In this combination of science fiction and historical fiction, a method of time travel for observational purposes goes awry when one of the travelers decides to break the rules of engagement. The plot centers around a trip to the Italian countryside of 1861 to observe the composer Johannes Brahms and determine the meaning behind one of his musical annotations.

Not my usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical material about the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It inspired me to look up more information on the lives of these composers. A thread of romantic interest runs through it, but it is not a traditional romance (the cover is misleading). The content includes a fair amount of sex, which was intrinsic to the storyline and did not feel gratuitous. The characters are well-drawn, and the writing is elegant. This book requires the reader to accept that time travel into the past could be possible, but once disbelief is suspended, the story is unique, suspenseful, and quite compelling. It would have been nice to have included more explanation of the “how and why” behind the time traveling.

Rich in period detail, it includes musings on selfishness, ethics, and how society has changed since the nineteenth century. The author is a former opera singer, so she knows her subject matter. Recommended to fans of classical music and time travel stories. It reminded me a bit of the movie Back to the Future, except it goes further back into the past and there are no DeLoreans involved. ( )

“The Brahms Deception” is a music history meets sci-fi thriller novel. When a musicologist travels back in time to unravel a mystery that has haunted musicians for centuries, her rival must find a way to undo the damage she creates. The book has an unexpected and interesting premise and well-developed -- if slightly stereotypical -- characters. The average reader may want to brush up on their music theory before tackling this novel.

Amy R. / Marathon County Public Library
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I've been a fan of Louise Marley's work for years now. By a wonderful coincidence, I had just begun learning the Brahms piano piece, Waltz in A Flat, when I read The Brahms Deception. For an adult beginner with small hands, playing Brahms amounts to an exercise that rivals the most complex yoga postures. The man apparently had immense hands and wrote music that he could play, refusing to compromise with anyone else's limitations. Except, apparently, those of the brilliant concert pianist Clara Schumann. Brahms was hopelessly in love with Schumann, but biographers do not agree on whether the relationship ever went beyond the platonic. Here Marley's imagination finds fertile ground as scholars use time travel for their researches, and an unstable, emotionally needy music historian enters into the world of Brahms and Schumann...at the country house where they have a secret tryst. When the historian does not return as scheduled, a second is sent in search of her. Marley combines drama, mystery, the perils of time travel and changing history, and delicious appreciation for the music, artistry and passion of two immensely gifted musicians. If you don't read science fiction, read this anyway. If you do read science fiction but don't know anything about classical music, read it anyway, too. ( )