The Music of the Spheres [Paperback]

Elizabeth Redfern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 5, 2001

To the ranks of Caleb Carr, Iain Pears, and Umberto Eco comes a stunning new voice in historical fiction.

"Intricately plotted, beautifully paced, The Music of the Spheres is an elegant historical novel rich in detail, at times Dickensian in its description of London. Elizabeth Redfern has made an exciting debut."-Martha Grimes

In the London of 1795, intrigue and death walk the dark streets. England is at war with its neighbor and nemesis, France, and espionage is rampant. It is the job of Jonathan Absey at the Home Office to catch these spies, but his mind is elsewhere, his dreams haunted by the still unsolved murder of his fifteen-year-old daughter in these same streets. Desperately pursuing both investigations, he stumbles across a strange society of astronomers called the Company of Titius who are on a furious search of their own: to discover a long-lost star in the wide black sky. Soon, as he digs into their arcane world, their quest begins to merge with his own, and Absey finds himself discovering more than he had ever imagined-not only about spies and murderers but also about celestial numbers and the making of codes; about passions as unnatural as they are obsessive; and about the bonds of family . . . and the lengths we will go to preserve them.

With The Music of the Spheres, Elizabeth Redfern emerges as an evocative and elegant writer of startling power, her gifts for characterization, atmosphere, narrative, and rich moral drama marking her as a new star in her own right.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This British first novel is a historical thriller in the vein of Caleb Carr and Iain Pears, with maximum melodramatic coloring. All the characters, including the protagonist, Jonathan Absey, a civil servant whose daughter has been strangled by what seems to be a serial killer in late 18th-century London, are deeply flawed, and part of the problem with the book is that it is so unremittingly downbeat, with no glimmer of hope that anything will improve for its large cast. As the French Revolution is entering its second phase and its supporters are hoping to beat off an invading Royalist army backed by Britain, London has never seemed more dank and corrupt. Even the little group of French exiles and their hangers-on who are the heart of the story are mostly rotten to the core: the beautiful comtesse, Auguste; her half-mad and terminally ill brother, who may be the murderer; their hulking brute of a coachman; the enigmatic Dr. Raultier; and Auguste's handsome but apparently mute English lover. Then there is Jonathan's half-brother, amateur astronomer Alexander, a gay man at a time when it was desperately dangerous to be so, who is enlisted in the search for a then-unknown ninth planet by the glamorous French group. All this ties up with who is killing red-headed girls and robbing their corpses, and ends leaving only two principals alive, and them barely. There are vivid touches of atmosphere, some strong detail on contemporary astronomy, and some of the moral dilemmas are piercing, but the hectic windup is over the top. This is a good example of a book where less would have been more. 75,000 first printing; rights sold in France, Greece, Holland, Italy and the U.K.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Redfern's first novel is a tale of murder and intrigue set in 1795 London. Jonathan Absey is a clerk at the Home Office whose job is to search out spies in the war with France. Instead, he spends much of his time trying to discover who murdered his daughter, a red-haired prostitute. In his quest for justice, he enlists the reluctant help of half-brother Alexander. An amateur astronomer, Alexander ingratiates himself with an unusual group of French migr s who are searching the skies for an elusive new planet they call Selene. Secret agents, murdered prostitutes, and the love of science all combine in an enjoyable if slow-paced story. Redfern has a deep understanding of this historical period and uses contemporary epigraphs to good effect. Strongly recommended for large public libraries or where there is an interest in historical mysteries. Laurel Bliss, Yale Univ. Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1st edition (July 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399147632
• ISBN-13: 978-0399147630
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,563,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best historical mystery novel I've read so far this year, July 24, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Music of the Spheres (Paperback)

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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Trivialized by the ending, August 2, 2001

By 

Candace "thepageturner" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Music of the Spheres (Paperback)

It always worries me when a novel like "Music of the Spheres" is compared to mysteries by Caleb Carr or Iain Pears when a historical setting is about the only thing they have in common. More accessible than Pears' massive "Instance of the Fingerpost" and with more attention to historical accuracy than found in Caleb Carr, most of Elizabeth Redfern's new novel is unusual and appealing.

London in 1795 is the setting. Redheaded prostitutes are being murdered, and because his daughter was the first victim Jonathan Absey of the Foreign Office is after the killer. This is not what he's meant to be doing in his job, but he sees the chance to redeem himself when he suspects that the killer has ties to a French spy ring. Absey cannot infiltrate the world of French refugees but his homosexual brother Alexander can, and Alexander owes Jonathan a very big favor. Soon shy Alexander, a musician and amateur astronomer, enters a strange universe where he joins in the search for a mysterious star, where for the first time in his life he is respected and liked.

There are lots of elements tossed together in this novel--probably a few too many. Astronomy, spying, murder, the French Revolution, the Age of Enlightenment, deeply flawed characters, and raw and stinky London all stream together in "Music of the Spheres." Redfern manipulates all these strings pretty neatly until the end. There she abandons the careful balance between the various plot elements and goes for an absurd slam-bang, over-the-top resolution quite out of keeping with the rest of the novel. Too bad. Up until that time, this had been a much better book.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well Written-- and Pointless., August 26, 2002

By 

Warlen Bassham (Bothell, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Music of the Spheres (Mass Market Paperback)

Wonderful details do not make a great work of art.

For the first time I can remember in years of reading, a novel writer including details about the stars and planets has gotten the astronomy right! (Although no planet I've ever heard of travels in a 'parabola,' but that's just using the wrong word, not getting basic facts wrong.) The costumes and social conditions seem pretty authentic, too, and anyone who has ever read Dickens or Paliser knows that poverty has exactly the effects this author describes.

As to the mystery aspect of the story, the cipher is both complex and intriguing, and even possible to solve without the author's intervention. In that way, and ONLY in that way, the story is a bit reminiscent of The Name of the Rose.

And, yes, the decadence is a bit similar to that in The Alienist. But there all comparisons end.

Carr and Eco give us characters we can care about, tension to keep us riveted, and mysteries that tax our brains. As another reviewer of this book has said, anyone who has ever read a mystery story will know who the killer in this one is before finishing the first chapter. So it's hardly a whodunit.

What does that leave? Well, it leaves an intriguing cipher to solve, some historical details I'd otherwise never have found out about, some memorable scenic moments, a bit of tension here and there, and a couple of characters who I will never forget, and not for good reasons either! And it leaves some really detailed (and boring) astronomical lore. But that's IT!!! I almost quit reading half way through, but stuck it out to the extremely bitter end just because I wanted to make sure the villain was who I knew it was. (It was.)

There's only one character anyone could possibly ever care about, and she disappears from the plot well before the end!

The language is beautiful, the descriptions are breathtaking, the details are wonderful.

Seldom has anyone written so well about something that matters so little.