Rating: 
Summary: Spherical Mess
Review: Being a fan of Caleb Carr's THE ALIENIST and ANGEL OF DARKNESS, I was eagerly awaiting the time to set aside and read Elizabetth Redfern's MUSIC OF THE SPHERES, highly touted by People Magaziine as 'reminiscent' of Carr's novels. A 'lifetime' is what the reader needs to get through this abominable first novel by Redfern. Unlikeable charcters, a dull telling of history, and storylines filled with no surprises, 'spherically' come together for the reader to snore through for what seems like an eternity. Where as I didn't want either of Carr's novels to end, I couldn't wait to close the covers on this inane attempt at a novel. For serious insomniacs only!
Rating: 
Summary: Trust Charles Palliser
Review: Charles Palliser is one of the great writers practicing his art today. When I read his endorsement of this new author, I didn't feel he was likely to mislead, for his is not a name that I see endorsing every other book I pick up. His endorsement of Elizabeth Redfern's, "The Music Of The Spheres", and his explanation of why it fascinated him, all are spot on accurate.Mr. Palliser writes very complex novels set centuries ago, so when he feels this author's work is complex, and evocative of time periods that are centuries passed, it is high praise indeed. Late 18th Century London at war is the setting for this debut novel. England and France are once again at each other's throats, and London is not just a haven for French refugees, but for France, her spies, her duplicitous ex-patriots, scientists, and men and women of evil. The spheres and their movement are the planets both known, and those that are sought by a variety of characters. Some search for fame, others search to bring closure to madness. The music of the spheres is the beauty they contain as much of nature does. Planets have a purpose, they are predictable, and they are not so much reduced to the beauty of the equations that prove their behavior, as they elevate the art of mathematics. People can also be depended upon to be reliable especially when driven by a dark obsession, when others, for gain or for sport, manipulate them. The dark side here is that women with hair that is red have become the target of a killer. A murderer who kills consistently, methodically, and has who shadows another who precedes him, and who he cares for in his own demented way. The author adds a detective who not only has suffered the loss of a daughter; those who seek not only to discredit him, but also protect those that may have cost him his only child constantly hamper him. Even a stargazing family member wavers between his loyalties, who are his real masters, where do his loyalties lie? Place all of this and so much more in a beautifully rendered London when she is not at her best, when she is dark and duplicitous, and you are placed in a powerful setting of gloom and treachery in the streets, and in the hearts of those who move upon them. Explanations can turn on what appears to be chance, a comment made in passing, or the contents of a man's purse. Ms. Redfern has written a tremendous debut, a book I recommend without condition, and an author who I hope is producing many works to follow.
Rating: 
Summary: I really wanted to like this one...
Review: Hey, we've got music, we've got stars, we've got intrigue, we've got murder - this should have been right up my alley. But despite the elegant prose, I had a very hard time getting into this one. It's always a bad sign for me if I have no qualms about putting a book down in the middle of a chapter if, say, the phone rings, or I get hungry; when after two days I hadn't hit yet hit page 100 I knew there were some problems. With that having been said, it does pick up somewhat once it gets rolling, though the characters as a whole are flawed to such a degree that it's hard to like any of them, save perhaps the two boys (Thomas, Absey's mentally retarded son, and Daniel, Alexander's - um - servant, let's say). There are just too many focal points - Absey's hunt for the killer (um, DUH, by the way...); the astronomers' hunt for "Selene" (which doesn't really even work as regards tension, since present-day readers are well aware of the asteroid belt out there), the hunt for the traitors, on a scale both large and small; in fact, this might have worked better as a trilogy, taking one at a time. And the ending is positively Shakespearean - Hamlet-style, with corpses strewn everywhere. Perhaps even the author got sick of most of her characters and just killed them off in disgust. It does have its redeeming qualities - though one may not like the characters, they are, as a rule, well-drawn, and the writing style is well-suited to the period it's portraying. The quotes at the heads of each chapter are interesting and taken from many highly-varied sources as well. Yesterday I saw this book on the "beach reads" table at the local megabookstore - no, bad idea there, it's way too intellectual for that - but for quiet evenings at home, it's not bad. Perhaps it might be better to wait till winter and read it curled up in front of the fireplace, with a CD of Corelli or Rameau as backdrop (both composers are mentioned). I think I'll try that for my next go-round with this one, see if I like it any better.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book with Some Minor Flaws........
Review: If you're looking for an atmospheric. well plotted book set in 1795 London during the heat of French Revolution intrigue , this is for you. Throw in some serial murders, and state of the art astronomy (for 1795). Terrific plotting and descriptions keep this book a real page turner thruout. Would make a great movie too! Nominal criticisms are too many unnecessary sex scenes, and an ending which is good but could be tightened up by a good editor. even so, a whale of a good first historical novel!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the time
Review: In the last five years of the 18th Century, England is at war, defending the Lowlands and London is beset with spies, aristocratic French Royalist fugitives, who have fled the mob brutality of the French Revolution. These French spies are everywhere, as are modern men of science intent on recent discoveries in Astrology, fascinated by revelations uncovered by the powerful lens of the telescope. But this is London, so there is also murder afoot, namely the very particular murder of red-haired young prostitutes. While French émigré astrologers spin their web of intrigue, two estranged brothers become involved in the intricate machinations of the Royalist spies, desperate to undermine England in the war and return to their homeland. These English brothers are central to the unfolding plot: Jonathan, an official of the Home Office, and Alexander, a fervent astrologer. Alexander is drawn into the circle of the Montpellier's, who study the movement of the galaxy from a powerful telescope on their country estate, in hopes of discovering a planet they name "Serena". The Montpellier's, brother and sister, Guy and Auguste, are orbited by an assortment of nefarious characters who have their own subversive agendas. As Jonathan seeks to discover the spies as well as the murderer of his young daughter, the first strangled red-haired prostitute, he falls into ill repute, ultimately endangering his prestigious position. And Alexander becomes more involved, albeit unwittingly, in the web of intrigue at the Montpellier's estate, most seriously damaged by his association with the expatriate spies because he is a victim of his own generous nature. The novel ends in a cataclysm of violent acts, redeeming the faltering plot. The book loses impetus in the middle, so the increase in action renders the rest of the read more likable. The story line is finally tied together, but the main weakness in Music of the Spheres is that it is often more a well-practiced exercise than a harmonious composition.
Rating:
Summary: Discordant 'Music'
Review: Music of the Spheres is billed as cross between a psychological thriller and a gory murder mystery set in 18th century England: think the Alienist (right down to the blatantly similar cover) meets Jack the Ripper. The problem is Redfern is so well-researched she feels the need to throw every single bit of it into the mix, bogging down the story with unnecessary accompaniment when it could have stood very well on its own.
The astronomy angle is an interesting one and, having suffered through a class on it this year it's nice to be able to utilize what little I remember; it makes for an original twist in what could have been an average 'spot the homicidal maniac' story. On the flipside the spy subplot quickly becomes tedious, even devoting several pages to a firefight in France featuring characters we've never seen before or will again, and I found myself anxiously skimming because I was lingering in suspense about the murders.
Characters are nicely rendered in varying shades of gray, which might not sit well with those who like their heroes whitewashed and their villains detestable but makes much more sense in the world they're inhabiting. Nobody here is without a whiff of scandal or an unpleasant habit which leaves them all vulnerable to manipulation that heightens the tension considerably. Absey's obsession with a prostitute who resembles his dead daughter makes him seem tormented but the fact that he neglects his wife and son and then has sex with the girl hits several sour notes. I can't think of many people who will root for a man after implications that he harbors lusts for a daughter who runs off to become a streetwalker; in an age where many molested girls regularly wind up strippers and porn stars those scenes left me feeling uneasy.
The finale is what utterly ruins all of the author's painstaking setup. Culminating in a dark crescendo (I'm sorry! I'll stop) of blood, death, and wholesale cast slaughter you're left feeling more shell-shocked than satisfied. Judging by what is revealed it was less than likely that any of the guilty parties would be brought to justice but killing off just about everyone in the novel doesn't make me any happier. I could live with people not being sent to jail but here they are punished to the extreme, even the somewhat innocent ones. It tries to leave you with the tiniest speck of hope on the last page but by then you'll be too numb to care.
Rating: 
Summary: Every plot point and theme that you could ever imagine.
Review: My title is not a compliment. In one novel we get a rather dubious brother-sister relationship, sexual exploitation, homophobia, a prostitute killer, a plot leveled against a mid-level functionary who only wants to uncover the Truth, refugees from the terror, mistreated madness, nymphomania, police who don't care about prostitute killers, spies, a scientific mystery, a mysterious woman named Selene, a fallen priest, a father-daughter relationship gone Terribly Wrong, a relationship between brothers gone Terribly Wrong, sexual blackmail, battle scenes, conspiracy theory, music, and finally astronomy. I'm probably leaving some things out. I honestly stopped caring at a certain moment. The answer to writing a more exciting and atmospheric mystery novel is NOT to throw every element ever employed in the genre and then some between two covers. The result is not pleasing, nor is it fun to read. The shame of it all is that Redfern clearly has some talent as a writer and has seemingly done her homework on the period. I hope that with her next book some kind editor will take pity on her and encourage her to save some of her good ideas for more than one book.
Rating: 
Summary: HISTORY + SUSPENSE = GREAT LISTENING
Review: Remembered for his readings of numerous audio books, including the Dune books and Morgan's Run, talented stage and screen actor Tim Curry seems to be ubiquitous as he makes simultaneous appearances in various venues. His energy level appears to be as high as is his unique ability to give voice to the sinister and enhance suspense. Such is the case in his rendering of Elizabeth Redfern's enthralling and atmospheric debut novel which takes place in 1795 London. There's espionage and evil walking the shadowy streets of that city as England is at war with France. Jonathan Absey of the Home Office is charged with tracking down spies. He attempts to soldier on but he is also consumed by the still unsolved murder of his 15-year-old daughter. There have been a number of killings - all young red haired ladies of the night. As Absey seeks a murderer he comes upon a strange band of astronomers, the Company of Titius. This group is looking for a star. Is their search intertwined with Absey's investigation? Elizabeth Redfern shows great promise as a writer, smoothly blending history and a breakneck thriller plot. Tim Curry excels in his reading.
Rating:
Summary: Don't go by the cover.
Review: The cover says "reminiscient" of Caleb Carr's "The Alienist". For that alone I figured I'd pick this one up. I loved "Alienist", and even though I didn't like "Angel of Darkness" as much, it was still better than this. There wasn't much that made me "feel" for the characters. I wasn't sure if the book was more about wartime intrigue or a serial killer. Maybe I'm just not into spy thrillers and espionage. By the time the plot started to come together at the end, I really didn't care much about whodunit! Caleb, where are you? We need another novel from you!
Rating:
Summary: the best historical mystery novel I've read so far this year
Review: This is definitely the best historical murder mystery novel that I've read so far this year. The plot is an intriguing and fascinating one, and Elizabeth Redfern's prose style is crisp and colourful -- her descriptions of England in the late 18th century is so gothically atmospheric! Carefully plotted and tightly paced, I found myself simply unable to put this book down until I reached the conclusion of this spellbinding novel. The events of this mystery take place during the summer months of 1795. The French Republican army is making mincemeat of the European forces that have gone up against it so far (England included), and espionage seems to be the game of the day. Indeed, the consensus at the Home Office is that England must be overrun with French spies right now as the French army seems to be incredibly well informed as to English troop dispositions. The natural suspects are of course the emigres that fled from France in order to avoid the bloody retribution of the Revolution, and it is the job of Jonathan Absey to track down such spies. However Jonathan has another obsession of his own that keeps him up at night and that is affecting his work: three years ago, Jonathan's runaway daughter was found strangled to death, and Jonathan has never given up hope of hunting down her murderer and making him pay. One night, after having spent a few fruitless hours keeping an eye on a group of emigres at a tavern, Jonathan learns that another young redheaded woman has been strangled in a manner similar to that of his daughter's. Further investigation unearths the fact that there have been several other such murders -- all young women, all redheaded, and all killed in exactly the same way. Surely this is the work of his daughter's murderer? Jonathan's investigations lead him to the fascinating and mysterious de Montpellier siblings, Auguste and Guy; and to an astrological club, the Company of Titius. Here, however Jonathan meets with a dead end -- how to approach the de Montpelliers without raising suspicions? And then he remembers his estranged elder brother, Alexander, who like de Montpelliers, is also an amateur astronomer. Jonathan forces Alexander to make contact with the de Montpelliers and to spy on them for him. In the meantime, Jonathan tries to discover more about the de Montpelliers and their strange household, but someone in the Home Office seems to be protecting them, and Jonathan finds himself being increasingly sidelined to lesser duties. His only hope of discovering if the de Montpelliers are involved in the murders lies with Alexander. But can Jonathan trust his estranged brother? '"The Music of the Spheres" is an enthralling and exciting read from beginning to end. Elizabeth Redfern has done a magnificent job of bringing the politics of the late 18th century England, with all it's intrigue (both political and diplomatic), to life. The novel was spun out precisely and evenly, with no extraneous bits that could have bogged down things terribly. It's true that this novel is not brimming over with optimism (esp the ending), but this, only adds, in my opinion, to the impact that the book imparts. This is a very intricate and classy mystery novel that will keep you breathlessly guessing up to the very end; and is also a wonderful study on the nature of obsession and the effects it has on one's life and all those around-- such as Jonathan's obsessive need to find his daughter's killer, and Guy de Montpellier's obsessive need to discover his 'hidden' planet. Make no bones about it, this is an outstanding mystery novel; and is more than worthy of a five star rating.
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