The Lost Concerto

Are you looking for a great read on the beach this summer? Look no further - Helaine Mario's new novel, The Lost Concerto has it all!
The Lost Concerto is a wonderful read. Action-packed and filled with interesting and compelling characters and atmosphere, the narrative careens from Rome to Boston,  to Washington DC, Martha's Vineyard and back to Europe in the space of just a few weeks. Magdalena "Maggie" O'Shea, a Boston musician and classical music shop owner, becomes involved in the international search for her best friend's young son. The youngster has gone missing after a violent attack on his mother and chase on an isolated Breton island 7 kilometers from shore.  
Ostensibly the story of a search, this book is much more, as we learn about the world of classical music, lost art seized by the Nazi's in World War II and unending international intrigue. Maggie's deceased husband, numerous CIA agents and counter agents, as well as the missing father of her now adult son all play interesting parts in the story.

With a full cast of characters, this novel is evocative of its many locales, fast-paced and full of excitement that never stops. Helaine Mario is a talented writer who spins a compelling tale that is hard to put down, especially for lovers of intrigue told with a cosmopolitan and historical flair. There are terrorists, doubles crosses, CIA agents, blackmail and danger galore as Maggie tries to make sense of what has happened and is happening.  I found this book very difficult to to stop reading, much to the detriment of my much needed sleep!
When the novel ends in a crescendo of excitement, we can only hope that Maggie O'Shea will have further adventures and we will have another opportunity to experience the world of international intrigue through her prism of music, extraordinary intelligence and compassion.
I highly recommend The Lost Concerto and you can find it HERE. A portion of the proceeds go to to Helaine Mario's SunDial Foundation, which supports women, children and families in the Washington DC area.  See www.sundialfoundation.org. By buying this book you not only get to read a great book, you will be doing a good deed for the most vulnerable in our society!
Disclosure:  Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews received this book and/or compensation in exchange for my honest opinion and in order to facilitate my review.  However, my opinion remains my own.