The Vanishing Violinist: A Joan Spencer Mystery

by Sara Hoskinson Frommer

Book Overview

Joan Spencer's future son-and-law is competing in the prestigious International Violin Competition when he becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of a top contender and her priceless... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312241046
• ISBN13: 9780312241049
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 229 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Top honors go to . . .

Brava to the author who so skillfully balances life in the slow-paced, small town of Oliver, Indiana, against the sophisticated internationally-renowned Violin Competition, held quadrennially in the larger city of Indianapolis. Indeed, the author is not the only person to refer to this as the 'Olympics for the Violin'. Such competitions are a fact of life for aspiring young musicians, and the pressures are unbelievable, as a career can easily be made or broken by the final standings. The descriptions of the competition are exactly right--as are those of the young entrants.Joan Spencer is an amateur violist who loves and lives her music. But that is not her entire life. Widowed, perhaps too young, she was left with two young children and the necessity to earn a living. Now her children are more-or-less out on their own, and Joan can resume her own life. And so she does.A big part of her new life is Lieutenant Fred Lundquist of the Oliver police force. As much as she loves him, she wonders if she can cope with being the wife of a policeman. As the story of the vanishing violinist unfolds, intruding even to the little town of Oliver, Joan comes to realize that time is more important than anything else, and she mustn't waste whatever time she and Fred can have together.This well-written book will appeal greatly to lovers of classical music, whether knowledgeable about it or not (and kudos to the editor who didn't dumb down the many musical references!) as well as to mystery novel fans. Women of a certain age will also like this book, along with the clear-headed Joan who hasn't lost her common sense. She is such a genuinely nice person I'd really like to have her for a friend. You might, too.

Excellent Midwest cozy

In Oliver, Indiana, Joan Spencer and police detective lieutenant Fred Lundquist plan to marry soon. Her happy daughter Rebecca informs Joan that she is engaged to marry violin expert Bruce Graham. Joan meets her future son-in-law when he competes in an international event in nearby Indianapolis. However, at the convention site, someone steals a precious Stradivarius from one of Bruce's more talented rivals. Subsequently, that same individual soon vanishes. The police suspect Bruce is involved with the missing violin and person. This, in turn, places a cloud on the joyous occasion of meeting her daughter's future spouse. Since Rebecca insists her fiancé is innocent, Joan begins to investigate. Joan quickly learns that beneath the veneer of civilized behavior the contestants harbor deep rooted grudges and jealousies. This makes several of them prime suspects, at least in Joan's mind to commit both crimes. The fourth Joan Spencer Midwest cozy is a wonderful mystery that retains the charm of the three previous novels due to the delightful lead protagonist. The support cast adds to the overall feeling of being at a musical competition. The mystery is fun, but the lyrical description of the musical competition is simply heaven, thus confirming that Sara Hoskinson Frommer is a virtuoso.Harriet Klausner