The Sound of Murder

Being out of town with a musical can be murder... October 3, 1959: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s latest musical, “The Sound of Music,” starring Mary Martin, has just had its world premiere in New Haven, the first stop on its road to Broadway. But for one member of the company it will prove to be the final performance. The following morning, the lifeless body of beautiful newcomer Eva Rossi – Mary Martin’s understudy – is discovered in a bizarrely-appointed hotel room, beneath a wall defaced with a bloody inscription: How do you solve a problem like Maria? As the case gets stranger, assistant stage manager Lee Solomon finds himself cast in the role of company sleuth. Forced to play go-between for producers, police, and the mercurial star (and her controlling husband), Lee soon finds he has a natural talent for detection. But can he uncover the culprit or culprits, before anyone else dies? First in a new historical mystery series celebrating classic musicals from Broadway's Golden Age! “...while you’re shopping for books for your summer vacation, do bring along Joseph Zellnik’s The Sound of Murder... Show-music fans will enjoy the pitch-perfect historical detail, and it’s also a crackling good story.” – John McWhorter, New York Times, 8/7/25 "Addictive and, amazingly, historically accurate down to the euphemism that Mary Martin used in place of a profanity. If God is in the details, then Joseph Zellnik is arguably divine!" – Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio "A captivating, glorious book... If you've ever craved a time machine to visit another era of Broadway, look no further!" – Jennifer Ashley Tepper, author of Women Writing Musicals and 4 volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway "Stuffed with backstage intrigue, a killer cast, and a clever murder mystery, The Sound of Murder will be on every musical lover’s list of favorite things." – Thomas Mizer, Emmy-nominated songwriter for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel "Joseph Zellnik – composer of the highly-regarded musical Yank!, now turned crime novelist – [delivers] a delightful romp for Broadway musical fans!" – Steven Suskin, author of The Sound of Broadway Music and Offstage Observations "A total surprise – and a delight. Bravo!"– Ted Chapin, former President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, and author of Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies