Monday, March 14, 2022

Book Review with Featured Author: The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

 


 

Publisher & Release: Thomas Nelson, March 15, 2022


Setting:  1946-1947, Vienna, Austria


Genre: Historical Fiction


Length: 367 Pages


Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns


Book Description: 


No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Mozart-Code-Rachel-McMillan-ebook/dp/B08BYZ8VNJ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mozart-code-rachel-mcmillan/1137257379

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-mozart-code-1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_McMillan_The_Mozart_Code?id=tdTtDwAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Mozart-Code-Audiobook/0785253416?qid=1647308391&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=E2FQTATM34FY6M4VFK8R

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54350812-the-mozart-code

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-mozart-code-by-rachel-mcmillan

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book by publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

The Mozart Code is a well-researched novel set in the aftermath of WWII. As the British and American fight Russia’s determination to spread communism across eastern Europe. Austria is teetering on the edge and must be saved. The characters are intriguing, and the plot is complicated. 

 

Unfortunately, the tale is so enmeshed in historical details in the first half of the book and told without enough emotion, I almost gave up on it. I’m glad I continued reading. The second half of the book is much better. The pacing picked up and drew me into the story, and I became vested in the characters.

 

Sophie Huntington Villiers is a complex character. Her parents only see her as a pawn in their game, wanting her to marry someone who would raise their social standing. Her grandmother made her vow to never give her heart. That caused her to deny her love for Simon.

 

Simon Barrington is our hero and spymaster of this tale. He’s loved Sophie for years and when they marry, he means every word he pledges, but he realizes he must not let Sophie know. I enjoyed his emotional struggle.

 

The romance between Sophie and Simon is strong, and I wanted them to find their happy ending. However, this novel is not supposed to be a romance, but historical fiction with plenty of espionage and suspense. For me that fell short until the last quarter of the book. I’m a true lover of history and have become entranced with WWII novels, so I’m surprised I didn’t become drawn into that aspect of the book. 

 

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction set in the aftermath of WWII as the allies race to stop Russia from increasing their stranglehold on Europe, then The Mozart Code may be the book for you. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:



Rachel McMillan is the author of The Herringford and Watts mysteries, The Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries, The Three Quarter Time series, The London Restoration and The Mozart Code. Her non-fiction works including Dream Plan Go: A Travel Guide for Independent Adventure and A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada and is always reading.

 

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachkmc1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachkmc

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-mcmillan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14165949.Rachel_McMillan

 

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