Rating: 
Summary: The best of the series; how tragic that there won't be more
Review: I had been meaning to read Kate Ross' books for a long time, but I didn't get started until I heard the sad news of her death. Now I've read the whole series, and I think The Devil in Music is the best, even though I liked all of Kate Ross' books. It's a wonderful story, and you learn a lot about opera and politics in Italy in the 1820s, and about Julian Kestrel's past as well. How tragic that there won't be more of this wonderful series!
Rating:
Summary: Opera and Omerto
Review: I have been following threads in mystery-fan groups about historical mysteries (i.e., modern mysteries set in the past that try to apply detection and fair-play in a situation where they would not likely have occurred). Many objections to this are basically trivial, that there are no 'forsooths' or attempts at period language -- to which I say, every era has its own slang and vulgar language, why try to reproduce it authentically (apart from a few nice bits of historical cant, well-represented here by Dipper's argot) rather than just write the book as though it had been translated into modern language from Sanskrit or whatever? The important thing is to get the history right factually, or as factual as can be when discussing items that are still controversial among historians. Harder is to present the different mind-sets of typical people of the era. Greed, love, revenge, etc. as usual are behind all crimes, but how these were regarded by the populace generally, and by those responsible for law enforcement in particular are not always well presented, and 'anachronistic' thoughts by the detective are a hazard. Ross avoids these pitfalls in this book. A nice contrast between those two lines of thought is provided by contrasting Kestrel with the official police detective Grimani, who serves as the Lestrade of this book to Kestrel's Holmes.
In any case, I finally got hold of Kate Ross's "Devil in Music," the last of the four books in her Regency detective Julian Kestrel series (shamefully hard to find except on-line). She died in her forties, a real pity since the books were getting better and better. This is a wonderful book, although many detective-story purists will hate it because it can't be defined as belonging to any particular genre: Regency Romance, Spy Novel, Detective Story, Thriller, etc. It has all of those elements, plus being a 'Ripping Yarn' (James Bond and the like). In a way, the title reminiscent of John Dickson Carr's "Devil in Velvet" was probably intentional on the author's part, although the settings and background are entirely different. The plot is a phantasmagoria of different elements, combining Gothic situations with comic-strip twists, turns, and cliff-hangers.
What I found interesting was the setting, early 19th Century, pre-Victorian, an age when Jefferson had already done his thing in America, Napoleon had been defeated, technology was burgeoning (and, yes, there was a technology explosion back then that was just as influential in changing society then as atom bombs, space shuttles, and computers have been in our era). This was a very interesting period in history, and much more amenable for presentation to a modern reader of mystery fiction -- as opposed to Ancient Egypt or societies we can hardly conceive of as to what made them tick in day-to-day life, beyond eating, sex, and earning a living. The politics and religion are especially hard to convey. This period works, because common themes of so-called Western Civilization in its current form were already in circulation or under development, so we can understand the 'radical' heros; but it also has the added virtue that the old feudal system had not vanished -- God and the King, and the local duke or marquis or whatever, had not been supplanted by CEO's of big corporations.
The novel (a long one) is set in Northern Italy in the mid-1820s, with of course epigraphs from Byron, a perfect example of the type of person Julian Kestrel is. A lot of it involves early Grand Opera (at La Scala in Milan) and culture of that sort; a lot of politics -- Napoleon's puppet states had been destroyed and the old overlords, the Austrians, had been restored [they got their comeupance when the Dolomite provinces of Austria were ceded to Italy after WWI] -- and the radical Carbonaris were causing all sorts of problems; and a lot of the Italian morality of the times, where adultery was a commonplace of high society, an expected thing, like owning a Maserati, but to seduce a virgin of 'gentle birth' was anathema. Best of all, this is a classic melodrama of the Italian sort, like many of the operas, where improbabilities pile on improbabilities but are always supported by a great aria. This fascination with the Matter of Italy dates back as far as Shakespeare and earlier among English speakers, Borgia and Medici and Machiavelli being buzz words (although they were probably not much worse than Idi Amin). That is why, in my opinion, this is the best of the Ross books. The others were set in Regency England, with Bow Street Runners and the like -- and we've had enough examples of that!
Rating:
Summary: Brava! A tour de force!
Review: I started reading this series only a week ago; as soon as I finished one book I raced back to the library to check out the next! Due to Kate Ross' tragic demise, this is the last book in the series, but what a way to finish up! As an amateur singer and mystery buffer, this book combined the best of both worlds. Great descriptions of music and Italy, and a wonderful mystery in the bargain. Don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: Superbly written, wonderfully imaginative, great research.
Review: I'm rating The Devil in Music a 10 because it shows great skill in the author's ability to string words together; it is imaginative and complex without being cumbersome; the research is cleary accurate. What I found astonishing is that the publisher only printed 15,000 copies -- and for a fourth book with an on-going character. I know the business well and I expect the publisher was satisfied that most people would wait for the mass market edition. Now I've bought two of her other books and am still searching for a hardcover edition of Cut to the Quick. I also collect Susan Howatch and Diana Gabaldon, to give an idea of the sort of books I find deeply satisfying and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Very long
Review: I've liked all of the Kate Ross books (4 novels, plus at least one short story in compiled book of historical shorts), but this one I liked the least. It needed more editing to shorten it, and I found myself distracted by life's circumstances too often to be able to submerse myself in the story. As stated by others, the characters were hard to identify with (or like), even Julian and Dipper, who I've liked in the past. The ending went on forever - tying up all the loose ends and plot twists. There were too many characters to keep track of - it required a guide at the beginning to account for everyone. Most disappointing to me - I really couldn't figure out the historical significance of the time period - I guess I just didn't really care. If you've got time, patience, and geniune interest I'm sure you'll like this book a lot, and think it deserves 5 stars. I did like all of the other Ross books/stories and felt obligated to read this one through to the end since there won't be any more.
Rating:
Summary: Very long
Review: I've liked all of the Kate Ross books (4 novels, plus at least one short story in compiled book of historical shorts), but this one I liked the least. It needed more editing to shorten it, and I found myself distracted by life's circumstances too often to be able to submerse myself in the story. As stated by others, the characters were hard to identify with (or like), even Julian and Dipper, who I've liked in the past. The ending went on forever - tying up all the loose ends and plot twists. There were too many characters to keep track of - it required a guide at the beginning to account for everyone. Most disappointing to me - I really couldn't figure out the historical significance of the time period - I guess I just didn't really care. If you've got time, patience, and geniune interest I'm sure you'll like this book a lot, and think it deserves 5 stars. I did like all of the other Ross books/stories and felt obligated to read this one through to the end since there won't be any more.
Rating:
Summary: Best for Last
Review: If there are to be no more novels in this series at least the best was saved for last. Excellent Book one of the best I have read in a while. I suggest you start at the beginning of the series (Cut to the Quick) and read your way through and you will enjoy this book more.
Rating:
Summary: Best for Last
Review: If there are to be no more novels in this series at least the best was saved for last. Excellent Book one of the best I have read in a while. I suggest you start at the beginning of the series (Cut to the Quick) and read your way through and you will enjoy this book more.
Rating:
Summary: "The Devil in Music" a Virtuoso Performance
Review: If you are already acquainted with Julian Kestrel, the debonairRegency-era sleuth from Kate Ross's "Cut to the Quick","A Broken Vessel", & "Whom the Gods Love", it is unlikely you will need any urging to take in this engaging hero's latest outing. The only question in the prospective reader's mind will be whether to splurge on the hardcover edition or wait for the paperback--my opinion is, don't wait. It could never be too soon to immerse yourself in a rapturously rendered setting (Italy in the 1820s), a plot that twists around yet one more turn than expected, and a significant deepening of Kestrel's character, background and emotional baggage. The only disadvantage to purchasing and devouring the book at once is that it will make the interval until Kate Ross's next installment is published that much longer. (You'll just have to go back and reread the series from the beginning.)
Rating:
Summary: The best in this uniquely refreshing series
Review: In 1825 while traveling on the continent, Julian Kestrel, a music
aficionado, learns that a local Italian opera buff, Lodovico Malvezzi, was
a victim of murder four year ago in an unsolved case. Julian cannot resist
investigating what happened to Lodovico. With the help of his valet (a
former pickpocket) and a close friend he tries uncover the mystery behind
the death of the music lover.
Julian and his associates start searching for clues in the music
parlors of Milan. They visit the renowned La Scala opera house where they
quickly realize that the Italian aristocracy play their own games while the
productions play out on stage. As the trio digs deeper, there are numerous
suspects making up the entire 360 degree circle that engulfed Lodovico in
life. However, as Julian leads his cronies closer to the truth, he remains
unaware that he probably has set himself up for a duet, co-starring a
murderer.
THE DEVIL IN MUSIC is one heck of a historical mystery due to the
authentic feel of early nineteenth century Europe. The visit to la Scala
and the secondary characters add tremendous depth to an intriguing story
line headed up by the interesting Julian. Kate Ross conducts a precisely
tuned aria that will thrill fans of the sub-genre. As much a historical novel as a mystery this work should have a cross-over appeal that will enlrge Ms Ross's already huge fan base.
Harriet Klausner
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