The Mozart Conspiracy

Vienna 1781. Theresa Schurman a young lady has a double life, one as a lady and daughter of a respectable family, the other as Thomas Weissbrot, the violinist. Walking home after a concert it is Thomas who witnesses a murder, with the victim naming Mozart. She decides to investigate what becomes a complex investigation, who can she trust, what is the real truth.
This was an enjoyable and well-written historical mystery, which is plot-driven rather than dealing with the characters, Though I admit to not really taking to the character of Theresa, I probably found her too immature for my reading tastes.

The Mozart Conspiracy
Susanne Dunlap

This young adult historical mystery is well written and delightful to read. Seventeen year old Rezia (Theresa Schurman) is a very talented violinist and amateur sleuth. She is of the upper class and one would think that, living in Vienna Austria during the height of the Austro-Hungarian empire, would have little to complain about. But she is a girl/woman ahead of her time. As talented as she is the 18th century Viennese culture defines the role of women very completely, prohibiting females from playing with the official orchestras. As strong willed as she is, however, she resorts to the rather bold, and dangerous tactic of disguising herself as a young man both to hide her true identity in the larger orchestras and to avail herself of the broader scope of activities of men in the world at large.

Even her social situation is precarious. Her father had passed away as a result of a scandal requiring her to use her musical talents to help support her mother and two siblings, one just a toddler.

An incident occurs which complicates her life even more and places her in real physical danger as well. She witnesses what appears to be a murder. Just the attempt to report this assault to the authorities requires her to assume her male persona in order to be taken seriously.

The mystery around which this story revolves involves a plot on the life of the Emperor. A sub-plot includes the attempt of Rezia to assist Mozart in presenting a symphony in Vienna over the objections of a powerful antagonist who attempts to undermine Mozart at every turn.

The troubles and complexities just continue to escalate from that point. Her circle of acquaintances include a group of Romany (Gypsies) with whom she is very close, the brilliant composer Mozart, and even the Emperor of Austria himself.

While this was a ‘fun’ read and worth the interested readers time it is rather one dimensional. There are many characters but the reader rarely glimpses beyond the facade. The dialogue borders on the trivial with more effort placed on describing apparel than on personalities and motivations.

In Vienna in the time of Mozart, one girl will defy societal norms for the sake of the music she loves and the investigation she can't let go.

By day, Theresa Schurman is a good Viennese girl living with her mother, little sister, and the family's housekeeper. The daughter of a famous musician who taught her to play before his death, she teaches violin to several girls from prominent families. However, her teaching alone does not make enough to support her family; so she supplements her income by disguising herself as a boy to play in orchestras all over the city by night. It is on her way home from one of these evening events that she witnesses a crime being committed against a fellow musician. When she reports what she's seen, however, the police are less than helpful; and she finds herself investigating on her own. What she uncovers will both shock her and put her in more danger than she knows how to handle. So why won't the police help her, what has she stumbled into, and how on Earth is the famous composer Mozart involved?

I really enjoyed this book. Theresa is a spunky young woman living at a time when females did not have a lot of opportunities and were certainly not thought fit to participate in Vienna's lively music scene. But Theresa defies all that to become Thomas at night and to make music with some of the greatest composers of the day. The factual information woven throughout about classical music is a delight, and though the mystery part of the story is fictional, much of the background is not. The mystery itself is complex and confusing, but confusing in a good way. It kept me guessing the entire time, and even at its conclusion, I had to take a minute to digest everything and put the pieces all together. This is the first book I've read in this series, and it has done its job in convincing me that I definitely want to read more.

bottom line: If you like historical mysteries, this one is fantastic. Its against the backdrop of Vienna in the time of some of the greatest classical musicians ever, and music is certainly a major theme throughout. The characters are compelling and the plot is fast-paced. It's a fun read that is sure to have you wanting to check out the rest of the series.

Firstly, I did not know this book was a sequel until after I read it. However, it still made sense and was quite interesting. I thought the writing was quite good and it was easy to follow, but not so easy that it became boring. I learned a lot about Vienna and it's history which was really cool. All around, a fascinating read.

Theresa Schurman leads a double life. Theresa is a respectable young lady of Vienna but she is also Thomas who plays the violin. Since women are not allowed to play she has had to be deceptive. Her mother is widowed and so they need the money that Rezia makes teaching and playing in small orchestras. She is on her way home as Thomas one night when she sees a man being stabbed/ When she goes back later he has disappeared. The only thing he said to her was, "Mozart". She does not know what to make of this but just can't leave it alone.. The story unfolds with the involvement of the Jewish musicians, Freemasons, the Prince and the local gypsies. There is a conspiracy happening and she knows not what or who is involved.

The Mozart Conspiracy by Susanne Dunlap presents an interesting and well-written account of the life of a Viennese girl during the historical time. The gripping description of a young girl who comes across a murder on her way home presents exceptional events experienced by Therese Schurman. Therese who acts like a boy and girl attempts to gain sufficient income as a violinist. Her life changed with becoming entangled in a murder investigation. This murder seemed a lot more complex than thought and the help from Captain Von Bauer she attempts to solve this complex event.

The storyline presents excellent reading material to individuals who enjoy the historical landscapes of artists and musicians during the Mozart music period. The book presents well-written events that keep the reader's interest and wondering what the next chapter may bring.

The relationships between the different characters present a world of intrigue, relationship building, investigations and discovery of unknown events. I recommend this book to persons who love historical novels with an investigative flair.

i really enjoyed reading this book, I liked the duality of the main character and the mystery in the book. Overall I really would love to read more from the author.

I very much enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that Theresa is living a double life. She has to dress as a man to play the violin in any ensembles throughout Paris. One night while she is in disguise, she witnesses a man being attacked and becomes entangled in the mystery behind his death, as it reminds her of her father's murder 2 years earlier.

Unterhaltsame Lektüre, fantasievoll und vermutlich weit von jeder Realität. Aber eine nette Geschenkidee für Mozartfans.