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Consulting Detective
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That there had been some "trouble" at Beth Shalom Synagogue, as Dr. Chernievski had put it, was a serious understatement: It was murder and a hate crime rolled into one. Rabbi Jacob Klemme had been killed by a blow to the head, apparently when he surprised someone spraying anti-Semitic slogans on the walls inside the synagogue.
In his fourteen years with the Pine Bluff Police Department in Illinois, Detective Mihdí Montgomery had risen through the ranks. He had been a detective now for three years. He was respected and admired in the community for his fairmindedness and his keen sense of justice. His reliance on the Bahá'í principle of consultation seemed unconventional at times, but it yielded results and often earned the trust of his peers. This case, however, would put to the test every resource he had. Was it the real estate agent who was hoping to buy the synagogue if the congregation moved out? Was it the jealous ex-boyfriend of the woman who was in love with the rabbi? Was it the white nationalist with a history of posting racist flyers in the area? With such a diversity of suspects, Detective Montgomery would have to move quickly to pinpoint the killer and keep the synagogue, the town, and his family out of harm's way. Consulting Detective, a novel by Alan Manifold, is the first ever detective novel featuring a Baha'i detective. Find it at Amazon, Book Depository, the Baha'i Bookstore in the US, Baha'i Distribution Services in Australia, or ask for it wherever books are sold. |
Australia
Just loving being here...
I feel so lucky to be in Australia. Lorraine and I moved here in 2012 for a number of reasons, but we've found it just perfect for us. The Australian library community, the Baha'i community, and the people generally have been welcoming and warm. But we also feel that our unique talents and interests fit in very well with the needs here, so we're able to be of service in many ways. Lorraine teaches music both privately and at a local school and also teaches French for choirs and for personal use.
Being of Service...
Visiting the Manifold homelands in southwest Victoria...
Grandkids (not in Australia, unfortunately)...
Music
Music is one of the most gratifying aspects of my life. I sing in Perfect Chord, the choir Lorraine and I formed almost as soon as we arrived in Australia. When I get a chance, I compose and arrange choral music, some of which can be found here.
Perfect Chord, promoting unity in diversity... |
Working on a new composition with Finale
At the computer, composing...
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Australian Bahá'í Choral Festival
Lorraine and I proposed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia to organise a Bahá'í choral festival to be held in September 2015, and they agreed! We have organised Festivals each year since then, with the 2019 Festival running from 5-8 September 2019 in Sydney. The festival is associated with the Sydney Sacred Music Festival. Click the logo to the left to get to the Festival's web page. |
ILS Poetry
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Voyager Poetry
After his stint as NOTIS Poet Laureate (see below), Alan could not resist carrying on the tradition of writing bad poetry about the system and the people that were involved with it. He was threatened, though, by Cindy Miller of Endeavor, who informed him that Endeavor was "not your father's NOTIS", so he kept the poems just a tiny bit kinder. |
