Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in G Major

Gethsemane Brown arrives in Ireland to take a position as the music conductor at St. Brendan’s. She is housed in the former residence of the legendary Celtic composer Eamon McCarthy, who allegedly murdered his wife Orla before taking his own life five years prior. Shortly after moving in, Gethsemane begins hearing piano music and encounters the ghost of Eamon McCarthy. Eamon explains that he is stuck in 'limbo' and cannot leave the town or move objects other than piano keys. He maintains his innocence, claiming he found Orla dead and was subsequently poisoned by a bottle of whiskey he believed she had left for him. Gethsemane, initially skeptical and fearing she is hallucinating, eventually agrees to help him clear his name. As Gethsemane begins her work with the struggling school choir, she meets Griff, a charming mathematics teacher who becomes a romantic interest. Her investigation into the past reveals several inconsistencies in the official police report. She discovers that the bridge leading to the house was washed out on the night of the murder, proving that the Garda who claimed to have pulled Eamon over in a different location was lying. This leads her to Inspector O'Reilly, who begins to take her claims seriously. Gethsemane investigates several suspects, including Eamon’s nephew Billy, who is deep in gambling debt; Seamus, a local delivery man with a criminal record; and Deirdre, an obsessive fan who ran Orla’s fan site and was fired for selling fake autographs. The mystery deepens when Gethsemane finds a studded belt in Deirdre’s possession that matches the marks found on Orla’s neck. However, Deirdre is soon attacked and hospitalized, suggesting the real killer is still active. Gethsemane eventually identifies a specific ringtone—a deep cut from a 1970s band—that Deirdre heard at the scene of the crime. This clue, combined with the discovery of a hidden stash of ancient coins in Eamon's house, leads Gethsemane to the truth. The killer is revealed to be Dr. Elizabeth, the local physician and a former friend of the couple. Elizabeth was secretly obsessed with Eamon and killed Orla in a fit of jealousy, then accidentally poisoned Eamon when he drank the whiskey intended to keep Orla quiet. In the climax, Elizabeth attempts to gaslight and kill Gethsemane by framing it as a mental health crisis, but she is apprehended by Inspector O'Reilly. With his name cleared, Eamon says a final goodbye to Gethsemane, passing on a message from her deceased father before finally crossing over to join Orla. Gethsemane leads her choir to a successful performance, having found her passion for music again.