Does the world need another book about Mozart? Only if it is unique.Mozart's Last Aria, a historical crime thriller about the mystery surrounding the great composer's life, fits the bill.Enter the opera hall as Matt Rees brings 18th century Vienna to life in his clever and entertaining expedition through the opera halls and streets Mozart frequented.Deception, passion and fear roam in the city where Freemasons furtively meet to usurp power from those who abuse it.The book's heroine and narrator is Mozart's sister, Nannerl, who, upon hearing of her brother's death, leaves her oppressive husband to attend the funeral.Once in Vienna, she unravels clues that point Mozart's suspicious death by poisoning.Nannerl, an accomplished harpsichordist and pianist, had given up her performing career years ago in favor of her precocious brother.Estranged and bitter, she says, "I had to acknowledge that.I had been merely a Mozart.Only he had ever been 'Mozart'." Fueled by guilt over their lack of communication, she becomes a persistent and effective detective.Historians believe that rheumatic fever caused Mozart's death.Mozart's Last Aria tells us that Mozart believed he was poisoned weeks before he died.Whatever Freemason directive he tried to promote may have been the cause of his death.Nannerl stops at nothing to find his killer.She may have lived in the 18th century, but she functions like a contemporary CSI investigator.Mozart's Last Aria will certainly capture the attention of music lovers, but its real draw will be enthusiasts of historical mystery.It is reminiscent of Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin moved forward several centuries and minus the gore.The ending is a bit far-fetched and the book seems a platform for the author to parade his musical knowledge, but all in all the book is a fun romp.Recommended especially for music lovers.
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