Violin

by April Seymour

Stumbling hazily through the days of her late husband’s funeral services, Marla Mason’s mourning period is interrupted when a moving truck appears across the street. As she becomes acquainted with her neighbor, Isaac, she finds his wife to be cold and unfriendly and becomes increasingly wary of her.

Trying desperately to bury the skeletons in her closet, newlywed, Fallon Michaels, moves to upstate New York with her husband only to find she can’t run from her sordid past. When Isaac connects with the woman across the street, Marla, an older woman grieving the loss of her husband and daughter, Fallon’s behavior becomes increasingly suspicious and avoidant, and a web of secrets begins to unravel.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2024

About the author

April Seymour is a North American poet and multi-genre novelist native to upstate New York. She writes a broad range of stories with psychological underpinnings—whether dark, speculative, humorous, or romantic—and diverse characters in morally subjective situations. When she is not writing she can be found reading and supporting other authors, watching The Walking Dead, and hanging out with the coolest people on Earth. She is grateful for her readers and enjoys connecting with other book lovers and making new book friends. You can follow her on TikTok: @april.seymour and Instagram: aprilseymour_ and sign up for her email list on her website.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for choosing me.

I was not expecting that. At all. 😮

I thought I had it figured out, I was cheering myself on for having it all figured out and then THAT happened and I was left open-mouthed and wildly confused for a second or two until I thought back to the previous chapters and started making sense of it all. It was a great read - definitely won't be forgetting it anytime soon.

[Rhonda Ofstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

violin

Superb book! Easily 5! Good mystery secrets story. Whodunnit too. I really enjoyed the book! My first time to read by this author.

[ahava · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a twisty read!

I won this book via a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow oh wow oh wow! I am so glad that I gifted this book just so I would be able to read it as I didn’t know about it beforehand. This is one of my most favorite reads yet but an author I don’t know. It kept my attention from start to finish.

Everything was polished—even though some of the characters or timings inside the parts & chapters were hard to follow at the beginning—it got better. Every single thing that could’ve been a question was wrapped up perfectly. It’s been a while since I read a book this well developed and thought out.

There were definitely some moments of twists that I predicted but there was one major twist that I did not see coming at all….genius is what I think!

What a book, what a book, what a book.

[Keri M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a twisty mystery that kept you on your toes. I was caught off guard on multiple occasions and was shocked multiple times. This was an amazing book that kept you turning the page and kept you guessing!! Absolutely amazing!!!

[Matt McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A particularly gripping drama thriller, this one, it has to be said; the author April Seymour really knows how to craft an intriguing, twisty, crime drama with a very tangible, ominous sense of threat permeating throughout. The multi-viewpoint narrative of Violin starts to piece its tale together well, and as the reader you are watching it unfold at a very satisfying pace, from one character’s version of events to another. When put together, it feels just the right length, and its mood hits its notes with tone precision throughout. Sure, on occasion the fragmented, uneven timeline was a tiny touch confusing, particularly where the odd scene break might have been beneficial and was notably missing, but it isn’t difficult to stay on track with this one, with its core cast of characters; you could see this as a melodramatic tragedy play, such is its reliance on its key components. You can feel the claustrophobia of the characters’ lives, despite their perceived privilege and wealth. This is a very good, gripping read.

April is decent, her writing exemplary. The occasional polish would have really set this off, admittedly, but the gem itself is there, underneath; it exists, for April created it. If you like low-action, twisty, cerebral, story- and character-based crime dramas, perhaps even reminiscent in ways of those cosy mysteries, this is one for you. For, essentially that is really what it is: a murder whodunnit with a small cast of suspects. If I’m going to be really brutal, the big reveal wasn’t that much of a surprise to me, and to be honest I expected there might be a little more intricacy to the plot when it unfolded, but that is not to disparage this book in any way, nor undermine its value to those who haven’t read it; it is a fantastic way to spend a couple of atmospheric evenings, curled up in moody lighting without distraction. The characters are wonderfully layered and the author doesn’t waste any words.

I’ve not read April Seymour before, but I definitely hope to read more from her, if they’re all as good as this one. I hope the book does well – it deserves to – and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of its kind. Be warned, there are themes of domestic violence and suicide, but among the tragedy also a good, old-fashioned killer story. Take a look at Violin; I think you’ll enjoy it.

[Burma Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book was fabulous! It had mystery, suspense and even a touch of romance. The characters were written very well I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. Enjoyed it a lot!

[Whitney Mayoral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super good read

The author did a really good job on this book. It had the perfect amount of mystery. At first I struggled with multiple POV but then found myself liking it. I didn't expect the person to be the person who did it. I would read more books by this author. Very good job.

[Nancy Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery.
The story follows multiple characters whose lives gradually intertwine, leading to a surprising ending. The author does an excellent job of defining each character and their motives. While the beginning felt a bit slow, the pace soon picks up, drawing you in and keeping you guessing until the final twist. I recommend this to readers who enjoy mysteries or crime thrillers.

[Wendell Vanepps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very well written and captivating! I loved getting to know each person in the story and became more riveting as it went on. The way it all came together was impressive and grade A. I have highly recommended this book to many of my friends.

[Kearstin Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much intensity within this story.

You truly didn’t know what would happen next. Drama and thrill filled. I think this will definitely be a book I reread in the fall by a campfire

[Amanda Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. Suspenseful and the details of the characters and their lives really pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re in the story. A great read. Highly recommended.

[Princess Fiona Applebees · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ with major caveats

Well written and twisty. I enjoyed the slow character reveals and learning enough backstory to understand most of the motivations by the end. Seducing your secret (to her) step mommy was insane, but then I relized that meant he had also married his step sister’s girlfriend, so yeah gross but entertaining.

The one thing I’m actually mad about is there was no TW for animal harm. I made it thru the first incident okay, like hopefully it was just an accident. But another event (accident but weird) and then a final absolutely fn disturbing description of deliberate killing of an animal had me actually considering deleting the book 30 pages before the end.

I went back and forth over just not rating this, or dropping the rating because of the animal harm. If it was a big author or publisher and thousands of reviews, I probably would. But with the rest of the book being solid and there being so few reviews it just didn’t seem fair.

I won this in a goodreads giveaway and my opinions are my own.