Ghost Music (Warleigh Hall Press Orchestral Novel Series)
by Alice McVeighPublish: Aug 19, 2024RomanceLiterary Fiction
Book Overview
(This is the second edition of Ghost Music, which was originally published by Orion/Hachette. In August 2024 this version won the Gold Medal for literary fiction in the Global ebooks Awards.)
A standalone sequel to the bestselling While the Music Lasts, Ghost Music was inspired by McVeigh’s fifteen years of touring on... four continents with London orchestras including the BBC Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.
"McVeigh defines an orchestra as ‘a combination of the unlikely and the insufferable, attempting the impossible.’ The same may be said of her novel, which smoothly harmonizes disparate themes and perspectives. Sexy and satirical, the narrative captivatingly chronicles personal politics and the world of music, both ghostly and otherwise." - Publishers Weekly
GHOST MUSIC finds the fictional Orchestra of London beset by difficulties. Zimetski, their fiery Polish conductor, drives musicians simultaneously to greater performances and personal desperation, while Pete, the orchestral manager, attempts damage control.
William Mellor, a cellist, buys an antique cello at auction only to discover that it has supernatural qualities. A mysterious young woman then joins the orchestra, captivates the conductor and attempts to captivate William, who's struggling to get back together with his estranged wife. In the end, no force, whether earthly or otherwise, can keep William from confronting the cello’s true nature – as well as his own.
Reviews for Ghost Music
“McVeigh holds nothing back in her account of the backstage life of an orchestra. Although there is no overriding voice, orchestra manager Pete Hegal emerges as the reader's friend. A disillusioned violinist, Pete speaks with McVeigh's wry perception... The tempo rises on the Royal Sinfonia's Greek tour: a musical world that many see as staid and disciplined is turned upside down by McVeigh. The Last Night of the Proms will never seem the same again.” - The Yorkshire Post
“Wonderful!--even better than your first novel. And even more true!” - Vladimir Ashkenazy, Letter to Alice McVeigh
“Ever wondered what goes on in the backstage life of a symphony orchestra? This racy novel was written by someone who knows.” The Daily Mailread more
BIOGRAPHY Brilliantly-reviewed contemporary novelist with Orion. (Both novels about to be re-issued.)
McVeigh's Last Star Standing: Kirkus-starred. Runner-up in action/adventure in the Independent Press Awards. Finalist in visionary fiction in the International Book Awards. Currently finalist in CIBA's Cygnus Award. (... Used pen name Spaulding Taylor.)
McVeigh's Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel (top-rated, 10/10 historical novelist in Publishers Weekly's BookLife Award (quarterfinalist) Also a Gold Medal winner in the Global Book Awards, the Pencraft Book Awards and the eLit Book Awards. Finalist in the Indie Excellence Book (historical fiction), the Wishing Shelf Award, and CIBA's Goethe Award (pre-1750 historical fiction).
McVeigh's new release, Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation. Finalist in the International Book Awards, has won Gold in the Global Book Awards, and was on March 28th starred review on Publishers Weekly. (Editor's Pick "outstanding"). Details on https://www.alicemcveigh.com.
Reviews of McVeigh’s contemporary novels:
The Sunday Times:
'Characters rise and fall to McVeigh’s superbly controlled conductor's baton. The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm; all human life is here . . . McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes.'
The Sunday Telegraph:
'McVeigh is a professional cellist and is thus able to describe with wry authority the extraordinary life of a London orchestra. This is a very enjoyable novel, and not quite as light as it pretends to be.'read more