A real-life unsolved murder in a northeastern Latvian town is the inspiration for a new mystery novel by Ottawa-based writer Ilze Berzins. The book, Aluksne, is due to be published March 22, Berzins told Latvians Online in an e-mail.

The story, she said, spans three generations beginning around World War I and continuing to the 1990s. It involves a man named Ernests Eglītis who assumes ownership of the most prominent house on a street in Alūksne. The historic house once belonged to a noted tile stove setter and potter.

“As work commences in the former pottery, which is still outfitted with ancient kilns, disturbing evidence of foul play is discovered,” Berzins said. “Before long Eglītis is entangled in murders and intrigues which span generations.”

Aluksne will be the author’s ninth mystery novel. Her first, Death in the Glebe, was published in 1999. That book followed her 1997 autobiographical story Happy Girl, which was about her attempt to repatriate to Latvia. Berzins also recently published a book about her late mother, Portrait of a Latvian Beauty.

The 327-page book will be published by Albert Street Press. The cost is CAD 30 plus CAD 5 for postage for Canadian customers, or USD 30 plus USD 5 for postage for U.S. customers. The book may be ordered through Berzins’ Web site, www.ilzeberzins.com

Berzins also recently unveiled a redesign of her Web site. It now includes a blog focusing on the time she spent in the 1960s as an art student in Paris.

The relatively new pop music group Instrumenti, purported to consist of two members of the a capella ensemble Cosmos, has won the best song title in the annual Latvian Music Recordings of the Year Awards (Latvijas Mūzikas ierakstu Gada balva).

Instrumenti won for the song “Apēst tevi.” The awards were announced in a ceremony Feb. 23 in Rīga, according to the news service LETA.

Instrumenti is reported to consist of singers Reinis Sējāns and Jānis Šipkēvics of Cosmos. The group was formed last year and in January released an EP album, Pandemiya, which was honored with the best debut award. The band also has been invited to perform in March during the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Other award winners included:

• Best rock album: Vadu by Satellites LV.
• Best pop album: Nakts vai rīts by Otra puse.
• Best hip hop album: Gatis Irbe by Gacho.
• Best dance music album: Doubl B Tonality by N’works.
• Best alternative music album: Recipe of the Golden Dream by Tribes of the City. Ironically, the band announced in September that it was going on an indefinite hiatus.
• Best schlager album: Mēs to sen jau bijām pelnījuši, featuring music by Raimonds Pauls and lyrics by Guntis Račs recorded by a number of popular singers.
• Best country album: Viss vēl būs by Dakota.
• Best folk music album: Es arī by Valts Pūce and The Shin.
• Best academic music album: Skaņu labirints by mezzosoprano Ieva Parša.
• Best instrumental, film or theater music album: Vēstules Ziemassvētkos by Raimonds Tiguls, Rihards Zaļupe, Oskars Petrauskis and Raimonds Petrauskis.
• Best children’s album: Pasaki man un tev by Cosmos.
• Best radio hit: “Nakts vai rīts” by Otra puse.
• Best video: “Pirmais” by Satellites LV.
• Best concert video: Graphis Scripta by Dabas koncertzāle.

Ivars Mazurs received the lifetime achievement award. Mazurs is a jazz musician, pianist, arranger, orchestra director and radio personality. He began playing jazz just after World War II. Since 1958, he has worked with Latvian State Radio, according to jazzmusic.lv.

A listeners’ choice vote organized by the Alfa retail center chose singer Aisha’s cover version of the Aino Bāliņa song “Lelle” as the best song of 2009.

The music awards have been presented since 1994. A full list of nominees and other information about the awards are available by visiting www.gadabalva.lv.

A new book about former Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga by controversial journalist Lato Lapsa continues to make waves. Va(i)ras virtuve, published Feb. 1 by the Rīga-based Atena, discloses what Lapsa and co-authors Irēna Saatčiane and Kristīne Jančevska claim is evidence of the ex-president’s free-spending time in office.

Vīke-Freiberga, who returned from exile in Canada to become the nation’s second president after Latvia regained independence, served from 1999-2007. Although often seen as a last-minute compromise candidate, Vīķe-Freiberga is presented in the book as a person who clearly wanted to become president.

The 184-page book includes many reproductions of documents as well as a CD-ROM with more details about Vīķe-Freiberga’s years in office.

A Web site in support of the book, www.vairasvirtuve.lv, could not be accessed. However, a site in support of the ex-president, www.rokasnost.com, has called on readers not to buy Lapsa’s book. Registered to Roberts Šulcs in the Czech Republic, the site includes pages applauding an apparent decision by the director of the Jānis Roze bookstore not to sell Lapsa’s book and then criticizing the director for apparently having a change of heart. Jānis Roze’s online store offers the book for LVL 7.95.