The Devil in the Ivory Tower

Black Opal Press 2024

At 65 thousand words Devil in the Ivory Tower carefully relates the story of a double murder on a state university campus in New Jersey. It also unravels the braided narratives of two young rising-star, female English professors while revealing an insider's view of the academic world. Devil in the Ivory Tower could be compared to the Princeton University series of the late Ann Waldron or to the library novels of Miranda James.

Erica Meyer is accused of killing the old, conservative, racist, homophobic Professor Ted Sanderson. She becomes an amateur sleuth to uncover the real murderer. Her office-mate, Albertina LoCascio is pregnant and gives birth to a son. Her mother-in-law is angry that she plans to have the child baptized instead of circumcised. She hires a hit man to kill her via a deadly mushroom. The hit man, a Russian medical doctor without a license, also teaches at the university and gains access to Albertina by initiating a romance with Erica.

Interspersed throughout the novel are vignettes telling of endless betrayals, lies, jealousy, fraud, and other negative behaviors among faculty and students.

"Devil in the Ivory Tower unlocks the mysteries of the often elusive academic world. It is an engaging suspenseful narrative populated with jealous deceitful colleagues, conniving faculty and troubled students, all amid the scenario of two murders. The pages fly by and complex and clever plot lines are carefully tied together at the end." - Alan Baxter, Writer, Producer, Director, author of poetry book, A Second of Eternity and director of film, Exhorter: Portrait of a Street Gigolo. Founder of Kairos poetry café in New York City.

"Murder has never been more surprising, suspenseful and even romantic and the amateur sleuth has never been more appealing than in Devil in the Ivory Tower. " - Albert Tucher, author of Blood Like Rain

"Acclaimed author and poet, Anne-Marie Brumm’s latest mystery, Devil in the Ivory Tower, will thrill crime-fiction lovers with her signature plot and twists as she immerses her characters in solving a double murder. Protagonist and suspect, Erica Meyer, must exonerate herself without becoming a victim herself. Set in swirl of contemporary challenges homophobia, jealousy, greed, and envy Ms. Brumm’s genius will engross readers. Read this chilling novel with the lights on." - Nancy A. Hughes, award-winning mystery author