The Beethoven Conspiracy

by Thomas Hauser

In the murders of three New York musicians--and the threatening of a fourth, Judith Darr--New York City cop Richard Marritt's only clue is the name Beethoven scrawled by one of the victims

Genres: Mystery, Music

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1984

About the author

Thomas Hauser (b. 1946) is the author of forty-two books on subjects ranging from professional boxing to Beethoven. His first work, Missing, was made into an Academy Award–winning film. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times earned numerous awards for its author, including the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for Career Excellence in Boxing Journalism.

Reviews

[Carl Brookins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detective team of an older experienced New York cop, Richard Merritt and his young partner, Jim Dema, are confronted with a triple murder outside Lincoln Center. The three victims are young, unidentified and all have been shot to death. The case explodes when their identities are revealed along with their talents. All three are rising stars in the classical music field and missing from one is an expensive violin worth upwards of $300,000.
The detectives begin with little or no knowledge of the classical music but intense interviews and library research gradually elevates Richard Merritt’s level of understanding to useful levels. After many interviews, he meets Judith Darr who is instrumental in helping Merritt navigate the intricacies of the inflammatory case. Along the way the author has inserted sizeable quantities of the history of Beethoven and his era. It is cleverly and engagingly written and only adds to the richness of the narrative which gradually draws the reader in.
The writing is crisp, the pace appropriate for this kind of thoughtful detective novel. The violence is tastefully presented with the right kind of impact.
The novel is rich in context, both in New York and Salzburg and will satisfy readers of historical and detective fiction/

[Jerry Edward Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've now read the three Beethoven "lost symphony" novels: novels written by Sue Latham, Richard Kluger, and this one by Thomas Hauser. This Hauser novel is the kind of novel you can take to the beach or pool to read. It's a good story but entirely predictable. It does not require the strength of concentration to read it. The plot is decent. That's also how I view the characters. You can readily contrast this novel with Richard Kluger's Beethoven novel. Kluger's Beethoven's Tenth is by far the more plausible story. It's plot, however, requires a great deal more attention. The one criticism I really can lay on Kluger is that his main characters are just too perfect to be believed. If you are at all interested in the idea of a lost Beethoven tenth symphony, I would strongly recommend the Kluger work. Just be prepared to work harder and concentrate more.

[Andrew Tuckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually don’t know when i finished so just guessing…

[Angelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

good. i've learned a lot about beethoven and his symphonies. i just don't like the ending. bitin. :)

[Joseph Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast moving, very well written and I learned a lot about Beethoven!