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The Fire Concerto
A beautifully written, evocative literary page-turner about a brilliant female musician lost to history and another woman’s quest to ensure she is not forgotten—with a shocking twist of a finale.
Clara Bishop hasn’t touched a piano since a concert hall fire nearly took her life a decade ago, ending her career as a rising star in the world of classical music. Significantly scarred and unable to play, she has turned away from everything and everyone associated with music, especially her ruthless mentor Madame, whom Clara blames for her injuries.
Her life is upended when Madame dies, leaving Clara an unexpected inheritance: an ornate nineteenth-century metronome with a cryptic message hidden inside. Convinced this is not a gift but a puzzle Madame wants her to solve, Clara comes to suspect that the unusual bequest is the long-lost metronome of the composer Aleksander Starza—a priceless object missing since 1885, when Starza was murdered by the brilliant female pianist Constantia Pleyel.
As Clara works to uncover the metronome’s haunted past and protect it—and herself—from those who wish to obtain it, she discovers that nothing about Starza and his murder are what they seem. History has remembered Constantia Pleyel as an unstable artist who killed Starza in a fit of madness. The truth could rewrite the history of music—and give Clara the second chance she has been longing for.
Clara Bishop hasn’t touched a piano since a concert hall fire nearly took her life a decade ago, ending her career as a rising star in the world of classical music. Significantly scarred and unable to play, she has turned away from everything and everyone associated with music, especially her ruthless mentor Madame, whom Clara blames for her injuries.
Her life is upended when Madame dies, leaving Clara an unexpected inheritance: an ornate nineteenth-century metronome with a cryptic message hidden inside. Convinced this is not a gift but a puzzle Madame wants her to solve, Clara comes to suspect that the unusual bequest is the long-lost metronome of the composer Aleksander Starza—a priceless object missing since 1885, when Starza was murdered by the brilliant female pianist Constantia Pleyel.
As Clara works to uncover the metronome’s haunted past and protect it—and herself—from those who wish to obtain it, she discovers that nothing about Starza and his murder are what they seem. History has remembered Constantia Pleyel as an unstable artist who killed Starza in a fit of madness. The truth could rewrite the history of music—and give Clara the second chance she has been longing for.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2025
61 people are currently reading
5304 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Landenwich
1 book33 followersSarah Landenwich is a writer and writing educator. Also a classically trained pianist,
her debut novel The Fire Concerto was inspired by her love of music of the Romantic period. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and daughter.
her debut novel The Fire Concerto was inspired by her love of music of the Romantic period. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 3, 2025
There have been several excellent mysteries with classical musical backgrounds, usually involving violinists. Here we have a former concert pianist who receives a metronome as a legacy from her teacher. Years after she stopped performing due to injuries from a fire, Clara finds solace in her solitary life waiting bar, but the acquisition of the metronome reopens her passion for music because of its history and the implications behind it. Many issues are dealt with here, hard to believe this is a debut.
April 27, 2025
I was drawn to the characters and story immediately and the mystery kept me engaged through to the end.
August 3, 2025
Loved this book for so many reasons. I took me back to my childhood and adolescence, when I was a competitive classical pianist. I was not at the level of Clara, and certainly not related to any composers, but I can fully relate to the complex relationship she had with her teacher, as well as the difficulty in sitting back down after many years have passed. I don’t have an injury to blame for my absence. What kept me from playing is knowing how good I was and how hard it was to hear myself not play at that level. Overall great novel.
April 24, 2025
Clara is a bartender in Austin which is a far cry from her early years as a musical prodigy pianist. A fire took that all away. Her old mentor dies leaving Clara a metronome with a mysterious past and once again she is pulled back to the world of the concert stage and ambition that she once escaped. As she tries to solve the metronome's origins she will also come to terms with her own family legacy. Historical fiction that shows the hidden history of female brilliance as well as a mystery that some don't want solved. This does for classical musicians what Dan Brown's books did for religious art treasures. Fans of Brendan Slocumb's classical music mysteries will enjoy. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
April 27, 2025
I really enjoyed the historical subplot in this novel, featuring the fictional composers Pleyel and Starza. I was hoping that they were based on real people, so I could listen to their music, but alas, it makes sense that they're original characters. Kudos to Sarah Landenwich for writing about their music so compellingly that at times I thought, "This has to exist somewhere. Please let this exist somewhere!" If this book is ever adapted into a film, then I would be very intrigued to listen to the soundtrack.
The modern timeline didn't speak to me as much as the historical ones. The people in Clara's life felt relatively one-dimensional, and I struggled to feel invested in their interpersonal dynamics. The relationship between Clara and Tony felt especially lackluster, because of the line where Tony suggests that they be friends rather than romantic partners because of how he's betrayed her twice. This struck me as odd, since I wouldn't want to be friends with, let alone date, someone who had betrayed me twice. If it's bad enough to stifle a romance, isn't it also bad enough to stifle a friendship?
I was also thrown off by Clara's dog Bingo. At first, I was delighted that she had a Saint Bernard, but the way that Bingo was written quickly contributed to the feeling of unreality that made me prefer the dead characters' plotline to the living ones'. Bingo is described as an elderly Saint Bernard, yet he is often seen "trotting" around the house, a gait that seems too fast and fresh for a large, plodding dog. I worried that I was being too picky about a single word, but Clara later mentions going out for a long walk to clear her head and taking Bingo with her. The walk is at described as being at least ten miles long. I can't say with certainty that no elderly Saint Bernard would be able to manage this, but it definitely seems like a long shot. To me, it felt like Bingo was a generic dog who was specified to be a Saint Bernard without any care for the details that make Saint Bernards unique. There was no mention to slobber, not even once!
(For my favorite fictional depiction of Saint Bernards, check out Mackenzie Lee's book "The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy." I was so impressed by her writing that I wasn't surprised to learn that she has a Saint Bernard of her own, Queenie! This book has set my standard on how Saint Bernards are portrayed in novels. Nothing I've read since compares.)
Where "The Fire Concerto" brushed up against my areas of "expertise" (seeing as I grew up with a Saint Bernard and am fiercely aromantic), I found it lacking. But in the more whimsical departments that are further removed from my experience (the history of fictional composers and the mystery of the metronome), I had a much more seamless and enjoyable time. I was especially moved by the final chapter, which gives readers a brief glimpse into Starza's and Pleyel's life, with an explanation of why the metronome is marked with a 72. That scene made my heart hurt in the best of ways.
Since I read an Advanced Readers' Copy of "The Fire Concerto," the Historical Notes section is empty. I would love to look at an official copy in a few months and see what Landenwich chose to include. If she based Starza, Pleyel, and their music off of something or someone in particular, I would love to know all about it! Besides, after reading historical fiction novels, I often find it fascinating to learn more about how the author constructed their story and why. Reading Kate Quinn's Historical Notes after finishing "The Rose Code" made me like the book even more! Perhaps that will be the case with this novel, too.
The modern timeline didn't speak to me as much as the historical ones. The people in Clara's life felt relatively one-dimensional, and I struggled to feel invested in their interpersonal dynamics. The relationship between Clara and Tony felt especially lackluster, because of the line where Tony suggests that they be friends rather than romantic partners because of how he's betrayed her twice. This struck me as odd, since I wouldn't want to be friends with, let alone date, someone who had betrayed me twice. If it's bad enough to stifle a romance, isn't it also bad enough to stifle a friendship?
I was also thrown off by Clara's dog Bingo. At first, I was delighted that she had a Saint Bernard, but the way that Bingo was written quickly contributed to the feeling of unreality that made me prefer the dead characters' plotline to the living ones'. Bingo is described as an elderly Saint Bernard, yet he is often seen "trotting" around the house, a gait that seems too fast and fresh for a large, plodding dog. I worried that I was being too picky about a single word, but Clara later mentions going out for a long walk to clear her head and taking Bingo with her. The walk is at described as being at least ten miles long. I can't say with certainty that no elderly Saint Bernard would be able to manage this, but it definitely seems like a long shot. To me, it felt like Bingo was a generic dog who was specified to be a Saint Bernard without any care for the details that make Saint Bernards unique. There was no mention to slobber, not even once!
(For my favorite fictional depiction of Saint Bernards, check out Mackenzie Lee's book "The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy." I was so impressed by her writing that I wasn't surprised to learn that she has a Saint Bernard of her own, Queenie! This book has set my standard on how Saint Bernards are portrayed in novels. Nothing I've read since compares.)
Where "The Fire Concerto" brushed up against my areas of "expertise" (seeing as I grew up with a Saint Bernard and am fiercely aromantic), I found it lacking. But in the more whimsical departments that are further removed from my experience (the history of fictional composers and the mystery of the metronome), I had a much more seamless and enjoyable time. I was especially moved by the final chapter, which gives readers a brief glimpse into Starza's and Pleyel's life, with an explanation of why the metronome is marked with a 72. That scene made my heart hurt in the best of ways.
Since I read an Advanced Readers' Copy of "The Fire Concerto," the Historical Notes section is empty. I would love to look at an official copy in a few months and see what Landenwich chose to include. If she based Starza, Pleyel, and their music off of something or someone in particular, I would love to know all about it! Besides, after reading historical fiction novels, I often find it fascinating to learn more about how the author constructed their story and why. Reading Kate Quinn's Historical Notes after finishing "The Rose Code" made me like the book even more! Perhaps that will be the case with this novel, too.
August 22, 2025
Absolutely stunning. As a professional musician, I have always been looking for a novel that feels truthful, well written, and full of the deep emotion of our field. I couldn’t put this one down and I loved every minute of it.
July 11, 2025
Landenwich's training as a classical pianist bubbles up in her writing and pacing. Magical music circles through largo (slow) to allegro (fast), so too does The Fire Concerto. The story ebbs and flows as life does while building to a conclusion that surprises and satisfies while still leaving key questions unanswered and unanswerable. Most of us wish we had asked a relative more about their life, and when they are gone so too is a story you might have wished to know. It is a stunning debut.
July 22, 2025
The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich is a luminous, genre-defying novel that lingers like the notes of a nocturne long after the final page. At its heart is Clara Bishop, a once-celebrated concert pianist whose career was cut tragically short after a fire left her physically scarred and emotionally estranged from the instrument that once defined her life. What begins as a story of loss and self-imposed exile unfurls into a mesmerizing mystery that spans centuries, secrets, and symphonies.
Clara is a protagonist who captivates from the first note. Her retreat from the world is disrupted when her late piano teacher bequeaths her a historically cryptic metronome. What follows is a deepening journey into a 19th-century scandal involving a murdered Polish composer and a legacy obscured by scandal and secrecy. As Clara delves deeper into this historical enigma, she finds echoes of her own pain and redemption in the tragedy of the past.
Landenwich’s writing is a symphony of its own: elegant, immersive, and emotionally resonant. She moves fluidly between time periods with texture and authenticity. The mystery is masterfully constructed—layered like a complex piece of music, but it’s Clara’s internal journey, her grappling with trauma, silence, and the question of whether art can be reborn from ashes, that completes the composition.
The Fire Concerto is more than a mystery—it’s a meditation on creativity, healing, and the power of music to transcend secrets and lies.
Clara is a protagonist who captivates from the first note. Her retreat from the world is disrupted when her late piano teacher bequeaths her a historically cryptic metronome. What follows is a deepening journey into a 19th-century scandal involving a murdered Polish composer and a legacy obscured by scandal and secrecy. As Clara delves deeper into this historical enigma, she finds echoes of her own pain and redemption in the tragedy of the past.
Landenwich’s writing is a symphony of its own: elegant, immersive, and emotionally resonant. She moves fluidly between time periods with texture and authenticity. The mystery is masterfully constructed—layered like a complex piece of music, but it’s Clara’s internal journey, her grappling with trauma, silence, and the question of whether art can be reborn from ashes, that completes the composition.
The Fire Concerto is more than a mystery—it’s a meditation on creativity, healing, and the power of music to transcend secrets and lies.
June 30, 2025
An enjoyable historical mystery set in the world of classical music and featuring a present-day main character reckoning with her past as a pianist prodigy before a terrible fire upended her life and career. As (almost) always with books set in the music world, there were a few little nitpicks and annoyances for me, but they were easy to shrug off. I did wish there were just a tad fewer characters to keep track of; there was a cast list at the start of the book, but those always annoy me and I feel like they're unnecessary if the writing is strong. I'm intrigued to see what Landenwich decides to write about next.
July 24, 2025
A chance discovery on the new books shelf at the library; if you’re into mysteries and classical music, this in the one for you!
August 30, 2025
3.5
Fresh plot. Some sub-plot dragged a bit, but a fun read.
Fresh plot. Some sub-plot dragged a bit, but a fun read.
July 2, 2025
This is my top book of the year so far! A beautifully crafted story with a page-turning musical mystery throughout. You won’t want to put this down!
July 10, 2025
Absolutely loved reading this book. Truly captures the feelings of nostalgia, tragedy and hope in one incredible story. The character development was wonderful, I felt like I really got to know Clara and how her past shaped her. Agree with some previous commenters that this would be such an awesome movie, I would love to hear an imagined score!!! :)
May 19, 2025
The Fire Concerto is superb. It's thought-provoking and mysterious. If only I could have a drink at the Andromeda Club to meet the cast of characters. The ending was particularly moving to me.
August 29, 2025
My neighborhood book club loved this literary page-turner by Sarah Landenwich. So many complex characters. Beautiful writing. And a terrific plot!
This is a cold-case murder mystery (very cold!) investigated by a former child prodigy, Clara, whose career as a famous pianist ended after burns in a fire disfigured her hand and face. She is happy as a bartender in Austin, Texas. She would not have wanted to participate in this mystery if not for an antique metronome she inherits from her (supposedly) villainous piano teacher.
Clara has no interest in tracing the origin of the metronome to the 19th-century murder. But her life is upended by the consequences of owning this valuable object, which some suspect is a murder weapon. And so she pursues her investigations with an old friend, also a piano prodigy.
On top of the mystery to be solved, there is a love interest who might have his own scheme for the metronome. There are two very misunderstood lovers from the 19th century—one of whom was murdered by the other. There are so many twists and turns in this story, from Austin, Texas, to Chicago, to Warsaw, Poland, and back again.
Don't search for the names of the 19th-century musicians on Google (as several of my book club members did). The author writes that they are based on musicians of that time.
There are no true villains or heroes here. Only people with passion, trying to live life. I highly recommend!
This is a cold-case murder mystery (very cold!) investigated by a former child prodigy, Clara, whose career as a famous pianist ended after burns in a fire disfigured her hand and face. She is happy as a bartender in Austin, Texas. She would not have wanted to participate in this mystery if not for an antique metronome she inherits from her (supposedly) villainous piano teacher.
Clara has no interest in tracing the origin of the metronome to the 19th-century murder. But her life is upended by the consequences of owning this valuable object, which some suspect is a murder weapon. And so she pursues her investigations with an old friend, also a piano prodigy.
On top of the mystery to be solved, there is a love interest who might have his own scheme for the metronome. There are two very misunderstood lovers from the 19th century—one of whom was murdered by the other. There are so many twists and turns in this story, from Austin, Texas, to Chicago, to Warsaw, Poland, and back again.
Don't search for the names of the 19th-century musicians on Google (as several of my book club members did). The author writes that they are based on musicians of that time.
There are no true villains or heroes here. Only people with passion, trying to live life. I highly recommend!
September 8, 2025
This perfectly paced literary mystery was our book club pick this month, and we had the honor of having the author visit our group. Our other bonus guest was Sarah’s (and my!) piano teacher. To reconnect or stay connected with an influential teacher is such a gift, and the student teacher relationship is also a big part of this book. Our group loved the book and had a great discussion. Go add this to your fall TBR!
The Fire Concerto opens with Clara being summoned to her former piano teacher Madame’s home for what she thinks will be a performance. Clara was a brilliant pianist until she was injured in a fire, and hasn’t played or seen Madame for years. Clara is given an antique metronome, and as the story takes the reader from Austin to Chicago to Warsaw, the writing so elegantly conveys the atmosphere, such as the “mausoleum of muted sound” in Madame’s music room.
I loved the clever parallels between the women in this book. As Clara searches for the music of the forgotten and maligned musician Constantia, parallels between the two women emerge - their virtuosity, struggles with parents, coping with injuries and demanding teachers. As Clara makes her way closer to Constantia, she finds her way back to herself. The women in this book walk through literal and figurative fires in finding acceptance of the dualities within themselves and the people around them. The themes of mothering, transformation, and rivalry shine through the story. I just loved it.
The Fire Concerto opens with Clara being summoned to her former piano teacher Madame’s home for what she thinks will be a performance. Clara was a brilliant pianist until she was injured in a fire, and hasn’t played or seen Madame for years. Clara is given an antique metronome, and as the story takes the reader from Austin to Chicago to Warsaw, the writing so elegantly conveys the atmosphere, such as the “mausoleum of muted sound” in Madame’s music room.
I loved the clever parallels between the women in this book. As Clara searches for the music of the forgotten and maligned musician Constantia, parallels between the two women emerge - their virtuosity, struggles with parents, coping with injuries and demanding teachers. As Clara makes her way closer to Constantia, she finds her way back to herself. The women in this book walk through literal and figurative fires in finding acceptance of the dualities within themselves and the people around them. The themes of mothering, transformation, and rivalry shine through the story. I just loved it.
June 26, 2025
This was a story where one needed all your wits around you. It was complicated, went off in wildly parallel story lines and then finally came together.
Clara a piano playing prodigy is one of the main characters. Injured in a fire which she blames on her teacher, she has turned away from music and now works in a bar. A unexpected inheritance to several notables in the music world including Clara took all by surprise. Madame Sikorska who was Clara’s mentor was not known for generosity or kindness.
The inheritance sparked off a search into its history, including the ownership as doubts arose whether it was part of looted property from Jews fleeing Poland. The metronome purported to belong to the composer Starza has been missing since 1885. It was also supposed to be the one used in his murder. However nothing seems what it appears to be and history may have to be rewritten as far as Starzas loves and life was. It also may provide the impetus to propel Clara back into her professional life.
This was a complicated quite emotional, violent and traumatic retelling of a hidden story where facts are being uncovered a hundred years later. It was sad too because characters were misunderstood and forgotten completely.
Clara a piano playing prodigy is one of the main characters. Injured in a fire which she blames on her teacher, she has turned away from music and now works in a bar. A unexpected inheritance to several notables in the music world including Clara took all by surprise. Madame Sikorska who was Clara’s mentor was not known for generosity or kindness.
The inheritance sparked off a search into its history, including the ownership as doubts arose whether it was part of looted property from Jews fleeing Poland. The metronome purported to belong to the composer Starza has been missing since 1885. It was also supposed to be the one used in his murder. However nothing seems what it appears to be and history may have to be rewritten as far as Starzas loves and life was. It also may provide the impetus to propel Clara back into her professional life.
This was a complicated quite emotional, violent and traumatic retelling of a hidden story where facts are being uncovered a hundred years later. It was sad too because characters were misunderstood and forgotten completely.
August 27, 2025
2.5 Historical fiction mystery of talented pianist who was injured in fire and hasn’t played since. She blames her v struck piano teacher Madam who is known to be a terror, bordering on abusive. She’s holed up in Austin, tending bar when she learns Madam has died and left her a metronome. Apparently, she’s related to famous (amalgamated) Polish composer Starz who was murdered in late 1800s. His student, a talented composer in her own right, is accused of killing him, but it turns out he was going mad from syphilis; they are lovers and their granddaughter is the Madam. Protagonist learns a lot about Madam growing up in an orphanage, treated horribly by jealous composer/teachers and begins to forgive her posthumously. A little too long but illustrates you never know what people are going through. Could have done without the love interest with childhood rival Tony.
-I miss playing. But it’s not pure. It’s like missing someone you love who betrayed you. You can’t remember the good parts without inviting the whole avalanche of bad ones.
-no one should be remembered for their worst moment.
-I miss playing. But it’s not pure. It’s like missing someone you love who betrayed you. You can’t remember the good parts without inviting the whole avalanche of bad ones.
-no one should be remembered for their worst moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
I received an ARC copy of The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich from The Read Queen @thereadqueenbookstore on Independent Bookstore Day. I'm feeling pretty lucky because I loved this debut, literary, historical-mystery, which doesn't publish until June 10.
I'm not a musician (I gave up piano lessons to pursuit being an athlete). Having no knowledge of music, I was concerned I wouldn't understand or enjoy this book. My lack of a musical background was a non-issue, as a reader of historical fiction, I was fully engaged and learned a lot. I actually enjoyed the historical plot line more than the modern day story line. I did not want to put this book down - all the way to the twist ending! Picture a Dan Brown book...with a classical music theme. The main characters are fictional but they felt real and I was completely wrapped up in their world of classical music - passion, obsession, betrayal, heartbreak. A well written, unique and mesmerizing page turner, 4.5 stars!
I'm not a musician (I gave up piano lessons to pursuit being an athlete). Having no knowledge of music, I was concerned I wouldn't understand or enjoy this book. My lack of a musical background was a non-issue, as a reader of historical fiction, I was fully engaged and learned a lot. I actually enjoyed the historical plot line more than the modern day story line. I did not want to put this book down - all the way to the twist ending! Picture a Dan Brown book...with a classical music theme. The main characters are fictional but they felt real and I was completely wrapped up in their world of classical music - passion, obsession, betrayal, heartbreak. A well written, unique and mesmerizing page turner, 4.5 stars!
June 6, 2025
The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich is a stunning debut. It is a beautifully written novel of Clara Bishop, a piano virtuosa, descended from a (fictional) master composer of the 19th century and taught by a strict and violent pianist who was a musical descendant of that same composer. (Meaning she was taught by someone who was taught by the composer.) Clara’s career was derailed by injuries sustained in a fire, and by the psychological trauma of having been a child prodigy with all the associated baggage.
There are so many layers to this novel, but I’m going to have to leave my review at this, because for full appreciation, you won’t want any of the plot twists revealed beforehand. It’s a contemporary novel, but with enough forays into the past that I can consider it a little bit of a historical novel, too. Read it and enjoy!
See my complete review at ReadingWorld
There are so many layers to this novel, but I’m going to have to leave my review at this, because for full appreciation, you won’t want any of the plot twists revealed beforehand. It’s a contemporary novel, but with enough forays into the past that I can consider it a little bit of a historical novel, too. Read it and enjoy!
See my complete review at ReadingWorld
June 13, 2025
I look for a compelling plot and glimpse of an unknown (or little known) world in a mystery, and The Fire Concerto offers both in spades. Scarred from a concert hall fire and at odds with her former teacher and mentor, Clara Bishop has turned her back on a promising career as a pianist, choosing instead to tend bar in Austin, Texas. But when she responds to a command to attend the "final concert" of her teacher Zofia Mikorska - known to Clara as Madame - Clara finds herself immersed in a mystery that has its roots in the 1885 death of composer Alexsander Starsa. Through Clara's journey, readers learn about the life of talented children headed for careers as concert pianists, about the outsize role of their teachers, and about the historical challenges faced by female pianists.
No spoilers from me, but I will say that The Fire Concerto is filled with appealing twists before arriving at a highly satisfying ending.
July 5, 2025
Clara Bishop was a rising star in the classical music world, a beautiful pianist whose life changed ten years ago when she was trapped in a concert hall fire. Scarred on her face and hands, her injuries have robbed her of her passion and as the story begins, she is tending bar in Austin, Texas, somewhat estranged from her family. Her musical mentor, “Madame,” was a ruthless teacher who was as responsible for her demise as her success. Clara learns she has died and has left her a mysterious metronome with a secret message as an inheritance. Clara begins to suspect it was once owned by famous composer, Alexander Starza, and it’s been missing since he was murdered in 1885. As she works to put the pieces together, she uncovers important facts about the past, all of which could allow Clara the opportunity to find her old self.
August 2, 2025
I really, really liked this one! I’m not even into classical music or the piano (and I swear I’ve read some other book about a damaged pianist who could no longer play but I can’t remember what book it was) BUT this one kept me interested!
Why not five stars:
It’s rather like a dual timeline book, but it’s not. In fact, most of the Starza story is told through letters and journals, which was a bit weaker than if we’d just had a dual timeline. It’s a lot of “tell” and no “show.” That makes sense for their treasure hunt through history, I suppose, but just doesn’t bring the same passion and intensity to the Starza storyline as the characters might have had in their own story portions.
I also wish we’d gotten a bit more of Madame’s story - we have a lot of conjecture and threads that connect but not enough to know HER.
But still… a solid 4 stars from me!
Why not five stars:
It’s rather like a dual timeline book, but it’s not. In fact, most of the Starza story is told through letters and journals, which was a bit weaker than if we’d just had a dual timeline. It’s a lot of “tell” and no “show.” That makes sense for their treasure hunt through history, I suppose, but just doesn’t bring the same passion and intensity to the Starza storyline as the characters might have had in their own story portions.
I also wish we’d gotten a bit more of Madame’s story - we have a lot of conjecture and threads that connect but not enough to know HER.
But still… a solid 4 stars from me!
August 10, 2025
Clara used to be an internationally renowned concert pianist until a tragic fire in a concert hall scarred her forever and made it difficult for her to play. She has always blamed her teacher and mentor for what happened to her that night. Now her mentor is dead and has left her a mysterious metronome that she begins to suspect belonged to a famous composer with secrets of his own. She begins to suspect that this metronome was given to her as a mystery to uncover. It's an extremely engaging book with well-written characters with a story that is different than anything else I've read.
September 6, 2025
Loved it! Mystery, romance, history and strong female protagonist. Clara unravels the mystery of the metronome her inherits from her piano teacher, Madame, whose secret family history is tied to Clara’s own family history. Friends and rivals and former students of Madame’s, Clara and Tony travel to Poland to uncover the mystery of the metronome. Some less than realistic elements- like carrying the priceless metronome to Poland with them-but overall a deeply engaging story with great twists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2025
So glad I learned about this book from my friend, who happens to be the author’s sister. Interesting story, particularly for someone who also grew up playing piano (although certainly not at a professional level like Clara Bishop). Part unraveling mystery, part meet-cute romance, part historical fiction — all an enjoyable read. Greatly appreciated the character list at the front.
August 10, 2025
A really good debut novel that shows that writing about a world that you know and love can be a great idea. Landenwich takes the reader on a really interesting journey through the world of Romantic era composers to resolve a mystery. The writing was good overall, although uneven in some places. Overall The Fire Concerto was an enjoyable read.
September 1, 2025
I enjoyed this story. The character list at the front made me think it might be harder to follow than it was. It was a slow build mystery about a metronome (which was only a bit about a metronome), and a bit surprising that parts of it take place around WWII but how little that really plays into the storyline, but it was interesting and kept me engaged.
September 7, 2025
An interesting novel about 19th century composers and the tremendous challenge of women composers at the time. The mystery in the novel is compelling, and the characters in the present and past are complex and colorful. I felt the telling of the story was somewhat confusing and hard to follow at times.
June 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to Sarah’s next book. The exquisite details on classical music history was educational, and the characters were very well developed. The book reads like a sophisticated detective story and the time travel added intrigue and depth to the story.
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