Gerald Elias, associate concertmaster for the Utah Symphony and adjunct professor of music at the University of Utah, has written a thriller set in a world he knows quite well—that of classical music.

Named after a Giuseppi Tartini violin sonata famously known for its demanding technicality, Devil’s Trill follows a solitary and cantankerous violin teacher, the blind Daniel Jacobus, who begrudgingly returns to the symphonic world from his self-imposed exile in order to attend the Grimsley Competition—a contest held every 13 years at Carnegie Hall for young prodigies exclusively under the age of 13. When the prize of the contest—an extremely rare, three-quarter-size violin known as the Piccolino Stradivarius— mysteriously goes missing, Jacobus is blamed for the theft and, in turn, quickly begins the daunting and deadly quest of clearing his tarnished name.

Elias, an accomplished violinist in his own right, will read, sign and play select pieces from this exciting debut novel.

Gerald Elias: Devil’s Trill @ Sam Weller’s Bookstore, 254 S. Main, 801-328-2586, Nov. 21, 5 p.m., SamWellers.com