(5 / 5)
This dazzling new Victorian mystery from USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden, introduces readers to Nell Hallam, a determined young pianist who stumbles upon the operations of a notorious — and deadly — crime ring while illicitly working as the piano player in a Soho music hall.
‘A Dangerous Duet’ is a great read. I found the storyline very interesting and very well put together. Author Karen Odden certainly researched her material well, it made reading it a rare treat.
We have a brother and sister, Matthew and Nell, living in London. He is a detective with Scotland Yard while she plays and studies piano. What Matthew is not aware of is that Nell dresses up as a man and plays in the Octavian Music Hall to earn tuition fees in the hopes she will pass an audition for the Royal Academy.
And so the stage is set, so to speak. A wonderful array of artists are presented to you and you begin to understand the world of music hall artists through the eyes of an innocent 21-year-old. The whole spectrum of upper London royalty and the appalling poverty of the poor is very well presented. Of course, the underworld as Matthew knows it, and the same vista that Nell has from working in the Octavian, shows the reader a great wealth of information.
Naturally, the underworld is the center of this story and Nell becomes involved, inadvertently, while her brother, unaware of Nell’s involvement, is trying to solve the case from his end. Of course, we also have romance and it is treated very gently by Odden, with an old-fashioned touch that is more than welcome in this day and age of blatant sexuality. Everything turns out fine but Nell has lots of near escapes and adventures along the way.
Available in bookstores Tuesday, November 6th
