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Paganini's Ghost

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Paganini's Ghost

By: Paul Adam
Narrated by: Seán Barrett
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About this listen

Paganini – showman, womaniser, dazzling virtuoso – is one of the most fascinating characters in the history of classical music. His violin is now kept in Genoa, where it is played once every two years by the winner of an international competition. This year, an unsavoury art dealer is found dead in his hotel room the day after the concert. Clutched in his fist is a scrap of sheet music torn off a page that belongs to the competition winner. But how did the dead man get hold of it? And why? The police ask for violinmaker Castiglione to help them unravel a mystery that has gone unanswered for over a century.

©2009 Paul Adam (P)2012 Isis Publishing Ltd Mystery
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while you might expect a humdrum detective story this beautifully crafted story will lead you on a surprise discovery of violinist history and provoke self reflection. The murder mystery is a backdrop to a story of relations and the development of classical music in Italy in the 17th 18th century.

emotional historical novel

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This was an unexpected delight. I was asked to read it for a publisher and listened instead as I drove across the USA. The story telling is slow and subdued but paced beautifully to suit the genre. I learned a lot about music along the way. The plot is simple and believable. The characters are probably amalgams of people we think we know.
Entertaining and worth the price.

Pulling the Strings

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Would you listen to Paganini's Ghost again? Why?

No, but I seldom listen to an audiobook again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character is wonderful. So much insight, so gentle and yet so characterful.

Have you listened to any of Seán Barrett’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes, Sean Barrett is by far my favourite narrator of all time. He makes a story come alive.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Actually, the ending.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended.

What a fantastic and captivating story

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I have to admit the initial reason I bought this was Sean Barratt...however, I really enjoyed it...good to be immersed in Italy! Interesting to learn about violins...a well written tale of intrigue, a crime thriller with a difference. Obviously narrated perfectly by the velvet voiced Sean Barratt...he is exceptional as always!

A total joy!

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What did you like most about Paganini's Ghost?

The story Is really involved which I like. The characters are well portrayed and the research and it was a great lesson in musical history too which made it fascinating to me.

What other book might you compare Paganini's Ghost to, and why?

He has a really intense character portrayal that Reginald Hill can give to his characters so one becomes absorbed in the people themselves.

What does Seán Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Sean Barrett is the best reader for me. I seek books read by him.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The main emotion was of intense interest in the subject matter itself and has prompted me to continue looking up the history of Paganini and of course listening to his music again.

Any additional comments?

I am now reading Knife Edge by Paul Adam which has the same quality of writing and has been researched so well. Again it is encouraging me to research the main topic. He is a great writer an definitely worth buying.

High quality- seriously good

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I found this book via a recommendation from another listener - how right they were. The story unfolds gracefully and intelligently. There was no sensationalism, just a very well researched story. Highly recommended.

Excellent story, exceptionally well told

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This is one of the most unusual modern murder detective stories I've listened to in many years of being an audiobook fan. The story was so interesting I found myself Googling Paganini and his Guarneri violin, "Il Cannone". The cast is full of famous characters and anyone interested in history and classical music will love it, as well as any detective story afficianados.

The main protagonist Gianni, is a violin maker, repairer and amateur sleuth, who with his police friend, Antonio, sets out to solve a mystery and a murder committed in Cremona, Italy, after a shy young prize winning violinist plays "Il Cannone" at a concert in the cathedral,

The narrator is the inestimable Sean Barrett, who is terrific as usual. (He'd even be brilliant reading the phone directory!)

Can't think why there aren't more ratings and reviews for this book. Please try it, you'll love it.

I'm hoping to hear more from Paul Adam, his writing is terrific.

Different but brilliant!

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If you could sum up Paganini's Ghost in three words, what would they be?

Charming and enjoyable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was easy to listen to and you wanted to know the ending.

Any additional comments?

The reader gave it a nice pace, which suited the story.

A charming story, easy to listen to and enjoy

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Thanks to the favourable reviews of other listeners I downloaded this interesting and imaginative detective story. I have a rudimentary knowledge of music and know little about the finer points of playing the violin but enjoyed all the musical, technical and historical information that is seamlessly woven into parallel narratives: a modern one of a young virtuoso violinist giving concerts in Italy and another based on Paganini's life.

The main characters are well drawn and the narrative gathers pace to become so gripping that I couldn't stop listening and finished the book very quickly. In the over-populated category of detective fiction the author has created a memorable book.

Sean Barrett has an attractive natural voice that's a pleasure to listen to but is also adept at performing in different accents, ages and genders which he does to perfection in this recording.

An imaginative detective story

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I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is a murder mystery set in Italy, where the story unravels through the eyes of a middle aged violin maker/repairer and the context is the classical music scene. The characterisation and plot are excellent, although the overall pace is a little on the slow side. This is mainly due to small excursions into musical history, which were very interesting, but not, perhaps, essential. If you enjoy: classical music, good food, works of art, Italy and murder mysteries then you will enjoy this novel.

Excellent murder mystery set in Italy

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