The Symphony Heist: A Tale of Music and Desire (Lieutenant Lowell Mystery) - Softcover

Nasr, Kameel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0996175377 ISBN 13: 9780996175371

Publisher: Curiosity Books, 2016

Synopsis

Visit TheSymphonyHeist.com for coupons and promotions.Kameel Nasr’s novel Symphony Heist is a delightful, Byzantine romp of a musical mystery. About to go on tour, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is suddenly paralyzed by the theft of ALL their priceless instruments. The truck carting them to the airport is hijacked and disappears. When no ransom demands come, and it slowly becomes apparent that there are political motives for the crime. The BSO was in fact about to go to Rio di Janeiro to play at a grand ceremony celebrating international corporate agreements on recording and performance royalties – an agreement many of the musicians are against, but which their employers and managers advocate. Conflicted more than anyone is the prodigious first chair cellist, the young Melody Cavatina, who has been assigned to premier a cello concerto composed by her Brazilian-American lover Eduardo. To add to the tension, she hasn’t been playing well in recent weeks, due to suspicious persecution by the Brazilian conductor. Inspector Lowell of the Boston Police is called in – a deceptively low-energy Boston cop who doesn’t know much about music but learns fast, and has his own canny insights into the crime. His perspective and actions gives the novel its grounding, and his fellow policemen include an array of colorful Boston types, some with sensitivities one might not have expected. The musicians, too, vary widely in their politics, in their devotion to music and in their personal journeys. A lot is riding on the Orchestra getting to Rio. To complicate matters, there are suddenly a couple of apparent murders connected to the heist. The whole country is now riveted by the events. Washington sends some if its bureaucrats and undercover types to Beantown, while some of the desperate BSO musicians decide to take matters into their own hands. Throughout, the author shows a wide-ranging familiarity with and love of music, both classical and popular, and with the moral vagaries of arts management, given its shifting support structures. He also knows the physical structure and workings of Boston’s iconic Symphony Hall. The labyrinthine bowels of that august building, where much of the novel takes place, are a neat reflection of the Chinese puzzle of the plot. Music lovers will get a kick out of this fast-paced caper, full of both humor and lyricism, even as it touches on serious issues of corporate abuse and the never-ending problem of funding for the arts. Daniel StepnerArtistic Director, Aston Magna Festival and Foundation:Former First Violinist, Lydian String Quartet;Former Concertmaster, Handel and Haydn SocietyVisit TheSymphonyHeist.com

About this title

About the Author:

Kameel Nasr’s love of music comes through clearly. His father was a church organist in Lebanon, and Nasr started playing clarinet with the San Francisco Boys Club Band. The Symphony Heist follows The Museum Heist, a series of upbeat Boston-based mysteries celebrating art and music. Nasr is a dancer, amateur astronomer, spiritual seeker, social activist, athlete, and world traveler who toured the globe by bicycle. He is also a resident of Sardinia, Italy, where he can be heard serenading the sheep near his property on his highland bagpipe. Visit TheSymphonyHeist.com

Review:

Kameel Nasr's novel Symphony Heist is a delightful, Byzantine romp of a musical mystery. About to go on tour, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is suddenly paralyzed by the theft of ALL their priceless instruments. The truck carting them to the airport is hijacked and disappears. When no ransom demands come, and it slowly becomes apparent that there are political motives for the crime. The BSO was in fact about to go to Rio di Janeiro to play at a grand ceremony celebrating international corporate agreements on recording and performance royalties - an agreement many of the musicians are against, but which their employers and managers advocate. Conflicted more than anyone is the prodigious first chair cellist, the young Melody Cavatina, who has been assigned to premier a cello concerto composed by her Brazilian-American lover Eduardo. To add to the tension, she hasn't been playing well in recent weeks, due to suspicious persecution by the Brazilian conductor. Inspector Lowell of the Boston Police is called in - a deceptively low-energy Boston cop who doesn't know much about music but learns fast, and has his own canny insights into the crime. His perspective and actions gives the novel its grounding, and his fellow policemen include an array of colorful Boston types, some with sensitivities one might not have expected. The musicians, too, vary widely in their politics, in their devotion to music and in their personal journeys. Dan Stepner, Concertmaster Handel and Haydn Society.

About this edition

• Publisher: Curiosity Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0996175377
• ISBN 13: 9780996175371
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 298