Daniel Jacobus Sparknotes

The Daniel Jacobus series is a series of four mystery novels written by American author Gerald Elias. The chief protagonist in the series is Daniel Jacobus, a blind violin teacher that is as brilliant as he is irritable. A child prodigy Jacobus participated in the Grimsley Competition where he lost narrowly, missing the opportunity to play the single Stradivarius ¾ size violin ever made. A man dogged by misfortune, he gets invited to the Boston Symphony Orchestra to serve in the coveted position of concertmaster, only to lose it when he suddenly goes blind. Bitter, hot tempered, brilliant, and misanthropic all at once, he is on a quest to insult and infuriate any one that he meets. After losing his job as symphony concertmaster, he retreats

Jacobus is cantankerous, has poor hygiene, and is not above doing some shady things to achieve his goals. The duality of the Jacobus character is what makes the book so enjoyable. As a former child prodigy, he will not stand for any concert venues, record labels to take advantage of his students. His seemingly unexplained concern for his students is what makes his ruthless side so unexpected. While initially a volatile and quirky character, he mellows as over the course of the series. A recluse, he is often forced into complex mysteries with the help of his two friends, Yumi Shinagawa a former student of his and Nathaniel Williams an African American a fellow player. Being blind, his sense are more acute, enabling him to not only hear music better but also take in his world with enhanced clarity. According to the author Gerald Elias, they needed to make Jacobus more multidimensional yet develop over the series to ensure that the reader would not hate him yet not pity

BTower is a young but supremely talented violinist charged with killing Rene Allard his former mentor and teacher. After an epic performance at the Carnegie Hall before he goes back to his native France, Allard never makes it to the small party that his friends had prepared for his retirement. It was an open and shut case for the prosecution given that BTower was found standing over the body with bloody hands earning him a quick trial and conviction.
Daniel who was a prosecution witness told the court that BTower who used to go by his own name of Shelby Freeman tried to work with Allard but he was not a good fit due to disciplinary issues. He ultimately changed his name to BTower after George Bridgetower a famous violinist that used to perform with Beethoven. While he has been tried and found guilty for killing his mentor, the prosecution has yet to show any motive he would have for murdering Allard. BTowers attorney believes there may have been someone else with motive to kill Allard, and seeks Daniel’s help to prove