The Musician’s Daughter

Dunlap, Susanne. The Musician’s Daughter. 2009. 322p. ISBN 978-1-59990-332-3. Available at FIC DUN on the library shelves.

Theresa Maria is lucky to have a musician father who works for a Prince. Finding employment in 18th-century Vienna is hard enough, but for a musician it’s almost impossible. Having Prince Nicholas Esterhazy as a patron is a good thing for the family, as it keeps them fed and sheltered. A musician in her own right, Theresa aspires to join an orchestra but she knows her gender stands in the way of being able to secure such a position.

When her father is found assassinated near a gypsy camp and his priceless violin missing, Theresa’s world comes crashing down around her. Who would want to kill a court musician? Armed with the only clue she has, a mysterious gold pendant found around her father’s neck, Theresa decides she will investigate. Finding employment as a copyist for her father’s teacher, renowned composer Franz Joseph Haydn, Theresa discovers a plot involving blackmail and extortion and the local gypsy tribe. With the help of Zoltan, a dashing gypsy, Theresa hopes to find the murderer. But the issues that motivated her father’s death are still very much in play, and her life at risk.

The Musician’s Daughter is an excellent historical novel taking place in the best magical capital in the world, Vienna. Fans of history will appreciate the look at a society rapidly evolving and will appreciate Theresa’s hopes of escaping a marriage she does not want and finding out why her father was killed.