The Hardanger Riddle

Castiglione and Guastafeste #3

by Paul Adam

Rikard Olsen, a successful violin maker from Norway, is found dead in the canal in Cremona – and it wasn’t an accident. A mysterious, exquisitely-decorated Hardanger fiddle that he brought with him to Italy has disappeared. Rikard was a former pupil of Gianni Castiglione, and Gianni and his detective friend, Antonio Guastafeste, travel to Norway to investigate the murder – a journey that takes them to Grieg’s home at Troldhaugen; to Lysøen, the tranquil island retreat of Norway’s Paganini, Ole Bull, and high into the remote mountains where memories are long and secrets easy to conceal. The missing Hardanger fiddle had a carving of a hauntingly-beautiful young woman on the scroll. Gianni and Guastafeste believe that the woman may hold the key to the whole puzzle. But who was she and what made her so special that Rikard Olsen had to die? Book Three in Paul Adam’s captivating Cremona Mysteries series, The Hardanger Riddle will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

Genres: Mystery, Music

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2020

About the author

Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads database.

- Paul Adam is an English writer of novels for both adults and younger readers. He studied law at Nottingham University, then began a career in journalism, working both in England, in his childhood town of Sheffield, and Rome. Since then he has written 11 critically acclaimed thrillers for adults and the Max Cassidy series of thrillers for younger readers about a teenage escapologist, the first of which, Escape from Shadow Island, won the Salford Children's Book Award. His books have sold widely around the world and have been translated into several foreign languages. He has also written film and television scripts. Adam lived in Nottingham for many years but now lives in Sheffield with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Kath]

For me the 'thriller' aspect is secondary to the characters and ambiance. I found the musical information very interesting as well as the travelogue of Norway. Gently written and quite unusual as a genre.

[Eugene]

Finally. 10 years after Paganini’s Ghost, Paul Adam has another mystery featuring luthier Gianni Castiglione and his trusted police detective Antonio Guastafeste. Here they spend most of the book in Norway (yeah, these guys get around), looking into the death of a former pupil of Castiglione’s and the disappearance of his beloved Norwegian Hardanger fiddle. While the crime took place in Cremona Italy, the roots appear to reach back to Norway.
While Guastafeste is in charge of the investigation, Castiglione is the violin expert and his English is much better, though neither of them speak Norwegian. As with the other books in this series, there’s a lot of philosophic erudition and violin history mixed into the plot. It all makes for an engrossing and satisfying read, and one can only hope that another will make an appearance - although a ten year wait isn’t necessary!

[Alonzo Church]

This was a mistake.

Our very Italian heroes, violin maker Castiglione and police detective Guastafeste, go to Norway to investigate the murder of a Norwegian violin maker in their home town of Cremona. Do either of them speak Norwegian? No. Do any of them really have the budget for this trip? No. Does this feel like anything other than an author’s excuse to talk about my wonderful trip to Norway? No.

The other two books in this series are worth the time. This one is implausible, a bit arrogant, and has historical digressions that do not really have any relationship to the plot. (Nice of Castiglione to solve a robbery for the Norwegian cops though. Good thing that everybody in Norway speaks English, just like Castiglione)

It’s ok to decide that your series has run its course after two books. Wish Mr. Adam had done the same.

[Alison]

A niche crime writer that centres on violin related crime! An Italian detective and luthier team up to solve wickedness in the instrument dealing industry, and in this case a hardanger fiddle. Part travelogue, part homage to the history of the Norwegian fiddle, I enjoyed this book for the museums and places it went. Maybe one day we’ll be able to travel again …

[Stacey Lunsford]

The author did a great job on researching the setting of the story in Bergen, Norway. His descriptions were vivid and detailed and he included a good bit of historical research on Ole Bull, the famed Norwegian violinist. The characters were well-fleshed out. I would have liked more investigating from the detectives but otherwise an enjoyable read.

[Chris Leuchtenburg]

Although I still enjoy the characters and the excellent sense of setting (this time in Bergen, Norway), this was my least favorite in the series. There were too many chapters in which the characters wandered around Norway without any progress in the plot.

[Rachel Hutton macdonald]

Really enjoyable, and hugely engaging and informative mystery set in Cremona and Norway. Fabulous.

[Patrick Johns]

Excellent. Evocative descriptions of the Norwegian locations and I loved the historical and geographical detail about Grieg and Ole Bull.

[Hitomi]

最初のほうは、ちょっとたらたらしていると思いましたが、後半は事件もたくさん起こりなかなか面白く読めました。ノルウェーは田舎だ。