Chord of Evil
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
A mysterious 1940s’ portrait leads researcher Phineas Fox to uncover a devastating wartime secret in this chilling novel of suspense.
Phineas Fox finds it impossible to refuse when his sport-loving neighbour Toby begs for his help in finding out what’s happened to his cousin Arabella, who seems to have disappeared without trace. The only clue to her whereabouts is an obscure 1940s’ portrait left in her flat, a gift from her godfather, Stefan. The painting depicts the mysterious Christa Klein, Stefan’s sister ― and an alleged murderess.
Was Christa Klein really guilty of a monstrous crime? What exactly happened within brooding Wewelsburg Castle back in 1941? And what does it have to do with Arabella’s disappearance? As Phin delves further, he uncovers evidence of a lost piece of music and a devastating wartime secret: an atrocity whose repercussions reach to the present day.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In British author Rayne's engrossing second mystery featuring London music researcher Phineas Fox (after Death Notes), Phin agrees to help his neighbor, Toby Tallis, search for Arabella Tallis, Toby's cousin, after she fails to show up one evening for a party. At Arabella's flat, Toby is surprised to spot a small portrait belonging to his and Arabella's godfather, Stefan Cain, a refugee who came to England from Europe after WWII. The musicologist in Phin is instantly drawn to the portrait, which is of Stefan's long-dead older sister, Christa Klein, holding some sheet music, and the puzzle that it presents. A second, more sinister plot line focuses on a dysfunctional brother and sister duo, Marcus and Margot Mander, who are searching for a lost inheritance and have a connection to Christa. Flashbacks to Nazi Germany shed light on Stefan and Christa's history. How the various narrative threads converge in the shadow of a menacing castle in the remote German countryside will keep the reader guessing to the end.
