I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich
Published by Union Square & Co. on June 10, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Women Fiction, International Mystery & Crime, Women's Domestic Life Fiction
Pages: 352
Buy on Amazon
A beautifully written, evocative literary page-turner about a brilliant nineteenth-century female pianist from Poland lost to history and another woman’s quest to ensure she is not forgotten—with a shocking twist of a finale.
Clara Bishop hasn’t touched a piano since a concert hall fire nearly took her life a decade ago, ending her career as a rising star in the world of classical music. Significantly scarred and unable to play, she has turned away from everything and everyone associated with music, especially her ruthless mentor Madame, whom Clara blames for her injuries.
Her life is upended when Madame dies, leaving Clara an unexpected inheritance: an ornate nineteenth-century metronome with a cryptic message hidden inside. Convinced this is not a gift but a puzzle Madame wants her to solve, Clara comes to suspect that the unusual bequest is the long-lost metronome of the composer Aleksander Starza—a priceless object missing since 1885, when Starza was murdered by the brilliant female pianist Constantia Pleyel.
As Clara works to uncover the metronome’s haunted past and protect it—and herself—from those who wish to obtain it, she discovers that nothing about Starza and his murder are what they seem. History has remembered Constantia Pleyel as an unstable artist who killed Starza in a fit of madness. The truth could rewrite the history of music—and give Clara the second chance she has been longing for.
The Fire Concerto gave what it needed to give. It’s layered, emotional, and just the right amount of eerie. Sarah Landenwich pulls you into Clara’s world with a kind of quiet intensity that makes it hard to look away. There’s beauty in the way the story unfolds. Nothing is rushed, and every moment feels intentional.
Some parts moved a little slow for me, but the tension builds in a way that keeps you curious. I found myself pausing to sit with certain lines, certain scenes. The story has a weight to it that stays with you. When I closed the book, it felt like I had just stepped out of a haunting melody, one I did not want to forget.
Reviewed by: Orsayor
