<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C09CE7.20F59E00">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Anita,<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> The obvious choice to me would be ivory. It’s rare, it’s restricted trade so there could be some skullduggery there, and of course it’s used in pianos. It’s also quite nice to carve – not that I have ever had a large enough chunk to carve. Another appealing factor is that the motoring public has a totally romanticized image of the stuff. How many times have you had a customer insist on you saving the old chipped up ivory, so you wouldn’t add it to your hoard of ill-gotten ivory that you are going to retire on?<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Mark Story. RPT<o:p></o:p> Eastern Washington University<o:p></o:p> Cheney, Washington<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Anita Sullivan Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 6:04 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Tuner Mystery Novel <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Dear List,<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> I have a rather odd request. I've been tuning and fixing pianos for about 20 years and I'm also a writer. I've decided to write a series of mystery novels with a piano tuner as the heroine. I've started the first one and have two more ideas in mind.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> I want the mystery to revolve around some aspect of music, pianos, musical instruments. In the first novel a wooden carving is stolen for no apparent reason from one of the tuner's client's house. It's a beautiful statue of a monk playing a cello (some friends actually do have a carving like this, and it's beautiful). My dilemma is this: What wood can the statue be made of, which would be valuable enough to be stolen by someone who wanted it in some aspect of musical instrument building, and yet still could be made into a statue probably about 2 feet high? I had in mind Brazilian Rosewood, does that make sense?<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> I was going to have it be a harpsichord builder, but then I am told rosewood was not used on historical harpsichords (thus would not be used in replicas). Duh! I guess I should have known that. So, either I need another wood, or I have to change the guy into a builder of historical pianos, or maybe a violin maker.<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> The instrument builder, by the way, is NOT the one who stole the statue. Heaven forbid! He's just a kind of red herring. <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> If anybody can help me, I would be MOST  grateful. I would even receive plot ideas graciously! Please reply to me at my home address, <a href="mailto:anita@proaxis.com">anita@proaxis.com</a>      Thanks so much!<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Anita Sullivan<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>