Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Murderous Requiem
SERIES: The Brethren Book 1
AUTHOR: Jamie Fessenden
PUBLISHER: DSP Publications (2ND Edition)
LENGTH: 270 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2016
BLURB:
Jeremy Spencer never imagined the occult order he and his boyfriend, Bowyn, started as a joke in college would become an international organization with hundreds of followers. Now a professor with expertise in Renaissance music, Jeremy is drawn back into the world of free love and ceremonial magick. The old jealousies and hurt that separated him from Bowyn eight years ago no longer seem significant.
Then Jeremy begins to wonder if the centuries-old score he’s been asked to transcribe hides something sinister. With each stanza, local birds flock to the old mansion, a mysterious fog descends upon the grounds, and bats swarm the temple dome. During a séance, the group receives a cryptic warning from the spirit realm. And as the music’s performance draws nearer, Jeremy realizes it may hold the key to incredible power—power somebody is willing to kill for.
REVIEW:
This is one of those books I finished and sat there a few minutes thinking about how I would rate it…and even what my opinion was of it. I liked the story, the writing was excellent, and it was well edited. I liked that it took place about 50 miles or so from where I grew up, and knowing the area, a secret order could easily fit in to the area. I liked that Mr. Fessenden, who himself lives in New Hampshire, chose to set the book entirely within the state, even making the college the characters attended be in Durham, so obviously UNH. I have to be honest though and say that I would have really liked more background details, and more world building along the way. The read was good, but could have been better with more information on the characters, the locations, and the Order itself. I’ll be honest and tell you that I have zero knowledge of the occult and almost zero knowledge of classical or Renaissance music, so maybe that played a part in my incomprehension of some aspects of the story. I can only say that in many spots, I just didn’t get enough details to make me happy.
So…the story. Jeremy Spencer is a college music professor in Southern New Hampshire, but before he was a professor, he and his boyfriend Bowyn started an occult order while attending college at the same college he now teaches at. It was supposed to be a joke, but somewhere along the way they gained a married couple who joined their order. When the husband of that couple started having sex with Jeremy and Bowyn, jealousy reared its head, and Jeremy left the order.
Now several years later, the order has grown to hundreds and spread worldwide. Jeremy is drawn back to the order. The draw? An unknown Renaissance musical piece from a well know composer, which only Jeremy can decipher. Oh, and did I mention that the love of his life, Bowyn is still in the Order?
Jeremy is quick to discover that there is more to the musical piece that just the music. What will happen when it is finally deciphered? As a hint…we might have attacking birds, swarms of bats, and some murderous intentions. And that is only the beginning of the action.
As I said above, I liked this story. The lack of enough detail for my liking is pulling my rating down a little. With more detail it would have been a 4.0 to 4.5 based on the writing, but as it is, I’m going to call it a 3.5. I liked it, and the writing was above average, but I still wanted more.
I’d say this book would be good for anyone who likes a story about the occult, music, strange dark orders, and mysteries. I honestly didn’t figure out who-dun-it for sure until the end, although I had my suspicions!
RATING: 
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