The Chopin Manuscript

With a concept and characters created by Jeffery Deaver, 15 writers were assigned one chapter apiece to produce a unified novel. The result is a suspenseful, action-packed international thriller filled with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Harry Middleton, retired hunter of war criminals, now leads the quiet life of a musicologist. Into his hands falls a heretofore unknown manuscript by Chopin, perhaps part of a cache of treasures looted by the Nazis. An attempt on his life and a string of bodies reaching from Europe to the U.S. proves that there is more than just musical notes on the Chopin pages. On the run, Middleton must decipher a secret hidden within the Chopin masterpiece, a secret that could sound the death knell for thousands. Alfred Molina’s excellent reading matches the novel’s breakneck pacing, while he smoothly portrays numerous characters of diverse ethnicity and gender. He impressively navigates his way through the writers’ multifarious writing styles and intricate plotting, bringing an overall consistency to the story. (Nov.)