In every novel, Sarah Rayne weaves a glorious Gothic sensibility, and that is particularly prevalent here, with the boarding scool in an old convent, the nuns disalpearing two centuries ago, the antique parish church, the old cottage whose cellar was part of the medieval priory. Then too is the "L'emmurer," an ancient, covert, plainchant and ritual.


This is Book Three of the Phineas Fox Musical Mysteries. Phin accompanies his love interest Arabella to the Bicentenary of her alma mater, and researches a macabre opera penned by a former, slightly mad, headmaster. That opens doors to the turbid French Revolution.

For someone who knows nothing about music apart from that she shouldn't sing in public for fear of frightening strangers, I found this exploration of the musical word very intriguing. I enjoyed the exploration of the past and how its tendrils reach into the future. The gothic, classic atmosphere leads to an enthralling read.

Phineas Fox and Arabella Tallis solve the 200-year-old mystery of the disappearance of a group of nuns from Cresacre Convent.

Arabella Tallis is the Bicentenary Events Organizer for Cresacre School's bicentenary, and the school is commemorating the vanished nuns in various ways. The fly in the ointment is Olivia Tulliver who wants her uncle's opera “The Martyrs” to be staged during the celebrations and is threatening to reduce the funds for the Tulliver scholarship if it is not. Arabella enlists Phineas to help the school politely rule out the opera out of court. When Phin and Arabella arrive at Cresacre, Phin discovers a carving that depicts something macabre – an old musical ritual that was banned by the church several hundred years ago. A carving showing the ritual followed in 12th and 13th century France known as Lemurrer – to immure – wall someone up alive while singing a macabre song. Is this in some way connected to the disappearance of the nuns? Just what did happen in 1790? And is it related to events in present times?

I was thrilled to review a second book by the author, and once again she does not disappoint! The story goes from present-day events to diary entries made by one of the nuns in 1790, to follow the fortunes of the Chandros family who used to live at Chandros House, close to the convent, to the horrors of the French Revolution. This is one of those books that you need to set aside a weekend for because once you start reading, you will be drawn into the past and will not be able to surface until you know why the nuns mysteriously disappeared. I even learnt that during the French Revolution the speed of the guillotine could be adjusted to either sever the head in one fell sweep or to saw through the neck slowly – gruesome stuff. A book that I highly recommend for a great read.

Saphira

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

This intriguing novel could have been designed by a computer for me, it contains so many of my favourite features: mystery, dual timeline in past and present, eerie moments of wondering about the supernatural, nuns, convents, schools and schoolgirls, and opera. Oh, and high entertainment value and jokes. But of course it wasn’t designed by a computer, it was written by the excellent Sarah Rayne.

The book stars Phineas Fox, music historian and researcher, who also appeared in Death Notes. He is called in to a girls’ school to look at an opera created by a composer, Gustav Tulliver, who had close ties to the building: there is an arts celebration upcoming – should the opera be performed? Or is it a ripoff of Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites?

The chapters in modern times are interspersed with some 18th century narratives and a diary. (A bit like the recently featured Madeleine King-Hall book). In the historical section there are nuns and young women, dashing young music teachers and some frisky goings-on – there is a clever and unusual and sex scene, unromantic but probably realistic. Meanwhile Fox and his friend Arabella (an ex-pupil of the school) dig up the dirt on Tulliver, who was perhaps over-keen on young women with beautiful voices. His niece Olivia is still around, defending her uncle’s reputation and causing trouble.

All girls’ schools worth their salt (private, public, old, new, religious, secular, posh or downmarket) have tales of hauntings and girls whose ghosts haunt the buildings. This time it is Ginevra, and one of the teachers explains:
‘It’s the name. That’s what got to the artless little grubs in the first place. They think it’s romantic. They think of someone called Ginevra as young and beautiful. Soulful eyes and skimpy garments with her ghost drifting around the west wing on moonless nights, waiting to be whisked away by a sexy hero-villain.’



The French Revolution plays a key part. The Poulenc opera [spoiler alert] ends with the nuns walking off the stage one by one: you then hear the thuds as their heads are cut off, it is a most remarkable scene, and one that is difficult to get out of your head. The book also deals with the almost unimaginable practice of walling people up, L’emmurrer – pictured above (though that is, self-evidently, man not nun).

The book is a great mix, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The crouching nuns are from a performance of Poulenc’s Dialogue of the Carmelites that I saw at Grange Park Opera a few years ago.

Cresacre Abbey School has hired Phineas Fox to investigate a possible case of plagiarism: the school wants to use an opera for their 200th anniversary, but they are afraid that it might have been used before. A simple case of possible plagiarism, however, is soon going to turn into a much story. Digging deeper, Phineas realises that the School has a dark past that involves disappearances. Can the musical piece actually have to do something with it? And are the nuns in real danger?

Song of the Damned is a fast-pacing, nail-biting mystery. Keeping the reader on their toes from the first page to the last, this is a very well-written and interesting read. Its plot is unique, bringing together elements from different stories that work very well together. This is a book that fans of mysteries and thrillers will want to keep an eye on.

This book is the latest in the Phineas Fox series from Sarah Raynes, where the stories all center on a mystery surrounding some aspect of music. Fox is a music researcher whose interests are broad and who is open to the “ghosts” of the past. In this outing, he accompanies a close friend, Arabella, on a visit to her old school. But his will be a working visit as he has been asked to assess an opera written by a former professor.

And the school is known to be the center of an old mystery dating to the days of the French Revolution. What happened to the nuns of this house at the end of the 18th century? A touch of mystery makes the trip even more appealing.

The story is told in more than one timeline . The distant past events occur in the late 18th c. in the area of the Convent and Chandos estate. Another past timeline occurs roughly 10 to 15 years in the past from the present day. While much of this was very effective story-telling, at times it felt to me that it went on just a bit too long in the distant past. The timelines/narratives did not seem as well integrated as in past books in the series.

Raynes is really expert at bringing her plot points and characters together by the end of the book and she did this well here, throwing a touch of the gothic into the mix and keeping music central to the plot.

My rating is 3.5*, not quite 4.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What a wonderful dark and enjoyable read! The book is entertaining, atmospheric at part, and enthralling.
I loved the dual timeline as well as the characters.
The plot was full of twist and turns, never a boring moment, and kept me hooked till the last page.
I look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC

A unique dual time line mystery that switches between the 1790s, when a group of nuns disappeared, and the present, when Phin Fox is investigating the authenticity of an opera. Not the usual, that's for sure. There's creepy stuff at Cresacre Abbey, now a school for girls. No spoilers but keep a protective eye on Phin's friend Arabella. There's more going on at this school than meets the eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. This is twisty, dark, unusual, and a rewarding read.

Phineas Fox is one of my favorite characters, as is the lovely Arabella. When Phin is asked to authenticate an opera by the head of Cresacre Abbey School, Arabella is excited as she was once a student there and has heard all of the theories of the missing nuns.

The more Phin digs into the opera and the men who wrote it, he finds that the events that happened centuries ago may still be deadly today.

As Arabella tries to visit one of her old classmates, Olivia Tolliver, she feels something is off. Why has Olivia become reclusive and maybe a bit nuts? Does it have anything to do with what is hidden in the basement?

This was told in present time as well as the 1790's through the diaries of a Sister Cecilia, one of the nuns who supposedly disappeared and a man who is a mystery to all of them.

Historical Mystery Fiction or whatever genre you would like to put on this one, this author never disappoints. I would highly recommend this one!

Netgalley Reviews/ November 1st 2018 by Severn House Publishers

4 stars--I really liked it.

This book is a combination mystery and gothic, with the tiniest dash of a possible haunting. My favorite genres in one! Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, it would twist and turn, leaving me frantically reading to find out what would happen next. It's almost a dual-timeline novel, but most of the plot set in the past is uncovered through letters, books, and diary entries. I enjoy epistolary novels so really enjoyed the format--and I especially liked the plot set in the past, involving a group of nuns who go mysteriously missing during the French Revolution.

Part of Sarah Rayne's "Phineas Fox" series, this book contains a musical mystery (a really spooky one, in this case, about a death song). I enjoyed the characters and will pick up the other Fox books in the series.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to read a Sarah Rayne novel. I intend to read more! I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

A Phineas Fox Mystery.
Phineas Fox is a music historian and researcher. He was asked to visit Cresacre School and help authenticate an Opera that was written by Gustav Tulliver. As well as investigating the opera Phineas also investigated an old mystery about the Creasacre Convent that was previously the site of the Creasacre school and the disappearance of a group of nuns in 1790’s.
This is a psychological murder mystery. About the Chandos family that previously owned the land where Cresacre School is located, the Convent at Creascre and an old cottage in the grounds of Creasacre School. An old diary reveals some of the history of the Chandos family. It is set mostly in the present time and 1790’s.

This is my first foray in the Phineas Fox series. She does a sensational job of melding the mysteries of the past and present day without completely confounding the reader. Typically, the secrets are reviled along with some great supernatural effects. Both series follow the jumping timeline to solve whatever mystery is placed in front of the reader. Little bits and pieces are carefully doled out in such a way that the reader feels they are solving the mystery alongside the MC.

Book reviewed online for Crime Review (see link below):

Phineas Fox is a music researcher. He’s asked by the headteacher of Cresacre Abbey School to intercede in a rather delicate case. A former pupil is demanding that her late uncle’s opera is performed as part of the school’s bicentenary celebrations – and hinting loudly that if it isn’t, a bursary fund may suffer. But there are strong suspicions that the work plagiarises an earlier opera.

Phin agrees to help, as he needs the money – the service charge on his London flat is due. So with feisty companion and former Cresacre pupil Arabella Tallis in tow, he sets up a meeting at tumbledown Infanger Cottage with eccentric Olivia Tulliver, who is determined that her uncle’s opus will be performed.

But he finds himself investigating more than possible plagiarism, as bizarre legends still weigh heavily on the school, including a strange carving, the disappearance of a group of nuns from the abbey 200 years earlier, and also the identity of the mysterious Ginevra.

Phin first appeared in Death Notes, where a 19th century Russian musical mystery was entwined with modern day Galway in Ireland. Song of the Damned, the third book in the series, also moves between the past and the present, with a fairly hefty selection of flashbacks.

I’d like to have seen much more of Phin with his understated and self-deprecating manner, and those flashback scenes could have taken a cut to ensure the modern day tension is maintained. At times Phin and Arabella (who’s what my grandmother would have called a precocious little madam) seem to be playing second fiddle – so to speak – to the AWOL nuns and the saga of Ginevra.

Sarah Rayne’s strength is her unerring ability to do creepy – it’s not much of a surprise to discover she’s got past form for writing horror stories. It’s not Phil Rickman-style woo-woo here, but chilling menace provided by isolated cottages, sinister legends, unlit paths and some macabre lyrics – and you’ll never see brick walls in the same way again after reading the book. And I’m sure I’m not the only person to find nuns inherently scary!

You’ll need a fairly strong stomach when the nuns’ whereabouts are revealed. I read Song of the Damned in the early hours of the morning when I couldn’t sleep – and had all the lights blazing. And I suddenly went off the idea of sleep when those chilling plot threads were resolved!

Dual timeline novel involving two murders in the English countryside. The plot meanders at times but the author does a fine job of tying things up neatly at the end.

I have read several books in the Phineas Fox series and found them all to be good reads. This book is no exception.

Phin is invited by the headmistress of Cresacre School to investiagte an opera which has been put forward by a school patron for performance. There are concerns over its quality and possible plagarism. Phin finds that there is a lot more to this piece of music than meets the eye and finds mysteries in the school's distant and not so distant past.

This is a well structured and well written book which sits on the lighter side of the detective genre of books. It is fascinating as well as being light and easy to read. The plot is well constructed but doesn't have the intensity or complex plot twists of the deeper detective or murder/mystery books. This is not a complaint but merely explained to help people understand where this sits in the genre.

Alsough there are several books in this series it is not essential to read them all in order. Any of them could be read as a stand alone book. Phin does have a "friend" Arabella who is included in the book but it is very easy to pick up where their relationship is at without having read the previous work. This isn't integral to the plot but does provide an extra element.

The characters in this book are not exceptionally complex. However the character of Olivia deserves a special mention as I felt that she was particularly well written.

This book is written in two time periods. The present day & the past of 200 years previously. The past is seen through various letters, diaries and documents - a plot device which I like. The book does concentrate more on the past than the present to such a point that I wondered if it would have been a good stand alone book without the modern day inclusion of Phin.

A good solid read. Not exceptionally gruesome but perhaps not the ideal book for those with extreme claustophobia!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Song of the Damned is the third in the Phineas Fox series. Fox was introduced in Death Note, the first book in the series, which was then followed by Chord of Evil.

This is my first foray in the Phineas Fox series. I have, however, read a few of Sarah Rayne's Haunted House books. The books I have read I thoroughly enjoyed. She does a sensational job of melding the mysteries of the past and present day without completely confounding the reader. Typically, the secrets are reviled along with some great supernatural heebie jeebies. Both series follow the jumping timeline to solve whatever mystery is placed in front of the reader. Little bits and pieces are carefully doled out in such a way that the reader feels they are solving the mystery alongside the MC. Song of the Damned is no exception.

Centered around a possibly plagiarized opera called "The Martyrs", Song of the Damned delves into the riddle of a missing 1970's Cresacre Abby School girl and the unexplained vanishing nuns from the convent that stood on those same grounds in 1794. There are also rumors of a 12th century secret ritual called the Lemurrer, being performed on those same grounds, in which a person would be walled up alive.

The story bounces back and forth between Phineas and Arabella, who attended the Cresacre Abby School back when the missing girl first disappeared; Olivia Tulliver, whose uncle wrote "The Martyrs"; and the nuns of Cresacre Convent. Slowly, we start to unravel the answers to the questions placed before us and all the timelines start to intertwine. Where did the missing girl disappear? How did an entire convent of nuns simply vanish? Where did they go? Who performed the Lemurrer and where?

I wasn't overly shocked by the reveal, but I wouldn't call it predictable either. Personally, it wasn't quite spooky enough to fulfill my love of all things that go bump in the night. For haunts and chills, I'll stick to her Haunted House series. (Property of a Lady definitely got under my skin.) Be that as it may, for those of you who love mysteries and thrillers, Song of the Damned will tick all those boxes for you.

Coincidences and pure luck abound in Sarah Rayne’s Phineas Fox series, which helps create a satisfying and ulta-readable mystery. Phin always seems to be in the right place at the right time, to pick up exactly the book he needs in whatever library he’s exploring, or visit the right person at exactly the right time. All those lucky discoveries might annoy some readers, but I love this about the series. All the loose ends get neatly knitted up while Rayne focuses on telling an absorbing, inventive mystery. It’s the story that counts in this series, and Phin and the other characters are just pawns used to convey love, betrayal, grief, joy, and heartbreak. It helps that Rayne incorporates meticulous historical research that she blends into a narrative featuring truly likable or truly horrible characters. It was also a treat here getting to know more about the perspicacious Arabella and her budding relationship with Phin. Recommended.

Another brilliant read from Sarah Rayne, this the third instalment of the Phineas Fox series was well written and although I guessed early on how the story would end didn't spoil the enjoyment of it. I loved how the past, the not so distant past and the present are intricately woven through a series of personal accounts to achieve a satisfying conclusion, the only down side for me was that Phin didn't feature much in this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Phineas Fox and his friend Arabella are visiting Cresacre Abbey School after Phin was contacted by the headmistress to help research an opera,The Martyrs, which they may be forced to stage at the Bicentennial celebrations of the school. The niece of a former headmaster, living in a cottage he left her nearby, is determined it should be performed or, as a member of the school's board, she will vote to cut their scholarship fund.
Perusing the manuscript he's not impressed, it's discordant and reminds him of other works, but it kindles his curiosity.
The mysteries of a woman called Ginevra and the collective disappearances of the nuns at the nearby Abbey 200 years ago are still whispered about and ominous carvings leave Phin uneasy, but very curious to delve into them. It seems the carvings depict an ancient practice called the Lemurrer, where a sinner was bricked up alive.
I must say that the descriptions of the practice made me very uncomfortable and I was happy to read about the antics of Arabella to lighten my mood!
This is a good 3rd in the series, perhaps a little darker than the previous 2, it gave me goosebumps at times, but that made it more of a page turner. An enjoyable, gothic read.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Sarah Rayne novel but this was an excellent addition to the Phineas Fox series. Shifting between the present day and the 1970s, it examines several mysteries at once – what happened to the nuns who used to live in the school back in the 1700s? Was Ginevra ever a real person? Just why is the school’s scholarship program being held hostage? And what exactly is The Martyrs operatic score and why is it so dark and tormented? This was beautifully detailed, atmospheric and very satisfying. A dark sweet treat.