Murder is music to renowned Calderdale organist’s ears as he returns with second book in his 'Inspector May' series

Professor David Baker is normally associated with music – the renowned organist, who lives in Mytholmroyd, is the founder and director of the Halifax Organ Academy and also tutor with the Royal College of Organists.

He has some 20 non-fiction books and a significant body of published papers, mainly around the subject of music, to his name - but the long months of isolation imposed by the Covid-19 lockdowns saw him turn his talents to another art form – detective fiction.

And now, Bradford-born David has now just published the second instalment in his “Inspector May” murder mystery series - “Murder in Five Movements”, a tale of lies, corruption, lust and intrigue set against a backdrop of real-world issues.

It follows on from the success of his first crime novel, “A Month of Murder”, published in 2021, which introduced readers to Detective Chief Inspector Donald May, his son Freddie and investigators Detective Sergeant Charlie Riggs and Detective Constable Georgie Ellis.

The narrative unfolds at Templeton Towers, housing the troubled Order of Saint Saviour's school for gifted students, where William Clair, head of the order, is grappling with financial woes and internal discord.

The impending sale of land, a rumoured secret treasure, and a discovered skeleton are all factors which contribute to a series of bizarre murders

The night before a crucial meeting, Clair is praying for divine guidance but doesn’t get very far into the Lord’s Prayer when he becomes the first victim.

Exploring themes such as child abuse, Russian espionage, and land deals, the story also employs magical realism, blending reality with a different realm, and David hopes readers will derive both enjoyment and reflection on the underlying themes of the story, making it a captivating and thought-provoking experience.

“The new book is set four years on from ‘A Month of Murder’, which was set in 2019, and it’s good to bring the characters back again. Readers will see that the detective team has moved on and that there have been promotions for some of them,” says David.

“I have really enjoyed creating the characters and although they are of course, all completely fictitious, they have been inspired by people I’ve met in the past.

“When I finish a book, I feel a little bereft. There’s that awful moment when I actually don’t want to finish because I don’t want to say goodbye to the characters who have become friends so then I think, what next?” he adds.

And that’s the very reason why he will be resurrecting his cast of detectives yet again, as he hopes that the Inspector May series will continue.

As with the first book, "Murder in Five Movements” is once again set in the fictitious Hartleydale, inspired by Calderdale and its various towns and villages including Halifax, Mytholmroyd and Todmorden – and once again, the theme of music features.

“They always say write about what you know and of course, music is a huge part of my life.”

He adds that the book took around a year of very disciplined writing, helped by the fact that it began life as a weekly serialisation online.

“When you have a weekly deadline to hit, that soon concentrates your mind but then I tweaked and changed the serialised instalments for the final novel according to feedback I received. It’s a good way of working though. No chance for a day off or writer’s block. I aim to produce around 1,000 words per day.”

He adds that inspiration has come from his local landscape and area, and as with his first novel, the research into crime and particularly into police procedure has been crucial.

“This is something I’ve found fascinating but you have to be spot on, otherwise somebody is bound to pull you up,” he said.

And as with “A Month of Murder”, there are plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep readers gripped from the start.

“The response to ‘A Month of Murder’ was great so I really hope readers will love this second adventure for DCI May and his crime-solving team just as much.”

As well as the Inspector May murder mysteries, David is also the author of “The Organ Loft Murders”, a detective mystery set in Victorian England, and “Broken Eagle”, a novel based on the escapades of Bishop Germanus of Auxerre in fifth-century Roman Britain.

He continues to teach organ students and has plans to realise an ambition of bringing his “Bach-a-thon” to Calderdale - playing all of Bach’s 241 organ pieces over a series of 26 Sundays – which had to originally be put on hold due to the pandemic.

“Murder in Five Movements” is available from Amazon.