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Secret of the Song
When a song by the mad composer, Carlo Gesualdo, is discovered in Exeter Museum, trouble descends on the group asked to sing it. Lisa is full of enthusiasm at first, but she soon becomes convinced the song is cursed. What is the mystery behind the discordant harmonies? Will she solve the song’s secret before her relationship with Jon breaks for good and harm befalls them all?In Renaissance Naples, young Silvia Albana is seamstress and close confidant of Don Gesualdo’s wife. When Donna Maria begins an affair, Silvia knows that death is the only outcome. But who exactly will die? And where is Silvia's own lover? Why is he not there to help her?
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 16, 2020
Lisa has enough to worry about in her busy and musical life as a single parent, but it takes a dark turn with the discovery of a difficult madrigal by Carlo Gesualdo, which her singing group set themselves the challenge of performing. The music, and the hellish images on the frontispiece, begin to infect Lisa’s life. The manuscript is intriguingly used as the link with Silvia, a 16th century Italian seamstress, and her first-hand experience of the murderous and carnal events that were embodied in its creation.
While much of Lisa’s narrative is entertaining and brightened with a certain long-suffering humour that is grounded in her battles with her daughter, her mother, and her would be boyfriend, Sophia’s story contains some genuinely disturbing scenes, meaning that this is by no means a ‘light’ read. It’s clearly very well researched; both Lisa’s musical life and Sophia’s renaissance world are very believable.
It’s often the case in time slip novels that the plots in the respective periods start wide apart and steadily converge towards a climax. Not so in this novel. From the beginning, the story is wonderfully interwoven between modern day Exeter and Renaissance Italy and remains so throughout. Whether recounted from the modern voice of Lisa, whose life seems increasingly out of control, or from Silvia, who is fighting in a male dominated society for any say in her own existence, each chapter advances the overall plot and tension: the action and drama of one period highly relevant to the other. The result is a page-turning novel that always has both pace and direction. A terrific read.
While much of Lisa’s narrative is entertaining and brightened with a certain long-suffering humour that is grounded in her battles with her daughter, her mother, and her would be boyfriend, Sophia’s story contains some genuinely disturbing scenes, meaning that this is by no means a ‘light’ read. It’s clearly very well researched; both Lisa’s musical life and Sophia’s renaissance world are very believable.
It’s often the case in time slip novels that the plots in the respective periods start wide apart and steadily converge towards a climax. Not so in this novel. From the beginning, the story is wonderfully interwoven between modern day Exeter and Renaissance Italy and remains so throughout. Whether recounted from the modern voice of Lisa, whose life seems increasingly out of control, or from Silvia, who is fighting in a male dominated society for any say in her own existence, each chapter advances the overall plot and tension: the action and drama of one period highly relevant to the other. The result is a page-turning novel that always has both pace and direction. A terrific read.
October 5, 2015
This debut novel is a skilfully woven time-slip story. In modern-day Exeter, Lisa and the other members of the singing group Noteworthy struggle to master a recently-discovered madrigal by mad composer Carlo Gesualdo. As time goes on, problems spiral, both musically and personally, and Lisa fears for the safety of her family and friends. In Renaissance Italy, the story behind the music, its composer and his violent and tragic marriage is told by seamstress Silvia Albano.
Cathie Hartigan has produced a well-structured and very readable novel. Like a beautiful piece of music, it starts slowly and builds to a crescendo. As I reached the last few chapters, the battery on my Kindle ran out, and I found myself perched on a stool, tethered to the power socket by a short piece of wire, unable to wait to find out how the story would end. If you enjoy the work of Kate Mosse, you will love Secret of the Song.
This is an assured debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Cathie's work.
[I received an ARC copy of 'Secret of the Song' in return for an honest review.]
Cathie Hartigan has produced a well-structured and very readable novel. Like a beautiful piece of music, it starts slowly and builds to a crescendo. As I reached the last few chapters, the battery on my Kindle ran out, and I found myself perched on a stool, tethered to the power socket by a short piece of wire, unable to wait to find out how the story would end. If you enjoy the work of Kate Mosse, you will love Secret of the Song.
This is an assured debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Cathie's work.
[I received an ARC copy of 'Secret of the Song' in return for an honest review.]
November 10, 2015
Those of you who know me well - just read that description. You know I'm going to love it, don't I? You bet I am! Modern and historical thread, Renaissance Naples, two love stories...Cathie, you could have written it just for me. But what I really wasn't expecting - and given that Cathie Hartigan is part of the CreativeWritingMatters team that might have been rather daft of me - was that it would be so exceptionally well written. The whole book achieves that difficult balance - across both threads - of being an engaging read, shocking, funny and very emotionally affecting, and such a fantastic story. Secret Of The Song by Cathie Hartigan was published on 24th September, and is available for kindle and in paperback - and I just loved it.
When I said "a fantastic story", there are - of course - two. In the modern thread, Lisa really was my new best friend from the first few pages. With all her faults, I loved her - a quite wonderful character constantly acting on impulses, taking irrational stances, opening her mouth without thinking about the consequences. The whole story around the uncovering of the Gesualdo manuscript, the preparations of the group to perform it, the difficulties they encounter, and the lovely relationship between Lisa and Jon absolutely entranced me. I loved the introduction of the Italian siren from La Scala and the ripples she causes. And I really don't like children much (did I just say that out loud?) but Lisa's daughter Mollie could come and live with me any time - a very real child amid a lot of other quite perfectly drawn characters (wait till you meet Lisa's mother...) who leap, fully formed, from every page. There's even a lovely touch of the supernatural involving the manuscript that's quite perfectly judged, and perversely gives rise to some of the funniest - and most touching - scenes in the book.
And that's just one of the threads. The other takes us to Renaissance Italy to meet Silvia, who becomes seamstress (and so much more) to Donna Maria, the wife of the composer Don Gesualdo. Dare I say she's my second best friend? This is really quite a dark story of murder and mayhem and dark doings, but Silvia herself so often has you smiling through it.
The author's research shines brightly throughout. You can feel the depth of it, but the book wears it lightly - never too much detail, just enough to bring the period vividly to life. Reading a dual time story, I find I often feel the wrench between the two threads. This book is so cleverly written, beautifully structured so that you slip quite painlessly from modern to Renaissance, with neither story stronger than the other. It's not very often that happens - but in this book it's quite perfectly done. And Cathie's writing style is eminently readable - I really don't know how she does it, but Silvia's voice also feels historically authentic, and quite different from the voice of Lisa.
And did I mention how much I enjoyed the book, and what fun it was? Expect great things from Cathie Hartigan - this lovely book may have slipped out without the loud fanfare it deserves, but I do hope others will try it. It's an absolute triumph, in much the same way as you hope will be both the Gesualdo recital and Lisa and Silvia's futures: but to find out whether they are, you're going to have to read the book. Just look at all those five star reviews. You'll so love it... I promise.
When I said "a fantastic story", there are - of course - two. In the modern thread, Lisa really was my new best friend from the first few pages. With all her faults, I loved her - a quite wonderful character constantly acting on impulses, taking irrational stances, opening her mouth without thinking about the consequences. The whole story around the uncovering of the Gesualdo manuscript, the preparations of the group to perform it, the difficulties they encounter, and the lovely relationship between Lisa and Jon absolutely entranced me. I loved the introduction of the Italian siren from La Scala and the ripples she causes. And I really don't like children much (did I just say that out loud?) but Lisa's daughter Mollie could come and live with me any time - a very real child amid a lot of other quite perfectly drawn characters (wait till you meet Lisa's mother...) who leap, fully formed, from every page. There's even a lovely touch of the supernatural involving the manuscript that's quite perfectly judged, and perversely gives rise to some of the funniest - and most touching - scenes in the book.
And that's just one of the threads. The other takes us to Renaissance Italy to meet Silvia, who becomes seamstress (and so much more) to Donna Maria, the wife of the composer Don Gesualdo. Dare I say she's my second best friend? This is really quite a dark story of murder and mayhem and dark doings, but Silvia herself so often has you smiling through it.
The author's research shines brightly throughout. You can feel the depth of it, but the book wears it lightly - never too much detail, just enough to bring the period vividly to life. Reading a dual time story, I find I often feel the wrench between the two threads. This book is so cleverly written, beautifully structured so that you slip quite painlessly from modern to Renaissance, with neither story stronger than the other. It's not very often that happens - but in this book it's quite perfectly done. And Cathie's writing style is eminently readable - I really don't know how she does it, but Silvia's voice also feels historically authentic, and quite different from the voice of Lisa.
And did I mention how much I enjoyed the book, and what fun it was? Expect great things from Cathie Hartigan - this lovely book may have slipped out without the loud fanfare it deserves, but I do hope others will try it. It's an absolute triumph, in much the same way as you hope will be both the Gesualdo recital and Lisa and Silvia's futures: but to find out whether they are, you're going to have to read the book. Just look at all those five star reviews. You'll so love it... I promise.
October 5, 2015
The secret of the song, a debut from Cathie Hartigan, is a complex timeslip novel about both love and debauchery, of music and of murder.
The first chapter sets us in Exeter, where we begin to get to know Lisa, a single parent juggling all the worries of contemporary society who has been charged with performing a piece of music, lost for centuries and recently rediscovered. The music itself comes from Renaissance Italy and a composer, renowned for his murderous history and insanity as much as his music. It is accompanied by a frontispiece, a grotesque engraving that Lisa struggles to escape day and night.
The historical thread is set in the court of Don Carlo Gesualdo, a nobleman who is feared by all around him. This story is told by Silvia, a seamstress bold enough to make herself noticed and promoted within the castle but wise enough to know that some behaviours can only lead to destruction. We watch as she becomes increasingly alarmed by her mistress’, Don Carlo’s wife Maria, flagrant adultery, powerless to prevent her and then caught in the crosshairs of Don Carlos’ response.
In contrast to the tempestuous, sexually deviant behaviours of Silvia’s employers is the developing relationship between her and Salvo, a romance that is sweet and sincere and had me desperate for its resolution. Alas, the nature of the times, Salvo’s need to establish himself and his craft and the fallout from Don Carlos’ behaviour all impact on this romance and mean that things are no longer as simple as they should be. I really was rooting so much for these two but amongst the backdrop of the time it was hard to predict how things could possibly end positively for them.
Back in Exeter Lisa’s life is also thrown into disarray by Don Carlos and his madrigal, despite it being well over four hundred years old. Her own chances of romance with Jon, a family friend and music partner, are thrown into confusion by this piece of music and to compound things Lisa begins to doubt her own sanity, haunted by the engraving that is now in her house.
The author carefully weaves these two stories together and you are struck by how, regardless of time or geography love is never easy. Miscommunication and preconceptions, fear and insecurity can drive a wedge right through romance, the author deftly shows how humanity remains the same regardless of setting, that jealousy, frustration or indeed kindness and generosity exist in many forms regardless of time or place.
This book has the reader asking so many questions, will Silvia and Salvo be able to find peace and along with it the happiness that they deserve? Can Lisa and Jon work out their misconceptions? What is it about this music that is causing so much upheaval in a city centuries and hundreds of miles away from where it was written? I have to admit I was sceptical that all these questions could be answered satisfactorily within Cathie Hartigan’s novel, but without giving away spoilers I can only reassure you that I should have had faith! She does so beautifully.
This book immerses you in a world of music and of history and of that toe curl that readers of romance everywhere are seeking. A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.
The first chapter sets us in Exeter, where we begin to get to know Lisa, a single parent juggling all the worries of contemporary society who has been charged with performing a piece of music, lost for centuries and recently rediscovered. The music itself comes from Renaissance Italy and a composer, renowned for his murderous history and insanity as much as his music. It is accompanied by a frontispiece, a grotesque engraving that Lisa struggles to escape day and night.
The historical thread is set in the court of Don Carlo Gesualdo, a nobleman who is feared by all around him. This story is told by Silvia, a seamstress bold enough to make herself noticed and promoted within the castle but wise enough to know that some behaviours can only lead to destruction. We watch as she becomes increasingly alarmed by her mistress’, Don Carlo’s wife Maria, flagrant adultery, powerless to prevent her and then caught in the crosshairs of Don Carlos’ response.
In contrast to the tempestuous, sexually deviant behaviours of Silvia’s employers is the developing relationship between her and Salvo, a romance that is sweet and sincere and had me desperate for its resolution. Alas, the nature of the times, Salvo’s need to establish himself and his craft and the fallout from Don Carlos’ behaviour all impact on this romance and mean that things are no longer as simple as they should be. I really was rooting so much for these two but amongst the backdrop of the time it was hard to predict how things could possibly end positively for them.
Back in Exeter Lisa’s life is also thrown into disarray by Don Carlos and his madrigal, despite it being well over four hundred years old. Her own chances of romance with Jon, a family friend and music partner, are thrown into confusion by this piece of music and to compound things Lisa begins to doubt her own sanity, haunted by the engraving that is now in her house.
The author carefully weaves these two stories together and you are struck by how, regardless of time or geography love is never easy. Miscommunication and preconceptions, fear and insecurity can drive a wedge right through romance, the author deftly shows how humanity remains the same regardless of setting, that jealousy, frustration or indeed kindness and generosity exist in many forms regardless of time or place.
This book has the reader asking so many questions, will Silvia and Salvo be able to find peace and along with it the happiness that they deserve? Can Lisa and Jon work out their misconceptions? What is it about this music that is causing so much upheaval in a city centuries and hundreds of miles away from where it was written? I have to admit I was sceptical that all these questions could be answered satisfactorily within Cathie Hartigan’s novel, but without giving away spoilers I can only reassure you that I should have had faith! She does so beautifully.
This book immerses you in a world of music and of history and of that toe curl that readers of romance everywhere are seeking. A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.
April 21, 2016
This was a most enjoyable read. I'm often wary of parallel "time-slip" stories as sometimes I find I favour one strand over the other and begin to wish the whole book was written from the favourite point of view. But not so here. I was equally happy to be in either POV - Lisa in the present day, and Silvia in 16th century Italy. Each had its own distinct style, appropriate to the time and place and the thread between the two times was deftly woven together. Even better, each time we moved from one to the other, the reader was left dangling on the edge of a brilliant cliff-hanger.
The terror of Silvia's vulnerability in her position as the sewing maid, having to obey instructions from her 'lady' without question, despite potential disaster, was conveyed extremely well.
I particularly loved Lisa's sense of humour and turn of phrase. Things she did, thought or said often had me chuckling away to myself.
A great story, well written, with distinctive characters and a perfect sprinkling of humour. A very satisfying read.
The terror of Silvia's vulnerability in her position as the sewing maid, having to obey instructions from her 'lady' without question, despite potential disaster, was conveyed extremely well.
I particularly loved Lisa's sense of humour and turn of phrase. Things she did, thought or said often had me chuckling away to myself.
A great story, well written, with distinctive characters and a perfect sprinkling of humour. A very satisfying read.
October 5, 2015
FYI, I was given an ARC of this book free in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this assured debut from Cathie Hartigan. It's not 'just' a romance – it has mystery, history and a mysterious curse too.
The story follows Lisa, whose life begins to unravel following the discovery of a hitherto unknown song by a long dead, mad composer. Bringing the historical aspects to life, it also follows Sylvia, a young seamstress who encounters her own difficulties when she begins work for the mad composer's wife.
This is an accessible, compulsive read with great characters, a cracking ending and I'll even admit to shedding a couple of tears at the appropriate points!
I look forward to seeing what she does next.
I really enjoyed this assured debut from Cathie Hartigan. It's not 'just' a romance – it has mystery, history and a mysterious curse too.
The story follows Lisa, whose life begins to unravel following the discovery of a hitherto unknown song by a long dead, mad composer. Bringing the historical aspects to life, it also follows Sylvia, a young seamstress who encounters her own difficulties when she begins work for the mad composer's wife.
This is an accessible, compulsive read with great characters, a cracking ending and I'll even admit to shedding a couple of tears at the appropriate points!
I look forward to seeing what she does next.
June 11, 2016
Good Read
I liked this book. The characters are strong and believable. A good storyline actually there are two storylines one in the past and one in the present time, and the flow between the two times is smooth and not disjointed. My only criticism is that the ending is weak and disappointing, I want to know what happened to them all. I feel that the book is not finished.
I liked this book. The characters are strong and believable. A good storyline actually there are two storylines one in the past and one in the present time, and the flow between the two times is smooth and not disjointed. My only criticism is that the ending is weak and disappointing, I want to know what happened to them all. I feel that the book is not finished.
July 23, 2016
Fascinating story
Although I found the first few chapters rather trite, I thought the two plots were engrossing. The switch between the two periods was well handled. The Renaissance period dialogue was livelier than the modern. The writer's musical knowledge was clear. I thought the characters were believable although the child Mollie seemed rather precocious. Worth reading.
Although I found the first few chapters rather trite, I thought the two plots were engrossing. The switch between the two periods was well handled. The Renaissance period dialogue was livelier than the modern. The writer's musical knowledge was clear. I thought the characters were believable although the child Mollie seemed rather precocious. Worth reading.
December 30, 2015
If you like music and mystery then this time slip romance is the book for you.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews