A 15-year-old living in 18th-century Vienna finds herself entwined in political intrigue when she boldly investigates her father’s puzzling murder. A violinist in composer Franz Joseph Haydn’s orchestra at the court of Hungarian Prince Esterhazy, Theresa’s father inspired her love of music. When his body is found under mysterious circumstances near a Gypsy camp along the Danube and his violin goes missing, Theresa is determined to uncover the truth. Her search leads her into the forbidden Gypsy camps, glittering ballrooms and dank sewers of Imperial Vienna. The spirited, impetuous Theresa tells her own story, allowing readers to experience the immediacy of rapidly unfolding events amidst the glamour and turmoil of Haydn’s Vienna. As Theresa discovers her father’s role in a controversial cause supporting Hungarian serfs, she encounters deception and danger as well as honor and loyalty. While Theresa’s naïve and headstrong pursuit of her father’s murderer tests credibility, she’s a gutsy, sympathetic heroine who remains true to her friends, in a fast-paced historical adventure that offers a hint of romance. (Historical fiction. 12-16)
