EDITORIAL REVIEW
4 STARS
“Ghost Music” by Alice McVeigh has a great premise – taking the reader behind the scenes of a fictional London orchestra. Straight away the scene is set for intrigue. William Mellor is buying an antique cello, and of course he takes it to show his fellow musicians. It is immediately apparently that this new acquisition has a significant impact on all who hear, see, and play it. While this purchase starts the story, the reader is then immersed in the personalities and dynamics of the people in the orchestra. There is a hint of mystery throughout the book, and it is not giving too much away to say the enigma is connected with William’s cello. The author notes she has herself played in an orchestra and her deep knowledge of the musical world and the intricacies of performance music shines throughout the novel. The book contains a note that it is a standalone sequel, and this reviewer happily read it as a standalone with a complete story arc.
McVeigh introduces other members of the orchestra early in the novel - Pete Hegal is the orchestral manager, and the principal conductor is Leszek. William’s reaction to Leszek’s conducting is intense, and Pete is also caught up in trying to keep things running smoothly. William (and his cello) also have other concerns, outside of the orchestra. Then there is the mysterious Janice, engaged in a trial to join the orchestra. Other characters follow, a procession of names that may require concentration to map out. The narrative contains a range of first person accounts, and so the reader will be dipping in and out of different perspectives. While each character has a distinctive personality, the story is detailed and intense, and some readers may find that the author’s intricate knowledge of music affects the pacing of the narrative. The balance between providing background detail and moving the story forward can be subjective, and it is often a difficult one.
William is a compelling character, the more so as the mystery of his cello creeps into the storyline. William’s conversations with Margot, his estranged wife, as he tries to win her back are deeply human and will be poignant for many to read. But it is Pete who is the standout character, reminiscing while reviewing his diaries and tying the story together. He is slightly jaded, slightly cynical, trying to rein it all in and at the same time unable to hide his passion for music and for the show. His observations about others are sometimes blunt, but usually accurate. Usually.
The ending of “Ghost Music” brings the story to a convincing close, and circles back around to the opening paragraphs, reminding the reader of Pete first reading his diaries. William’s final musings are enigmatic and haunting, in keeping with the overall tone of the novel.
“Ghost Music” by Alice McVeigh is an absorbing and vivid story, with a well-crafted supernatural aspect. As well as being an immersive musical experience, each character is given both musical and personal concerns, which makes for a rollercoaster read! Those readers who already have knowledge of orchestras will relish the detail in the narrative, and the complex characterizations will keep all readers guessing. A fascinating read!
AUTHOR BIO
Alice McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by UK's Unbound in speculative fiction (writing as Spaulding Taylor) and by Warleigh Hall Press in historical fiction. Her books have been in the last seven for the UK Selfies Book Award (2024), been a runner-up for Foreword Indies' "Book of the Year" and joint runner-up in Writers Digest International Book Awards. Three of her novels have been Publishers Weekly's starred "Editors Picks" - one was a BookLife quarterfinalist. McVeigh's multi-award-winning Austenesque series won First Place for Book Series (historical) in Chanticleer's International Book Awards 2023.
A long-term Londoner, McVeigh was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar, where her father was a US diplomat. After spending her teenage years in McLean, Virginia, and achieving a degree with distinction in cello performance at the internationally renowned Jacobs School of Music, she came to London to study cello with William Pleeth. McVeigh spent over fifteen years performing worldwide with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique.
She was first published in the late1990s, when her two contemporary novels (WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC) were published by Orion Publishing to excellent reviews, including: “The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm; all human life is here . . . McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes”(The Sunday Times). And: “McVeigh is a professional cellist and is thus able to describe with wry authority the extraordinary life of a London orchestra. This is a very enjoyable novel, and not quite as light as it pretends to be” (The Sunday Telegraph). Inspired by her life as a touring cello professional, both novels have been recently released in completely new editions on Smashwords.
Alice has long been married to Simon McVeigh, Professor Emeritus at the University of London; their daughter Rachel has a Presidential Scholarship at Harvard in Chinese Lit. (Ph.D). When not playing cello or writing, Alice is generally smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (Often far too hard. As Rachel observed when aged four, “My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!”)
(This is the second edition of Ghost Music, which was originally published by Orion/Hachette. In August 2024 this version won the Gold Medal for literary fiction in the Global ebooks Awards.)
A standalone sequel to the bestselling While the Music Lasts, Ghost Music was inspired by McVeigh’s fifteen years of touring on four continents with London orchestras including the BBC Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.
"McVeigh defines an orchestra as ‘a combination of the unlikely and the insufferable, attempting the impossible.’ The same may be said of her novel, which smoothly harmonizes disparate themes and perspectives. Sexy and satirical, the narrative captivatingly chronicles personal politics and the world of music, both ghostly and otherwise." - Publishers Weekly
GHOST MUSIC finds the fictional Orchestra of London beset by difficulties. Zimetski, their fiery Polish conductor, drives musicians simultaneously to greater performances and personal desperation, while Pete, the orchestral manager, attempts damage control.
William Mellor, a cellist, buys an antique cello at auction only to discover that it has supernatural qualities. A mysterious young woman then joins the orchestra, captivates the conductor and attempts to captivate William, who's struggling to get back together with his estranged wife. In the end, no force, whether earthly or otherwise, can keep William from confronting the cello’s true nature – as well as his own.
Reviews for Ghost Music
“McVeigh holds nothing back in her account of the backstage life of an orchestra. Although there is no overriding voice, orchestra manager Pete Hegal emerges as the reader's friend. A disillusioned violinist, Pete speaks with McVeigh's wry perception... The tempo rises on the Royal Sinfonia's Greek tour: a musical world that many see as staid and disciplined is turned upside down by McVeigh. The Last Night of the Proms will never seem the same again.” -The Yorkshire Post
“Wonderful!--even better than your first novel. And even more true!” - Vladimir Ashkenazy, Letter to Alice McVeigh
“Ever wondered what goes on in the backstage life of a symphony orchestra? This racy novel was written by someone who knows.”The Daily Mail
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