helaine mario

The Lost Concerto

Maggie O'Shea Suspense Series, Book 1

The Lost Concerto

"A beautiful and elegantly written book that will touch your very soul."
   —Amazon reader Brenda Nelson

Maggie O'Shea is grieving the loss of her husband, who has drowned in a tragic accident far from home. Her grief has crushed her passion for music, and for Maggie, a classical concert pianist, the loss of her music is unbearable. Moving on is unthinkable, until a grainy photograph draws her into a perilous search across France for her missing godson and a long-lost love. The Lost Concerto tells Maggie's story, a story of love, loss, vengeance and courage, a story of mystery and intrigue and danger. Ultimately, it is the story of a woman who must fight to move on and find what has been lost within herself. In The Lost Concerto, it is music that tells Maggie's story.

The Opening Chords...
A woman and her young son flee to a convent on a remote island off the Breton coast of France. Generations of seafarers have named the place Île de la Brume, or Fog Island. In a chapel high on a cliff, a tragic death occurs and a terrified child vanishes into the mist.

The child's godmother, Maggie O'Shea, haunted by the violent deaths of her husband and best friend, has withdrawn from her life as a classical pianist. But then a recording of unforgettable music and a grainy photograph surface, connecting her missing godson to a long-lost first love.

The photograph will draw Maggie inexorably into a collision course with powerful and dangerous men, decades-old secrets, and stolen art and musical artifacts—all set against the background of Boston, Paris, and Aix-en-Provence, France. Will Maggie find the answers to her husband's death, an unexpected love—and a musical masterpiece lost for centuries?

A compelling blend of suspense, mystery, political intrigue, and romance, The Lost Concerto explores universal themes of loss, vengeance, courage, and love.

Book Club Questions

(Note—author royalties will be donated to programs that support reading, music, art, nutrition and scholarship programs for children and families.)

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Helaine Mario

Praise for The Lost Concerto

"Richly atmospheric, excellent can't-put-it-down pacing, enticing and compelling characters. Really terrific story telling. A perfect package—a stunning debut!"
   —M.J. Rose, New York Times best-selling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows

"Skeletons bang on closet doors, longing to be set free and free they are in this terrific mix of mystery and mayhem. Every page is fraught with danger and surprise. A true banquet for thriller readers."
   —Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author of The Patriot Threat

"If you love classical music, a challenging thriller, a twisting mystery, and complex characters, The Lost Concerto is for you. Helaine Mario proves it's never too late to write a great novel. Lushly layered, full of evocative prose and surprises, and wonderfully told, this one's a must-read. I couldn't put it down."
   —J.T. Ellison, New York Times best-selling author of What Lies Behind

"Simmering just below the dark and turbulent surface of The Lost Concerto is a sense of secret joy that makes it a thriller like no other. With her gift for confident, intelligent storytelling, Helaine Mario transforms the gritty subjects of murder and international terror into matters of the heart. The Lost Concerto is radiant."
   —Laura Benedict, author of Bliss House and Isabella Moon