It’s 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna’s brightest star. Master of the city’s music halls and devoted member of the Freemason’s guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philosophy and science, politics and intrigue.
 
But six weeks ago the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died.
 
The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder. But Wolfgang’s sister Nannerl will not believe base gossip. Who but a madman would poison such a genius?
 
Yet as she looks closer, Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: a Masonic secret that might just be connected to his death. And as she listens to Wolfgang’s bewitching last opera, The Magic Flute, she realizes that the arias might contain more than just the music…

"Matt Rees has drawn a lively portrait of eighteenth-century Vienna and of characters whose names now live only because of their connection with the composer. This novel is well-researched, very clever and written in clean, suitably formal language...This is an even better mystery novel than the author's prize-winning series about the Palestinian detective Omar Yussef--and that's saying a lot." -- Literary Review, London

In this engaging, well-paced book Mozart’s estranged sister travels to Vienna to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her brother’s sudden death. Combining Dan Brown or Elizabeth Kostova–style historical conspiracy theory with cozy detective novel, Rees’s latest offers a genuinely felt reverence for the power of Mozart’s music and its lasting impact in the world. -- Publishers Weekly

"The Da Vinci Code, but this time with Masons and musical manuscripts." -- NPR

"A resounding bravo. Beautifully written and diligently researched. Rees makes the musical realm of Mozart sparkle with intrigue."-- Mystery Scene

"Award-winning British novelist Matt Rees cleverly weaves music, crime, and conspiracy into a sumptuous historical whodunit, set against the decadent backdrop of 18th-century Vienna." -- Marie Claire

"A stunning combination of mystery and meticulously researched historical fiction." -- Tasha Alexander

"Rees nails the details of Mozart’s Vienna with precision, seasoning his story with musical details that will delight fans of classical music. The author renders Nannerl very sympathetic and teases in a touch of romance that is both bittersweet and unexpected. A beautiful book illuminated by the author’s own musical background that moves slowly and deliberately to a fine conclusion." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Rees delivers a fresh spin on the composer's demise." -- The Australian

"Replete with biographical detail and musical references, this novel animates Mozart’s life and times with a varied cast of patrons, lovers, and villains. This absorbing Viennese soap opera is a solid choice for readers who like fiction about historical figures caught up in suspenseful intrigues such as Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club or Gyles Brandreth’s Oscar Wilde mysteries." -- Library Journal

"A elegantly written and thoroughly researched crime story of 18th Century Vienna…If you love an intricate history-mystery, you’ll love this novel very much.” -- Historical Novel Review