Jane Reads: A Minor Deception by Nupur Tustin | Blog Tour with Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

The Blurb

Kapellmeister Joseph Haydn would like nothing better than to show his principal violinist, Bartó Daboczi, the door. But with the Empress Maria Theresa’s visit scheduled in three weeks, Haydn can ill-afford to lose his surly virtuoso.

But when Bartó disappears — along with all the music composed for the imperial visit — the Kapellmeister is forced to don the role of Kapell-detective, or risk losing his job.

Before long Haydn's search uncovers pieces of a disturbing puzzle. Bartó, it appears, is more than just a petty thief — and more dangerous. And what seemed like a minor musical mishap could modulate into a major political catastrophe unless Haydn can find his missing virtuoso.

A Minor Deception by Nupur Tustin
Series: A Joseph Haydn Mystery, #1

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery

Publication Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Foiled Plots Press
Paperback: 254 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-9982430-1-6: $14.95
e-Book File Size: 716 KB
Ebook (ISBN-13: 978-0-9982430-0-9): $4.99
ASIN: B01M4HHNXT
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Exclusive Excerpt

Haydn's younger brother Johann tries to make sense of Bartó's behavior. Haydn's wife Maria Anna voices a bizarre opinion of her own.

Maria Anna Voices an Opinion

“Do you suppose Bartó is in debt or under some financial obligation?” Johann, deep in thought until now, roused himself to ask. “An obligation he is eager to get out of? Maybe his visitor sought to spur him into discharging his duty. It would explain what you overheard and his subsequent behavior.”

Haydn nodded. His violinist, stubborn beyond belief, was just the kind of man to need prodding. And to lie about his own imminent dismissal only to plead off his duties, apparently!

But Maria Anna chimed in before he could say a word: “So eager, he must have hoped his demand for money would get him dismissed.”

Haydn could only stare at her in stunned silence. He hoped she was merely babbling, but his wife had tossed out the remark as though she knew something. Could Bartó deliberately be trying to get himself dismissed? It would explain his outrageous behavior. But then, he could hardly be so averse to paying off his debts as to go to the trouble of getting dismissed from a lucrative position.

“If Bartó owes money, it may be to Gerhard in Kleinhöflein.” Haydn addressed Johann, but gave his wife a quick glance out of the corner of his eyes. He hoped his remark would spur her into revealing any knowledge she had. A direct question, he knew, would yield him nothing. Maria Anna delighted in being evasive.

Her elusive reference to the tavern-keeper the other night returned to Haydn’s mind. Could she really know why Gerhard and his principal violinist were at odds with each other?

Far more likely that she knew nothing at all, he told himself, when Maria Anna ignored his remark. She took out a knife, instead, and began slicing her kuchen with swift, deft strokes. As though she hadn’t heard him! She busied herself in this manner until Haydn loudly cleared his throat.

Then, she sniffed again, disparagingly, but refused to look up. “If you kept your eyes and ears open, husband,” she said, “instead of burying yourself in your music, you would not find your violinist’s behavior so inexplicable.”

She paused to heap a spoonful of cream onto a slice of kuchen for Johann, and pushed the plate toward him. “Still, it would be well to hire another violinist to take his place.”

“Why?” The question erupted out of Johann’s mouth. “He will not be needed after the Empress’s visit. And brother Joseph intends to keep him no longer than that. He has already issued an ultimatum to that effect, have you not, brother?”

Haydn nodded, but was prevented from saying anything more by Maria Anna’s next words.

“Well, let us hope he stays as long as that.”

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Eleven other blogs are participating in this Virtual Book Tour of A Minor Deception, each with an exclusive excerpt. To follow along, by reading what Author Nupur Tustin envisions as a "written movie trailer" for her debut novel, click here.

The Author

About Nupur Tustin

A former journalist, Nupur Tustin relies upon a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to orchestrate fictional mayhem. The Haydn mysteries are a result of her life-long passion for classical music and its history. Childhood piano lessons and a 1903 Weber Upright share equal blame for her original compositions, available on ntustin.musicaneo.com.

Her writing includes work for Reuters and CNBC, short stories and freelance articles, and research published in peer-reviewed academic journals. She lives in Southern California with her husband, three rambunctious children, and a pit bull.

For details on the Haydn series and monthly blog posts on the great composer, visit the official Haydn Mystery web site: NTUSTIN.COM.

Find Nupur on the web at

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