The Latest From Larry:
The RagTime Traveler
Poisoned Pen Press 2017

This historical mystery, co-written with Larry's son Casey, is a sequel to the Ragtime Historical Mystery Trilogy.

When Alan Chandler was sixteen, he began a life-long love affair with the music of Scott Joplin. Now, sixty-five years later, Alan is widely recognized as an authority on the life and music of Scott Joplin, and despite advanced cancer and chemotherapy treatment, he's still active as a ragtime scholar, composer, and concert pianist.

When Mickey Potash, a friend and fellow pianist in Sedalia, Missouri, tells him he's acquired a bag full of hitherto-unknown music that might have been written by Joplin, Alan flies out with Tom, his musically-gifted grandson. But shortly after they arrive, Mickey is murdered and the music stolen. It's up to Alan and Tom, with help from Alan's wife, Miriam, and two young people from the Sedalia Black community to find the murderer and recover the music.

Throughout the chase, Alan repeatedly finds himself in 1899, talking to Joplin and other early ragtimers. Pragmatic Miriam is certain her imaginative husband is suffering hallucinations related to his disease and/or its treatment, but Alan is equally convinced he is actually time traveling. Whichever of them is right, Alan, a seasoned researcher, uses the information he acquires on his journeys into the past to solve the case.

Something Else Different:
Brun Campbell: The Original Ragtime Kid
McFarland Publishers 2016

Brun Campbell lived a double life - a double ragtime life. Dubbed "The Ragtime Kid" by his piano teacher and hero, Scott Joplin, Brun spent several years on the ragtime performance circuit at the beginning of the 20th century. Then, 40 years later, he was a prime mover in the ragtime revival of the 1940s, and played a major role in resurrecting Joplin's reputation as one of the greatest American composers.

Reconstructed from manuscripts and recordings which had sat, unappreciated, in cartons for a near-half century, this lively historical biography, to date the only comprehensive account of Brun's pursuits, finally gives Brun his due as a pivotal figure in ragtime history.

(More about Brun - the man and the book - and where to buy it.)

Something Different From Larry:
Seymour's First Clarinet Concerto

After eight mystery novels and three nonfiction books, all for adult readers, Larry has come out with Seymour's First Clarinet Concerto, his first work for kids, charmingly illustrated by Vic Hugo.

Young Steve Bancroft gets help from an unlikely source – his Siamese cat, Seymour – to write a wonderful piece of music for the clarinet. But then, things get complicated. It seems that the only way for Steve to avoid being exposed as a cheater would be for him to break a very serious promise. How is he going to find a way out of this mess?

"Larry Karp displays his talent and versatility in this superb addition to children's literature. Vic Hugo's whimsical illustrations charmingly capture the essence of a story well told."

"A charming story with imaginative twists."

"This instantly became our four-year-old boy's favorite book."

Available in paperback

 

 

Larry's Most Recent Mystery
A Perilous Conception
Poisoned Pen Press 2011

It's 1976. Despite fierce controversy over the propriety of in vitro fertilization, Dr. Colin Sanford, a brilliant, ambitious obstetrician in Emerald, Washington works secretly to put his name into medical history. But Sanford's endeavors lead to murder. Detective Bernie Baumgartner's investigation is hampered by pressure from influential people, and a double cat-and-mouse game develops between doctor and detective.

 

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