Saving Mozart: A Time Travel Adventure

by Charles R. Hinckley

Cal, a grad student in music composition and a scholar of Mozart, has his dream come true when he plays a duet with the maestro! Cal bumps into his long-lost childhood sweetheart, Emily, while they are both at grad school. Emily is part of a physics experiment that involves time travel. Partnering with Emily, they travel back to 1791 Vienna to save Mozart from a premature death. But the rescue goes wrong, and they must restore the timeline before they get stuck in 1790s Vienna for good.
"Five Stars!" Online Book club
"Five Stars" - reader Views
"It's a fun read! I loved it."
"A new spin on Time Travel. Cool!"

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2025

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The first time I jumped into 1790 Vienna, I found myself in a blinding light …”

Warranted or not, Cal isn’t short of courage, bravado, and an overwhelming confidence in his skills in composition, musicology, and music history. As a PhD candidate and scholar of Mozart, Cal has assigned himself the daunting, if not near impossible, thesis task of studying Mozart’s life, his composition styles, his notes and his outlines to complete Mozart’s world famous abbreviated Requiem. Mozart had failed to finish it as a result of his untimely death as a young 18th century “rock star” who had yet to reach the peak of his well-deserved fame.

Here comes a little terribly over the top lack of credibility. Well, never mind that, dear reader! Without that, Hinckley wouldn’t have had a story to write, would he?

Cal meets his childhood sweetheart, now a physics graduate student, who invites him to join their lab in a time travel experiment to observe Mozart in the flesh – in Vienna, in 1790, in his home, in front of his piano and his composing desk! Cal, with eyebrows raised and drowning in gratitude for the fulfillment of all of his musical dreams, wastes no time in agreeing!

I’ve yet to write a review in which I characterized the plot as a “romp” but, if any story qualifies, SAVING MOZART would be that novel. With plenty of riffs on legitimate (and totally expected) sci-fi themes such as a changing past affecting the future; discussions of a multiverse versus a single linear time line; the objective physical effects of time travel; and even the very existence and nature of time, SAVING MOZART is also a light-hearted adventure complete with a maniacal villain and, of course, overtones of romance and unrequited first love.

In short, it was a privilege, a joy, and pure fun to read SAVING MOZART. Here's wishing author Charles Hinckley best of luck with well-deserved sales of this novel and, it is to be hoped, future novels to come. Definitely recommended.

Paul Weiss

[KATHERINE D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Sci-fi is not my usual venue but I liked the author's other books so I gave it a try. It's romantic, full of suspense and has a great plot with unexpected twists and turns. A professor at a college has discovered a way to time travel. Cal, a passionate Mozart affectionado reunites with Emily (his childhood sweetheart) at graduate school and they travel back in time just to "lay eyes" on his idol but Cal's impulsive and passionate nature can't let Mozart die and in trying to alter his early death, things quickly go awry in ways you could never imagine. They escape but must return to fix it, risking getting trapped in the 18th century forever. This book explores themes of first love, loyalty, and forgiveness, along with the exhilarating adventure of time travel and the quest to find a wayward friend. A totally pleasurable read.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and inventive piece of work, the hero, Cal is a musician and when he comes a girl he once had a crush on, it triggers a cascade of changes, that will alter his life forever. He gets pushed unwillingly in to a time travel experiment. At first he is reluctant and despite him not really wanting to participate he ends up doing so. Then he finds he can go in the distant past and his obsession is Mozart. So he does, they mess things up, encounter a mad person they think is a future time traveller or alien and attempt to change things and it never really goes to plan. It's different and while you end up getting cross with various characters I find it works well. I like the ending as well, it's a good one.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Mozart: A Time Travel Adventure, by Charles R. Hinckley, is the new take on time travel you’ve been looking for. Time travel novels have been around a long time, but it takes something special to breathe new life into the genre, and this novel delivers in that regard. Protagonist Cal is a grad student and music composition scholar, and he teams up with someone who’s part of a physics experiment, Emily, with the purpose of traveling backward to the year 1791 in Vienna. Their mission? To save Mozart, yes, that Mozart, from a premature death.

But that’s just the beginning of this engaging, entertaining novel. What’s great about the premise and the story is how these two characters meet and the relationship that follows. Cal and Emily aren’t strangers when they meet; they’re actually childhood sweethearts, which puts an endearing and possibly romantic spin on things. Cal’s one dream is to play a duet with Mozart, and who wouldn’t? But how many get that chance? With time travel, Cal lives his mind-boggling dream. And to add another layer to the story, perhaps the most important, is that they need to rescue him from dying too soon. When this botched attempt messes with the timeline, are they going to be stuck in 1790s Vienna permanently? Imagine getting to spend time with your hero, experiencing a dream come true, only to realize that you’re faced with the dilemma of changing history or letting it play out as fate would have it.

Hinckley is exceptional with plotting, story, characterization, and pacing. You are immediately pulled into the story to see how it all turns out, but you’re also treated to detailed descriptions of the chosen era, which gives you a “you are there” feeling, right along with the characters. The writing is tightly knit and has a personal feel told from a first-person point of view, which also brings you closer to the characters and how they live out the time travel drama.

Time travel isn’t a unique idea, but this author’s execution of it is, and that’s what makes this a special read. Time travel fans and music fans both will enjoy this movie, er, I mean, book. Yes, reading this novel was a cinematic experience, and I hope it becomes a movie someday.

Even if you aren’t that familiar with physics, time travel theories, Mozart, or music composition, the book as a whole is very appealing. The author includes enough scientific terminology that’s intriguing but not overly wrought, and one of the takeaways that sticks with me is that maybe we shouldn’t try to alter the past or the future, even for a good cause.

Hinckley is a talented writer who knows how to entertain in a tightly woven package. If you’re looking for a great time travel book with a compelling plot and message, Saving Mozart: A Time Travel Adventure, by Charles R. Hinckley, should be next on your reading list.

[Ivan Halangwa]

Time travel is a subject close to my heart, and I always look forward to seeing it explored in fresh and exciting ways. The author has a deep passion for the theme, and that comes through in the writing. However, the story takes far too long to get to the core of the time travel element, which is where its true potential lies.

Much of the early plot feels drawn out, and the pacing suffers as a result. At 300 pages, the book could have benefitted from a tighter edit—perhaps even cutting it down by half to sharpen the tension and maintain momentum. The main character’s repeated missteps might have added drama, but instead they create frustration and distance the reader from his journey. I found it difficult to fully connect with him or root for his success.

By the time the ending arrived, I was left more deflated than satisfied. There’s definite potential here, but it’s buried beneath too much filler. A leaner, more focused version of this story might have delivered the impact the concept deserves. Overall, the execution didn’t quite match the promise of the premise.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emily Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read very many Time travel stories, but I was looking forward to reading this book. I liked all the physics talk of them explaining time travel. I do agree with other readers that the author is very passionate about this subject which comes out through the book. The story does feel long, drawn out. The main character does feel repetitive in his actions.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie Scheschy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, cool time travel novel that takes place in New York City, at a college and in Vienna in 1790’s. The main character and his girl friend get trapped in a time they can’t stay in and have to figure out a way to change the timeline to get back. They try to save Mozart, which is a really cool scene in the book. I loved the ending. I won’t give it away.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it!

Could hardly put the book down. Disappointed, because I read it so fast and now it’s over :) Fun book!
I too am a Mozart fan and have seen and read much about him: letters, biographies, documentaries, etc. Funny thing is, I can’t play anything, read any music, and most certainly can’t sing. At 66, I can at least appreciate listening. Laura

[Kerrya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting perspective to have the main character time-travel between the present and Mozart's time. Wonderfully paced, and a delight!