Rating: 4/5
Review :
Enjoyable stuff
I am pleased to say that I liked Bold As Brass a lot more than its
predecessor, Life, Death and Cellos. It’s still pretty fluffy
nonsense, but it’s much better done and an enjoyable read.
This time, the
Stockwell Park Orchestra embarks on a “community outreach scheme”
which means getting students (invariably referred to as “kids” -
hmm) from two local schools to participate in the orchestra. One is
a rough state school struggling to emerge from Special Measures, the
other a posh minor public school, steeped in wealth, history and
entitlement. Rivalries, skulduggery and a minor mystery ensue, with
friendly DCI Noel Osmar on hand to help to sort things out.
Once again, the real
strength of the book is Isabel Rogers’s writing about music and
musicians which she does with real insight, fondness and wit. The
plot itself is...well, it’s Enid Blyton for grown-ups, really, with
some almost pantomimic stereotypes and the dastardly rotters
eventually being thoroughly routed by the jolly nice people. It’s
a lot of fun, though, and Rogers has tightened things up greatly, so
that the whole thing is well focussed and skips along nicely.
Although it’s pretty plain what is going to happen, I wanted to
keep reading and enjoyed it a lot; I have the sense that she might be
hitting her stride with this series.
So, overall, a
light, fun read with some genuinely interesting stuff about music and
performance, and which is well written and enjoyable. Recommended.
(My thanks to
Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
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