The Last Castrato [Import] [Hardcover]

John Spencer Hill (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 269 pages
• Publisher: Constable; First Edition edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0094739900
• ISBN-13: 978-0094739901
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery novel that's intelligent AND a real page-turner., November 17, 1995

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Castrato (Hardcover)

Set in Florence, Italy, THE LAST CASTRATO is a crime novel
with a difference. It concerns the experiences of Cordelia
Sinclair, a thirty-two year old graduate student in music
from Northwestern University in Chicago, who goes to Italy
to research a PhD thesis on early opera and, more
importantly, to define a new role for her life after a bad
marriage. Hill's knowledge of renaissance music and the
cult of the castrati is wonderful (he's an English professor
in Canada) and it provides the perfect fodder for a plot.
THE LAST CASTRATO is an excellent gripping read as well as
being -- and this is rare in the genre -- an intellectually
stimulating novel that is elegantly written. I look forward
to Hill's next novel with real enthusiasm. THE LAST
CASTRATO IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent mystery and more, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Castrato (Hardcover)

This is my favorite type of book: a good, solid mystery; set in a beautiful city (Florence); interesting and well-developed characters that you really like; with many allusions to the art world. In short, this book has it all for anyone interested in an absorbing read that has interesting sub-plots. Also in its favor is the fact that all the characters start out in their own seemingly unrelated worlds. But Hill eventually brings them all together in a captivating climax. For lovers of Pears' and Jane Langton's mysteries: get this one and his other Carlo Arbati NOW!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Contrast & Compare your Castratos!, June 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Last Castrato (Paperback)

I haven't read this book yet, but others might also wish to see the more complete collection of mostly more favorable reviews of the hardcover edition. Or you could take the author's invitation and get a 3-chapter sample free on his website.

I don't know him, but wouldn't want a single opinion to make me miss a good read -- if this is one.