The winner this year is a twenty-three year old Russian, Yevgeny Ivanov. Yevgeny has noticed a slight buzzing sound when he plays the instrument which he feels will be detrimental to his performance. The instrument is taken to Gianni Castiglione, a master violin maker for assessment. Gianni diagnoses the problem and corrects it.

The concert proceeds without incident and Yevgeny invites Gianni to a post performance reception to thank him for his help with the repair of the instrument. At the reception Gianni meets Francois Villeneuve, a French art dealer, among other rich and famous Italian personalities.

The next day Villeneuve is found dead in his hotel room. It is the responsibility of Detective Antonio Guastafeste to investigate the death. Antonio and Gianni are good friends having played in a amateur string quartet together so it is logical for Antonio to tap Gianni’s expertise in the world of classical music, classical musicians, and the host of people that inhabit and service this industry.

At first glance a novel which has at its heart violins, classical music and famous classical musicians would seem to appeal to a limited audience. Paul Adam has written a short novel which can be easily read, understood and appreciated by the lay public. He offers just enough background in Paganini’s life, the history of the time in which Paganini lived, and the history of violin making to make his readers comfortable without overburdening them with minutia.

The main protagonist of the story is sixty-four-year-old Gianni Castiglione, a violin maker, a craftsman, and reasonably competent violinist. He has not become rich at his craft, but he takes pride in his work and has achieved some status in the community for his efforts. Unlike many protagonists in mystery novels he does not have extraordinary physical skills or intuition. He does have the essential skills to help solve this particular crime.

There are several underlying subplots which add interest to the story. For instance, Yevgeny is a very talented young man who has been led every step of the way in his career by his domineering mother. He loves to play the violin and has no qualms about his career choice despite the fact that his mother has chosen it for him. He does, however, want a life beyond or outside his profession which leads to conflict with his maternal parental unit.

There are some interesting aspects of Paganini’s life which play a part in the novel including a love affair or two and the search for the sheet music which Paganini composed that was closely linked to an affair. Within the space of a mere two hundred seventy five pages several clever tales unfold with equally clever solutions. Paganini’s Ghost is a worthwhile read even if you are not a classical music buff.

--Andy Plonka