The Devil in Music

Rating:
Summary: Superior for both mystery and atmosphere
Review: Julian Kestrel's past is only one of the mysteries the reader has to figure out in this wonderful evocation of early 19th century Northern Italy. Filled with politics, humor, passion, opera and vendetta, this book will keep the reader guessing until the very last few pages. Nothing is coincidental, and each revelation only leads to more, and all is accompanied by the glorious music of Rossini. I have read that Kate Ross died unfortunately in 1996 and so the few Julian Kestrel mysteries we have are all there are, which is a shame. I found this book completely compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Historical Mystery
Review: Kate Ross' Whom the Gods Love sold me on historical mysteries, but this book The Devil in Music, is the very best. Read it slowly to savor the language and locale. You will love this book.

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Summary: The Mysteries of Music
Review: Look deeper inside, that's what it takes to find what you are looking for. Plus some courage to experiment if your ideas are right or wrong. In the Devil in Music Julian Kestrel, an English dandy who is touring Europe decides to come to a villa on the Lake Como in Italy to solve a mysterious death of a nobleman Marchese Lodovico. He also has to reveal the identity of a breathtaking tenor who is only known as Orfeo, a singer from Greek Myths. See through the masks every character finds essential to wear, not miss the expression put in every word spoken and unthread the webs that every music note beholds in order to find the murder and answers to all the questions is Julian's duty but he'll have to pay a high prize.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: The Devil in Music is absolutely fabulous! I couldn't put the book down. It is a most ambitious creation. The other three in the series are equally good, too. I've recommended these books to all my friends. They are thoroughly enjoyable.

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Summary: Opera, Italy and murder with Julian Kestrel.
Review: The Devil in Music is the best yet in Kate Ross's unusal series set in Regency England. Julian, au courant and always curious, travels to Lake Como in order to investage the mysterious death of a wealty opera patron. Whodunit? Was it the brilliant English tenor? A disgruntled relative? Or another mysterious shadow in the background? Ross's tricky plot and strong characterizations will keep you guessing to the end

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read
Review: The Devil in Music is wonderfully written.Although longer than Kate Ross's other books,it is by far one of the best.In this book,you learn far more about Julian Kestral that in any other book.It has exquisite detail,and paints a picture in your head ,but never the less leaves a lot to your imagination about life in Italy back then.The mystery itself has so many twists that it will surley keep you reading.Once you read the end,everything comes together,and then you will know why who did what,and why they did it at that certain time.It was a very good book,and I recomend you read the others as well.

Rating:
Summary: A musical historical mystery
Review: The fourth and, I think, finest of Ross's Julian Kestrel mysteries takes Julian, his ex-fingersmith (as in, highly gifted pickpocket) valet, Dipper, and their friend Dr. McGregor far from their usual British haunts and plops them into pre-unification, Austrian-controlled Italy. A four-year-old murder mystery, centering on a vanished tenor known only as Orfeo, unfolds on a backdrop of music, high society, politics, and intrigue. The musical details are precise and accurate, while the Milanese dialect that creeps in lends flavor and atmosphere. Characters/suspects include a Frenchman with unbelieveably perfect pitch (the ability to name notes by ear), a castrato (male soprano - you figure it out), the brother, son, wife, and estranged daughter-in-law (she ran away with the castrato) of the victim, Orfeo's blind voice teacher, various and sundry police and military officials, servants, and musicians. Throw in the Carbonari (Italians fighting for reunification) and there are explosions just waiting to be touched off. The conclusion is completely satisfying, and though part of it may leave you saying "I knew it all along" the other is almost completely unexpected - and I'm not even talking about the murderer. I was devastated to learn the author had passed away - once I get hooked on a series I like to see it continue ad infinitum - but this makes a fitting conclusion to Kestrel's recorded adventures, and it's by far the longest of the four as well. I highly recommend the entire series.

Rating:
Summary: another wonderful book by a brilliant author
Review: This book combines mystery, history, opera, action and romance in a way that only Kate Ross could have done successfully. Her talent as an author shines out of every page of this wonderful book. The book is set in the vicinity of Milan, Italy, in 1825 with flashbacks to 1821. The rich and powerful members of high society in Milan spend their evenings at the opera house unless they are relaxing at villas on Lake Como. Amateur detective, English dandy Julian Kestrel arrives in Milan in 1825 to solve the four year old murder of a powerful nobleman. The amount of "action" at the climax as well as the length of some of the explanations of relationships at the conclusion of the book may irritate a few mystery purists, but that is a small price to pay for the beautiful tapestry of words woven by Ms. Ross throughout this novel.
The death of Ms. Ross was a great loss to American liturature. The author's biographical note on the hardcover edition indicates that she was a trial attorney. If she was as good in court as she was as an author, I am glad that I never had to face her.

Rating:
Summary: The best of Kate Ross
Review: This book is a life's work. Though the author has written other books about the same character, one gets the impression that this story was always in the background, taking shape, and fleshing out. The story is multifaceted and surprising. It combines mystery, romance, sex and theater. I am truly sorry that Ms. Ross will not be able to enjoy the respect that this book will win her as an author.

Rating:
Summary: Just who is Julian Kestral?
Review: This book was the best yet of the series. It let us in on Julian Kestral just a little bit more -- but still keeping him enough of an enigmatic, romantic and thouroghly pleasing gentleman. Like a secret lover, it's never good to know too much about them.