THE FIRE CONCERTO

This wonderful novel with its inherent musicality receives a noteworthy performance from Katrina Lenk. Clara, once a world-famous pianist, was badly burned in a fire and no longer plays. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from her despised former teacher, Madame, she's bewildered. The object, a priceless metronome missing since the 1800s, might have belonged to composer Aleksander Starza and might be the weapon that killed him. Smoothly switching voices and attitudes, Lenk makes each of Landenwich's fully formed characters ring with truth. Her Polish language exchanges of dialogue are flawless, and she delivers difficult-to-pronounce Polish names and places smoothly, maintaining the musical flow of the novel. As a thrilling mystery unfolds, Clara finds answers hidden within the metronome. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2025]