Description
Piano-playing Nate loves to rock out Beethoven in a style characterized more by enthusiasm than training. Nate is gazing up at Vancouver’s newest luxury buildingthe Keynote, when a thief in a Beethoven costume mugs him and two other victims.
But the day turns up-tempo when the Keynote’s owner, Mike Dante, offers Nate a gig playing piano in the courtyard. This is big-time opportunity knocking for a self-taught musician.
Nate thinks there’s no better way to thank his real-estate-tycoon boss than by sleuthing out the thief’s identity. But Nate soon finds himself in a mystery that grows more discordant with each beat. In his search for the thief, Nate learns about the harsh realities of those facing renovictions and about how thoughtless people in power can be.
Nate’s big dreams and folly are sure to delight readers of The Fifth Beethoven. And his belief in standing up for what is right is sure to inspire them.
Melanie Jackson (verified owner) –
Of The Fifth Beethoven, Ginny Ratsoy wrote in The Ormsby Review:
“Scottish-born Vancouverite Melanie Jackson is a veteran writer of mysteries for young people, and it shows: she hits the right notes with this mystery for tweens and early teens. Not only does the mystery thread keep you coming back; the plot also explores all-too-relevant inequities and injustices, while educating young readers about the coolness of classical music and musicians — all at a quick tempo and in a light hearted tone. …all the hallmarks of a good mystery…with contemporary relevance, a complex web of clues, an array of suspects, and a satisfying solution.”
From the Vancouver Heritage Foundation: “The Fifth Beethoven is delightful and the plot is clever, as is the title. I loved the music theme. …And I really liked the book’s example of the almighty big developer crushing the little people. That is so true in this city and is allowed to happen time and time again. Hopefully a book such as this will help make young people aware of this serious problem.”
The BC Teacher Librarians’ Association’s Judy Cottrell: “Exciting. I enjoyed reading it.”