Talented flutist Amy Johnsons dreams come true when she wins a spot with the Minneapolis Symphony. But this amateur sleuth has trouble concentrating on the notes as she begins to see devious motives behind her fellow musicians' many mishaps. Meanwhile, her musically talented daughter wants to give it all up for (gasp) the cheerleading squad! What's a musical mom to do? Can Amy fine-tune her investigation before the symphony is forced to close and she loses not only her dream job but her promising new relationship with its conductor?
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
8 of 13 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Chandra Lynn (PA), July 18, 2008
Open this book and enter a world of symphonies, mysteries, cheerleaders, romance, laughter, faith and love. Sharon Hinck managed to compose a story as entertaining as the symphonic music her main characters perform.
Amy Johnson has dreamt of playing flute professionally instead of for weddings. Her dreams are realized when she earns a place in the Minneapolis Symphony. But, what is she to do when her daughter becomes more interested in cheerleading than music, her attraction to the conductor leads to distraction and the mysterious disasters and near-misses threaten to close the symphony for good? She turns on her amateur sleuth skills to investigate and solve the crimes. Then she will be back in control of her life, her daughter, her destiny.
Amy's daughter starts attending church with her best friend and talking about God. Amy is certain God has no place in His heart for her. While playing in an ensemble between masses one Sunday, the creator of music touches a spot in her heart.
Will Amy solve the mystery before her beloved orchestra, her one chance at the profession, closes? Will she and her daughter find a way to reconnect? Will the attraction between Amy and Peter, the maestro, bud into something bigger before they drive each other crazy?
Read the book. You will laugh out loud. You will love the story and if you listen carefully, I believe you can hear the symphony playing. Sharon has done it again, creating great story and endearing characters. You'll want to revisit them and see how their lives turn out.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah (Portsmouth, VA), June 11, 2008
I used to play an instrument. I played trumpet in the middle school band for three years. I got as high as first chair. So I could definitely related with Amy and her quest in the classical music world. Even if you're completely tone deaf, you won't get lost amid all the musical terms in this book. Everything is explained precisely so even the those who don't know a timpani from a tuba will be able to follow along. To be honest I didn't really like Clara that much. Usually it's because I bond with the protagonists that makes me dislike other characters who don't get along with them. I felt at times that Clara was selfish towards her mother's own wants and needs. Yes, Amy should have told her daughter the true story about her birth father from the beginning and not kept it a secret. But at the same time, I felt like it wasn't fair that Clara would place guilt trips on Amy for not being like the other moms. Obviously Amy was not a cheerleader type mom and I felt that Clara didn't seem to realize that being a single mom is not an easy task. I'm glad that for the most part they have a wonderful mother-daughter relationship but it just irked me a bit at the unreasonable demands placed on Amy at times. I loved the growing relationship between Amy and Peter. It wasn't your typical love story, fused instead with lots of humor and realistic feelings. The mystery part was great as well. Love seeing Amy's skills being put to use. This book was like several different stories combined into one - music, romance, relationship, mystery. Just like a medley of different songs, the author meshes them together to form a wonderful melody to the eyes. Another winner for Sharon Hinck!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Patty Goodman (Buffalo, MN), May 05, 2008
I just finished reading Symphony of Secrets and loved it! I enjoyed how she wrote about a non-Christian and her journey towards faith which is unique in Christian fiction. Hinck made flutist Amy Johnson seem real as a musician with music affecting her whole life. I enjoyed all the music references. The dialogue was snappy and fun. The mother-teen daughter relationship was very real as well. I really appreciated how Amy was moved by the more classical piece she had to perform at the Basilica rather than through the contemporary music at church her best friend attended. Of course all the Minnesota references were fun to visualize. Amy’s sleuthing sometimes got a little over-the-top.
It is obvious the author is planning a sequel--I just hope it is sooner than later! I am anxious to see the church Amy chooses and her continued spiritual growth, Clara finding her father, and of course how her relationship with Peter, the conductor, develops. He is very endearing.
This is the first book I have read of Hinck’s because I do not like sci-fi and the books about the young mom didn't interest this grandmother. But she nailed it with this one for me. I am seriously considering having our book club read it next year. I will certainly
recommended it to them as an interesting, fun, and good read.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Patti Hill (Grand Junction, CO), March 21, 2008
I just finished Symphony of Secrets. Oh my. The story transported me into the symphonic world through the main character’s passion for all things music—and I can barely carry a note. But this is what I look for in literature. I want to go someplace, feel something, and see the world from a new perspective. Hinck did that for me...again.
I love how Amy warms to the Savior's song through her daughter's urgent love. My mom turned her heart to Jesus when I came home from youth group transformed from a brat by His love, so this story-line rang very true to me.
Amy is a single mom, balancing deferred dreams and her teenager’s new-found independence. Sound like a cliché? Not in Hinck’s deft hands. A lyrical narrative (of course!) and a fresh plot keep the pages turning. The Restorer’s series is still my favorite pilgrimage into Hinck-created worlds, but Symphony of Secrets is deliciously delightful.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rel Mollet (Australia), March 18, 2008
Amy Johnson's plans for a concert career hit a discordant note when unexpected motherhood finds her to taking up teaching instead to support her daughter.
When she is finally noticed by the Minneapolis Symphony's enigmatic new conductor, Amy's lifelong desire nears fulfilment. When mysterious accidents begin to befall her musical colleagues, Amy determines to use her investigative skills, finely honed from years of reading mysteries, to uncover the saboteur and save the Symphony and her fledgling career.
Symphony of Secrets swept me away into the world of talented flautist, Amy Johnson and her slightly neurotic outlook on life, parenting and the neighbours next door! Sharon Hinck effortlessly pens this engaging tale with smart characterisation, light intrigue and the fascinating machinations of a working orchestra. Amy's befuddled interactions with her teenage daughter Clara, and her sudden desire to become a cheerleader, are funny and voiced beautifully. The definitions of musical terms heading each chapter were enlightening and a fun lead in to the tone of the pages to follow. Underlying this buoyant tale, Amy's inner struggle against her circumstances provides a lesson in patience and the beauty of hope. Bravo, Sharon!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Carrie Turansky (New Jersey), March 08, 2008
As a mom of three daughters, I loved this story. There are elements of mystery and romance, but the mom-daughter relationship was the highlight for me. Sharon's understanding of music added a wonderful touch to the story and made the characters so very real. A delightful read!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Cara Putman (Indiana), February 28, 2008
In many ways this book is a departure from the Becky Miller and Restorer series. This book is written with a light touch that often had me laughing out loud as I read it. Amy sees more what ifs in a situation than anybody I know! But at its core, the book stays close to the mom-lit area that Sharon Hinck is well-known for. Humor graces every page with the lightest hint of romance.
There is also a thread of mystery running through the book – very much on the cozy mystery side of the genre. I enjoyed it and found the resolution plausible in a world of crazy musicians. And Sharon made the symphony and those in it come to life in a way that I enjoyed – even though I secretly wondered as I picked it up if I’d care about the characters and their lives after chapter one.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Dona Watson (Temecula, CA), February 21, 2008
This humorous, delightfully woven tale by Sharon Hinck pairs deeply relevant spiritual truths with a humorous look into the life of a stressed-out single mom. This book was certainly a job well done! Symphony of Secrets is a must-read for anyone who loves women's fiction.
View all 13 Reviews
Write a review of Symphony of Secrets
Catalog Shopping
Membership
