Chord of evil by Sarah Rayne.
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.
A good read. I did like the cover. 4*.

CHORD OF EVIL is Book 2 in author Sarah Rayne's PHINEAS FINN MUSIC MYSTERIES, a series which I am currently reading consecutively. Again, Ms. Rayne demonstrates her monumental gift for weaving multiple historical eras and quite a number of protagonists living their individual yet intricately connected threads. Once again there is an authority figure in abuse of power (as in DEATH NOTES). Here the historical era is primarily 1939-1941 in Germany, heartwrenching and infamous.

A stand out war time suspense, a unique protagonist in Phineas Fox and an author to keep an eye out for! A really good, enjoyable read :-)

Sarah Rayne never stops to amaze me!
This book is remarkably well written and plotted. There are no wasted words in it. It reads linearly, even though it moves back and forth between the present and the 1940’s. The use of language was very well done and the book is easy to read. It gives enough of the main characters’ backgrounds to flesh them out but no so much as to intrude on the story. I appreciated the easy relationship between Toby and Phin. I recall in the last book that Phin was a little suspicious of Toby. Of course, they had just met and Toby’s noisy and raucous parties were an annoyance to Phin.

Part two of Sarah Raynes Phineas Fox series begins at a suburban house party. Fox's friend and sport crazy loafer Toby is concerned when his cousin Arabella doesn't turn up. She's seemingly vanished without a trace. Their only clue is a portrait of an infamous 1940's murderess Crista Klein. Crista was the sister of Toby and Arabella's godfather Stefan....on the night Arabella vanishes he's attacked in his home in an apparent botched robbery. Were they looking for the picture and if so why? Phineas cannot say no to his friends pleas for help and soon their research leads them to Germany and a tragic story of a family caught in Hitler's net of evil.

As always Sarah Rayne delivers on all fronts, she really is up there as one of my very favourite writers. She weaves her spell again with Phineas Fox acts a conduit to the real story, that of Crista and her family and how she ended up being known as manipulative murderess of not only a handsome baron but also being responsible for her own mother's demise. There are no star characters in Raynes books - the star of the story is...well the story. Here's hoping part 3 will be here very soon.

Phineas Fox investigates the mystery of a portrait featuring hand written music from WWII

Toby Tallis asks his friend Phineas to look into the disappearance of his cousin, who has suddenly vanished without a trace. At her flat they find a portrait of a woman holding a sheet of music titled ‘Giselle’s Music’. The portrait belongs to her godfather, Stefan Cain, who came to England as a young boy; a refugee after World War Two. Looking closer at the portrait, Phineas notices a strange chord – a tritone – once called the devil in music. It is a discordant tone, once banned in Church music. Phin’s current commission is to trace the erratic journeys and various fates of several eminent composers and conductors sent into exile by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s and to provide factual evidence for a textbook for a northern university. Seeing the tritone sets Phineas on a journey to discover who Giselle was and why she would have used the tritone chord.

The storyline in this book is intricately plotted and gripping from the first page. It explores the love between mother and child and the sacrifice that a mother is willing to make for her children. It delves into the world of music and orchestras, the horror of the concentration camps of World War Two and how the human spirit is tenacious and can survive even the worst atrocities. Yet the book is written in a light-hearted tone which does not suck the reader down into the dark depths that are covered in the book. A most enjoyable read.

Saphira

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I requested this book because Sarah Rayne is one of the few horror writers that I enjoy (because I'm too much of a scaredy-cat to explore the horror genre). While I haven't read her works in a while - something that I should remedy soon - Chords of Evil has the same suspense and crescendoing dread that the other works have.

Chords of Evil is a story told in two time periods and through four points of view. It starts in the modern day, with Phineas Fox. His neighbour, Toby, asks for his help in finding his missing cousin Arabella. To be honest, the normalcy of the beginning threw me off, but the book after they find a mysterious painting, the book quickly shifts to Margot, who's a bit obsessed with her brother, and then back into the past to Giselle in Nazi-era Germany and then to one last character (not going to name her to avoid spoilers). As the different threads start to weave themselves together, the world of the story got darker and darker and I felt that familiar sense of dread creeping over me.

Sarah Rayne tends to be a master of the dual plot structure, but I'll admit that I was a bit confused initially. I'm not sure if it's just the ARC copy I received, but there was nothing to indicate a POV change, which meant that I ended up going back and rereading a couple of chapters because I got lost. To be fair, I did put the book down and I suppose that if I read the first few chapters in one sitting, this wouldn't have happened. But as the story progressed and I got a hang of who's who, the shifts in POV and time felt a lot smoother and instead of being confused, the tension increased with every change.

As for characters, I thought that Giselle and the other character in the past felt very well-rounded, while Phineas was a little more forgettable and Margot was just creepy. I also thought that Arabella verged on being just a bit too manic pixie dream girl-ish, but since she didn't really appear until the ending of the book, she ending up being more charming than anything.

To be honest, I don't think Chord of Evil is as good as some of her other books, like A Dark Dividing, Roots of Evil, Spider Light, or Ghost Song, which were the first few books of hers that I read - before this blog, or perhaps in its earliest days - and which I would dearly love to re-read again. But on the whole, it is a solid thriller and did a good job of creeping me out, even if the beginning was a bit rough.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

For the first chapter or so of this novel I wasn't sure I was going to get into it, but I kept reading and now I'm happy that I did. This turned out to be a fantastic book with a lot to offer the reader, particularly if you are interested in the time period around WWII.

There is a wide variety of different characters in this book, some that I loved and some that I couldn't stand, as the author intended, I'm sure. The important thing for me, was that I felt something for each one of them, positive or negative. These characters are the kind that seem so real you feel like you know them personally and they stay with you once you have finished reading the book.

I like the way the story moved back and forth between the present and the past and how the mysteries were unveiled a little at a time until everything was tied up in the end. Once I got involved with this book I didn't want to set it down until I was finished. Giselle was my favourite character and I was sorry to see the book end after feeling so close to her and her family.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this historical period and to those who are looking for something captivating to read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Chord of Evil is a mystery set in two eras. The story moves between the past, the early war years (the late 1930s) in Germany, and present-day England with a missing person in the present and questions about links to people from that unknown past. As in the first book in the series, Death Notes, there is music, mystery, a touch of the fantastic and much history. Here that history involves Nazi Germany, their use of forced labor to turn out propaganda in the early war years, here specifically a piece of music marked with a dissonant "chord of evil."

I do enjoy this series though I will admit to being a tad confused during the first part of this novel with the switches in place but not necessarily in time with the introduction of new characters. It took me a moment or two to make connections. I question if this could have been smoother. The villains here are not subtle; they are the obvious evil men whether they are dressed in black or not. But the plot has some interesting sideways moves to it that I didn't see coming.

So all in all a 3.5* rounded up for the ending.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EXCERPT: On the first night she knelt on the window-seat of her room, staring across the darkening landscape towards a huddle of buildings. At first she was not sure what they were. They were too large to be farm buildings, and too neatly laid out to be a village. She thought the word for it might be regimented. Might it be a factory? But as she went on looking, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness - or perhaps the moon simply came out from behind clouds - and she could make out tall gates. She was seeing more details as well now, and sick horror was starting to sweep over her. Because on the eastern side of the buildings, almost exactly as she had seen them in her nightmares, were jutting brick chimneys.

It's a concentration camp, thought Christa. It's one of the places where people are shut away and where the skewer-eyed men and the humpback surgeons pull out their bones. Where the brick chimneys sometimes glow with heat, because people - dozens of people - are being burned. For the first time since leaving Lindschoen, she was grateful that Stefan was not with them.

THE BLURB: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I enjoyed Chord of Evil by Sarah Rayne, although I wouldn't call it chilling. It is really almost a cosy mystery. Although some of the subject matter, the concentration camps, the Nazi's treatment of the Jews, could be horrific, it is merely glossed over in favor of presenting a good mystery.

And it is a good mystery, one that had me turning the pages rapidly to find out who was going to survive and just whether or not Christa was a murderess.

Don't expect any great historical depth, or in fact much depth at all. If you want a quick, enjoyable mystery to read, Chord of Evil fits the bill admirably. If I get the chance to read more in this series, I will definitely be taking it.

Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Chord of Evil by Sarah Rayne for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This is a completely absorbing book. It goes from past to present and tells a story of secrets that were kept in world war two but are still relevant today. It moves seamlessly from the 1940's to present day. Toby Tallis, who is a friend of Phineas Fox invites him to a party. When Toby's cousin Arabella doesn't show Toby and Phin go to Arabella's apartment and realize that she is missing. They find a painting of a woman names Christa who was painted in the 1940's and was the sister of their godfather Stefan. She was thought to be a murderess. This sends Phin on a search for answers . This is a wonderful very detailed book is definitely worthy of a five star rating.

Sarah Rayne has become a go-to author for me - I eagerly read anything she writes, and I constantly recommend her to people in the library and friends in my Reader world. Rayne has a remarkable ability to weave history, horror, mystery, and a little bit of romance into can't-put-it-down books. She succeeds again with Chord of Evil, the second in her Phineas Fox series.

Not every author can pull off a parallel narrative with one set of characters in the present day and another in the past. Rayne has mastered this technique and uses it again here as we learn the present day story and how it entwines with the past.

If I have one issue with this book, it's Phin's reaction to actually meeting the fabulous Arabella in person. He's disappointed? Are you freaking kidding me? At that moment, Phin is pretty much a jerk, but he comes around!

I will continue to recommend Sarah Rayne's books, including this new entry, and will eagerly await her next one!

Well done dual time line mystery. I'd not read Rayne before and was impressed with her ability to manage a lot of characters and events in a fairly short read. You'll learn a bit about WWII and musicians - Giselle is forced to create a piece of music for the Nazis. This echoes down through the years until Toby and Phin become involved in the mystery of what really happened. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for a complex and well thought out tale.

I had trouble getting into this book but once I did I found myself enthralled.

Thank you Netgalley, Severn House and Sarah Rayne for the eARC.
This is the 2nd Phinias Fox in the series and I enjoyed it immensely, even more so than the 1st one.
Phin and his neighbor Toby go on a trip to Germany after Toby's cousin Arabella doesn't show up for his party, very unusual for the adventurous girl. Not answering her cell and not at her flat, Toby fears something bad has happened to her. A missing painting and a handwritten copy of sheet music point the way to the ominous Wewelsburg Castle and the 2 men travel to Germany, determined to find Arabella as well as solve the mysteries posed by their finds.
We go back in time to the Holocaust and a 3rd thread introduces us to a brother and sister, who end up in Germany at the same time as Phin and Toby. I enjoyed the atmosphere, especially the Holocaust thread which was very poignant to me, as both my parents were incarcerated by the Nazis. The 3 threads come together quite satisfactorily in the end and left me wanting to spend more time in Phin's world.
As usual in Sarah Rayne's books, there is a pervasive sense of doom and danger, while at the same time wing a cozy read...I don't know how she does that so well! But that and the writing are the reasons I've read everyone of her books and loved them.

A Phineas Fox Mystery about musicians, composers and the mysterious Christa who disapeared in the 1940's.
I like the way music and composers were woven into the story. Phineas and his friend Toby go searching for Toby's cousin Arabella after she leaves a cryptic text message and a portrait of Christa in her flat. The portrait belonged to Toby's Godfathef Stefan.
Meanwhile Margot and Markus Mander are scheming at trying to get an inheritance that should have went to their distant relative.
The story swings between Toby and Phineas and their search for Arabella and then to Margot and Markus and also back to the 1940's and what happened at Wewelsburg Castle.
The pace is fast and there is an underscore of evil and creepiness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for a digital galley of this novel.

I have read other books by Sarah Rayne and liked them very much. I began this series with the first Phineas Fox novel and rated it a three star experience. I had hoped this second book would suit me better, but I've only given this one three stars so I don't think I'm going to ever warm up to Phineas enough to follow the series. This second story relies too heavily on coincidence. Every time the story needed to move along -- Bingo! a piece of necessary information materialized hidden inside something. And I'm still confused about all of that sheet music that kept turning up.

There are three major plot threads in this novel with one taking place in Germany between 1939-1941 which progresses from a home to a concentration camp. There is a rape scene in this older section which is described rather completely so you might want to know that ahead of time. The improbable scenarios keep stacking up until the three threads come together. I am not forming any kind of attachment to Phin so it would not make sense for me to continue with the series.

While reading this book, I felt the need to google the various settings to see if my minds eye view of the book matched up and sure enough, Ms. Rayne's descriptions had transported me to England and World War II Germany. I am a sucker for books about the Holocaust and this book was no different. I was pulled into a wonderful multi-faceted story that I would recommend highly to anyone wishing for a great, shorter read!

I really enjoyed this book. Caught my interest from the start and kept it the whole way through. There were several mysteries intertwined throughout it but it never became confusing or too complicated to easily follow. And it all tied in together very well. It does jump backwards and forwards between past and present which is something I'm often not a fan of but this worked very well.

The main characters were likeable and believable. There was enough detail to really set the scene without bogging you down in unnecessary facts and the details seemed plausible for the time in history parts of the book were set in. I found the plot believable although I have no absolutely no idea whether it actually would have been in real life.

There was nothing really gory about this book in my opinion.

This is the second book I've read by this author and will definitely be on the look out for more as I've enjoyed both.