Continental Riff

Stockwell Park Orchestra Series #3

by Isabel Rogers

When Stockwell Park Orchestra goes on tour to Europe, it proves a challenge for even the most efficient German logistical planner.

A teenage stowaway, brass players falling in canals and a sabotaged timpani van are all in a day’s work for Ingrid Bauer of Note Perfect Tours, but even she can’t solve all the problems this week throws at her. Maybe a bit of surprise Bach can calm the muddy Brexit waters.

She just has to fish out the musicians first.

Genres: Humor

ebook

Published January 14, 2021

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continental Riff is the third instalment in The Stockwell Park Orchestra Mystery series, set in and around Europe. The series follows the misadventures of an amateur south London orchestra. In Continental Riff, the orchestra will go on a week-long continental European tour. The orchestra leaves London and are thrown into a Bruckner festival in Cologne, via Bruges and Amsterdam. Nobody who has toured with brass players will be surprised at anything. The world that Isabel Rogers evinces so warmly is one that we’ve all simply overlooked. The hotbed world of classical music! Who knew? We meet Alexander Leakey, the brilliant French horn player who reminds everyone of Chris Hemsworth. Eliot is conducting, Mrs Ford-Hughes drops in, and there are extra Wagner tuba players and shenanigans. One week, three cities, four separate vehicles. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a captivating, engaging and thoroughly original cosy mystery with bags of charm, and I found the orchestra's escapades fun and entertaining from the beginning. Amongst the trials and tribulations they face, we are treated to a cast of characters who come alive on the page and for whom I have a soft spot for; each character is believable and relatable. It's sharply observed with a decent dollop of wit and playfulness, and I found the narrative rich in detail and both enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining. If you loved the previous two books in the series then you are in for another treat featuring this ragtag crew of musicians just plying their trade and getting into all sorts of kerfuffles in the process. It is the perfect escape from our real-world issues with its genuinely cosy atmosphere. A warm, comforting and often farcical read I highly recommend.

[solitaryfossil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars
Another engaging book following the Stockwell Park Orchestra’s exploits, this time during their European mini-tour. A charming part 3 for the series.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m afraid I simply got bored with Continental Riff and gave up about two-thirds of the way through. It’s amiable enough, but there really wasn’t enough to maintain my interest and I decided that life was too short.

This time, the Stockwell Park Orchestra is on tour in Europe. Er...and that’s about it. The best bits of these books come when Isabel Rogers writes in detail about the music being played; these are quite excellent, I think, and really bring the pieces (and the books) to life. Sadly, there’s only a little bit of this and the rest of it is pretty mundane. There’s a lot of detail about how a touring orchestra is organised and managed which is quite interesting for a while, but Isabel Rogers is very inclined also to give us a lot of very tedious detail about who has what for breakfast, plus a number of pages of what adds up to a list of attractions in Amsterdam, Cologne...etc, padded with mild banter from the players. Any “eventful” occurrences rely on a very crudely drawn xenophobic, malodorous, aggressive and generally repellent temporary orchestra member. It’s all thoroughly unsubtle, the comedy didn’t work for me and I just got tired of it in the end.

I’m sorry to be critical, but I think I’ve reached the end of the road with this series. The parts I enjoy and which have kept me reading are so thinly dispersed that I’m no longer finding it worth the effort. I say this reluctantly, because Rogers writes pretty well and the book has an air of charm which we could all do with at the moment, but I can’t really recommend it.

(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really hard to describe, and I suspect that is true of others in the series. A not-quite-top=rate British orchestra goes on tour, to Amsterdam, Cologne, and Bruges, playing the same program in each place. There is conflict, some love interest, a lot of drinking, and long descriptions of the program in all three places, and yet it is fascinating even for a non-musician like myself. Witty, good-humored, and perfectly delightful.

[Stephanie Dagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in a series, but you can dive in here and enjoy the book thoroughly. You quickly get to know the various characters, and the trip abroad is an adventure in itself.
It's a delightful, entertaining and absorbing read. It gives a very realistic insight into the behind-the-scenes life of an orchestra. I've toured (as a second violin) in the past so found this book nostalgic and very keenly observed. There's a strong bond in an orchestra, and this emerges clearly in this book from the unlikely but genuine friendships struck up between the players, and the lively, fun atmosphere you find amongst a group of music-makers is absolutely true to life.
We have some fantastic characters who bounce off each other brilliantly. They're all complex, distinct and fascinating. Their personalities quickly emerge and keep on developing.
The fast-moving plot is clever, and there's lot of wit and humour along the way. There are also interesting snippets about instruments, composers and various works.
A wonderful book in a series I'm very pleased to have discovered.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Continental Riff is the third book in the Stockwell Park Orchestra cozy series by Isabel Rogers. Released 14th Jan 2021 by Farrago, it's 288 pages (print edition) and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is such a comfortably written and engaging cozy series. It's a "slice-of-life" story written simply and appealingly, with well developed characters who go about their daily lives and interact with the sometimes inexplicable world in which we all live. There are a lot of behind the scenes from the daily life of a not-quite-famous classical orchestral performer.

I was a woodwind player for many years and kept up with orchestra performance through university level. This was a nostalgic revisit of those years for me and brought back so many fun memories. The author is clearly musically educated and the book is redolent with affectionate scenes from rehearsals and performances, as well as comments about the music itself.

I haven't read either of the previous books, and had no trouble following the plot. I intend to remedy the situation as soon as possible. This book is gently meandering, 100% character driven, engaging and I would heartily recommend it to fans of daily-life series (like small town cozies). Language, spelling, and slang are British English, but won't pose a problem for anyone in context. There is some rough language (the "f-bomb" for example) but nothing truly egregious.

Four stars. I really enjoyed this one.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Verity W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the series sees the gang on tour in Europe. The tour company has given them the frighteningly competent Ingrid to see them safely through it, but even her German efficiency may struggle with a teenage stowaway, an unpopular guest player who is only on tour because he owns the instruments they need and the elephant in the room: Brexit.

It made me laugh and as with the other books in the series, reminded me of my own (limited in the case of touring) experiences playing in concert bands. And as going abroad is not a thing at the moment, this was a lovely virtual trip through Belgium and Germany as well.

[Roseann Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to know these people!

This is the third book in this set, and I just really think it just keeps getting better and better. These characters are so real to me; I’d go drinking with them any time!

If you’ve ever been in a touring group of any kind, you’ll recognize (and laugh along) many of the situations in which SPO finds itself. I won’t spoil any of it for you. I just strongly recommend you get this book asap! You will not be sorry!

[Maureen Hetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series. An amateur symphony goes on an three stop European tour and the fun ensues. Love the characters and a few new ones show up to spice up the fun. Not as laugh out loud as the first two books in the series but still worth many chuckles and smiles!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff, particularly if you're seeking a light read. This has great characters and the author must have a good sense of humor because it shows here. Although anyone can enjoy this, I suspect musicians will like this more than most.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

[S D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light and fun, which is good. I always learn a bit more about music from these books.

[Louise E · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series! I love the characters and that nothing really bad happens. What a delight! And, of course, the descriptions of the music are superb.

[Jamie VanMersbergen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this series, nothing much happens, but in a very entertaining way. I hope this author writes more books because I only have one book left in this series.