The Music of Books Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Crystal Singer

Killashandra Ree has failed in her ambition to become an operatic soloist. She comes across an organisation called The Heptite Guild. Their members must have perfect pitch as they find seams of crystal hidden in the rocks of the planet Ballybran, and mine it by tuning cutters to the pitch of the crystal by singing. This has given them the name "Crystal Singers". She first appears in "The Crystal Singer" in 1982, a novel based on previously published short stories. This books is the first of a trilogy and recounts her disappointment at failing in her chosen occupation, her induction into the Guild and her early training and adventures on Ballybran.

Anne McCaffrey was an acclaimed writer of science fiction/fantasy books. Her most famous series is probably "The Dragonriders of Pern". Since her death these continue to be written by her son, Todd.

Answer: Beethoven

"A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess was published in 1962 and was made into a film by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. Alex is the leader of a gang of violent youths in a violent society. He is completely without morals, but is intelligent, and has a surprising taste in music. He is especially fond of Beethoven, in particular his ninth symphony. When carrying out a burglary things go wrong and an elderly woman is killed. The rest of the gang turn on Alex and leave him to be arrested. He is sent to prison for life, but manages to secure early release by agreeing to be a guinea pig in a new aversion therapy. Unfortunately this leaves him unable to listen to his beloved ninth symphony. It also leaves him unable to commit any violent act and his life soon becomes a misery. Eventually though the therapy is turned around. He is brilliantly portrayed in the film by Malcolm McDowell.

In addition to being an acclaimed author Anthony Burgess also worked as a literary critic and wrote studies of some of the classic writers, including James Joyce. He also wrote many musical pieces and would have preferred to be regarded as a composer rather than an author. Although some of his pieces were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during his lifetime, at the time of his death many of his works were still unpublished.

Answer: Maskerade

In "Maskerade" Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax get involved in finding out who is murdering people in the Ankh-Morpok opera house. Agnes Nitt, a girl who they want in their coven, has become a chorus singer. She has the ability to harmonise with herself, and to mimic other people's voices. She sings for the main soloist, Christine, who has looks but no voice, so mimes to her. The singers at the opera house believe it is a ghost carrying out the murders, but Granny proves otherwise. Agnes realises she is not suited to the world of opera and returns home with the two witches to become the third witch in the coven.

"Maskerade" is one of the "Disc World" series of novels that Terry Pratchett has become famous for. Like all of the books it can be happily read on a stand alone basis, or can be read in order, as part of the whole series

Answer: Rivers of London

"Rivers of London" is a series of books by Ben Aaronovitch. It features Peter Grant, a young policeman who is recruited into a small, specialist unit of the Metropolitan Police Force when he has an encounter with a ghost. He finds himself the first apprentice wizard in England in some fifty years. His mentor, Thomas Nightingale, is the only accredited wizard in England, head of the specialist unit, and the only other person working in it. Peter finds himself learning magic, whilst at the same time having to investigate supernatural crimes and deal with the various entities that live in the rivers of London. His father is Richard "Lord" Grant, a noted jazz trumpeter who has lost his "lip". In the second book of the series, "Moon Over Soho", jazz music of the war years is an important part of the plot, as is "Lord" Grant. His knowledge of jazz music, and the fact that using his name will gain Peter access to people who would not otherwise talk to him are crucial to the plot.

Ben Aaronovich burst onto the scene with "Rivers of London", the first book in the series and his very first novel. It earned him a nomination for New Writer of The Year in the Galaxy National Book Awards. It was generally well received by the critics, although one did find the plot rather unbelievable and another said he found the tone inconsistent. This did not however seem to dent the sales figures, which were good enough to persuade the publishers that more books in the series were wanted.

Answer: Jerrilyn Farmer

In "Perfect Sax" Madeline Bean has organised a fundraiser in the form of a jazz ball for the Woodburn School of Music. A highlight of the evening is a charity auction, with the top item being a one off sterling silver Selmar MkVI tenor sax. Bidding opponents almost comes to blows over it and the saxophone vanishes. To make matters worse Madeline arrives home to find a body in her bedroom, her ex boyfriend wants to rekindle their relationship, and she seems to have acquired a stalker.

Jerrilyn Farmer wanted to be an actress so moved from Illinois to Los Angeles. Instead she ended up working as a scriptwriter for television game shows and comedy sketch shows. From there it was a short step to her first novel, "Sympathy for The Devil", which was published in 1998.

Answer: Electrocution

Gaylene Ffrench is an Australian contralto singing with the Northern Opera Company. She manages to upset just about everyone in the company, so when she is electrocuted there is no shortage of suspects. Superintendent Nicholls has to sort out who helped her to an untimely end. The list includes a whole variety of men she has slept with who have no wish to repeat the encounter, the soprano who was fed up with her jealousy and the black tenor, hired just to be the object of her bigotry.

Robert Barnard's first book was published while he was still in the teaching profession. He was working as a lecturer in Norway at the time. He was something of a late starter as he was 40 before turning to writing as a career. Not content with being one author he also wrote as Bernard Bastable, and under that name published two books featuring Mozart, who in the books had survived to a ripe old age rather than dying young, as a detective.

Answer: Inspector Wexford

"Death Notes" is the eleventh in Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series. It was also released under the alternate title of "A Sleeping Life". The plot centres around the death of musician Sir Manual Camargue, who is found floating face down in the moat that surrounds his country home. At first it is thought to be an accidental death, but Wexford suspects otherwise and sets out to prove it.

Several of Ruth Rendall's Inspector Wexford novels were adapted for television under the banner title of "The Ruth Rendall Mysteries". The series ran on ITV from 1987 until 2000. Wexford was played by George Baker.

She also wrote as Barbara Vine, and under this name published novels that were more psychological thrillers and far darker in tone than the gentle Wexford novels.

Answer: Record shop owner

Published in 1995 and adapted into a film starring John Cusack in 2000, "High Fidelity" tells the story of Rob Fleming. He owns Championship Vinyl, a record shop, and he and his two employees spend their time trying to impress each other with their knowledge of music. When he splits up with his girlfriend, Laura, Rob decides to contact the most memorable five of all his exes. This leads him to review why he fails at relationships. This new insight plus the death of Laura's father bring them back together again.

Nick Hornby is also known for the novel "About a Boy". This too was adapted into a film, starring Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult. It did stick very closely to the plot of the book, although it did omit drug using scenes.

Answer: A serial killer

"The Axeman" was a serial killer in New Orleans. During 1918 and 1919 he attacked and killed or seriously injured around a dozen people. He got his name because most of his killings were committed with an axe, often one belonging to the victim. His motives remain unclear, it was not robbery as nothing was ever taken. On 13 March 1919 he sent a letter which was published in all the newspapers. In it he said he would kill again on March 19th, but would spare anyone who was in an establishment that was playing jazz. It is reported that all the clubs in New Orleans were full that night, and many of the wealthier citizens hired jazz bands to play in their own homes. He kept his word, and there were no killings that night. His identity was never discovered although there were numerous suspects, and the killings stopped as abruptly as they had started.

The Robert Celestin novel takes this story and turns it into a crime thriller, where even Louis Armstrong features as someone trying to detect the murderer.

Answer: Opera

Inspector Morse appeared in thirteen novels and some short stories by Colin Dexter, and somehow these were made into thirty three two hour television episodes between 1987 and 2000.

Morse is a failed Oxford scholar, who joined the Army and then returned to Oxford as a policeman. In the books and the television series he is an Inspector in C.I.D. He has a love of real ale, cryptic crosswords, especially the Times crossword and opera. Operatic songs often featured in the television series. The books and the television series end with "The Remorseful Day" in which Morse tries to solve a murder whilst fighting health problems. In both the book and television series he dies from heart failure. John Thaw, who played him on television, died some two years after the end of the series.

Colin Dexter had a teaching career from 1954 until 1966 when deafness forced him to give up teaching. He then got a job as a senior assistant secretary at the University of Oxford, a post which he held for 22 years. He wrote several General Studies text books, and did not turn to crime writing until 1972. Morse was born on a kitchen table on a rainy day during a family holiday in North Wales.