otherwise I would give this 5 stars.

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LibraryThing member gypsysmom

A murder at a weekend folk music course in a classic English country house style of mystery.

LibraryThing member gypsysmom

A murder at a weekend folk music course in a classic English country house style of mystery.

LibraryThing member atreic

I don't read a lot of murder mysteries, but the thought of a murder mystery set in an ancient manor house turned into a folk music retreat centre endeared itself to me. Not that I want murder to descend on Halsway! It was well populated with an interesting mix of characters, although my terribly

modern perspective just finds all the secrets and jealousy and long term repercussions of children born out of wedlock just sad. Like, if only they had all been kind to each other and honest to each other.

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