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Paul Adam's classical music mysteries are a small genuine niche in the larger thriller marketplace, and The Killing of the Saints is one of the strongest of them. The setting is the world of Italian violin-making and the contested business of attribution, with a death at a Cremona auction setting off an investigation that runs through workshops, conservatories, and the kind of music-historical archives most thrillers do not bother with.
Adam's great strength is that he genuinely knows the world he is writing about. The luthiery scenes are technically detailed in a way that the form does not require but rewards. The attribution-history material is fascinating. The mystery itself is competent and the closing reveal lands fairly.
Four stars. Recommended to readers who love classical music or the niche subgenre of art-world mysteries. Adam's Rainaldi Quartet is probably the best entry point for new readers but this one is strong.
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