The Music of the Spheres

By Elizabeth Redfern

From the back of the book:

“While the Revolution rages across the Channel, Jonathan Absey, working for England’s Home Office, tracks down foreign spies in the war against France. But he is obsessed with the recent killings of prostitutes, all of whom resemble his lost daughter, who met her end in the shadowy alleys of London. The redemption he craves won’t be found in the politics of war. The answers he seeks won’t be on the city streets. Danger and intrigue will compel him to look elsewhere, for it is where he least expects it that a secret is hiding.”

As soon as I began reading this book, I fell in love with it. So, I looked for other reviews to see what readers thought of it. Was I imagining how wonderful it is?

Surprisingly, I found a wide range of reactions to it. Many readers absolutely hated it, while others liked it, especially the so-called “professional” reviewers – those who work for media outlets, such as newspapers. Is this why I liked it so much? Because I am a journalist? After all, these are the types of stories we crave.

Elizabeth Redfern is one of the best writers I’ve read in a long time. She brings forth the style of the classic writers to the present day as she relates a tale that takes place in the 1790s. It’s a Jack the Ripper-type of story as young prostitutes are brutally murdered in the back alleys where they work. Yet, there is so much more to this story than random slayings and I found it absolutely fascinating how it transpired.

This author writes in such an interesting voice. I felt as if I were sitting in a dark corner listening to the story being told in quiet whispers. Although the killings were rather graphic at times, the tale surrounding them was so intriguing and the characters so well defined, I couldn’t help but find myself walking among the pages of this excellent novel.

Bravo, Ms. Redfern! This is an award-winning novel!