The Fifth Beethoven
Melanie Jackson
ISBN: 978-1-989724-05-7
Price: $10.95
Pub Date: September 15, 2020
Fiction
Ages: 11-13
A mystery in the key of rock.
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 building, the 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 plays piano with a lot of enthusiasm and little training, just like Nate. Melanie modelled a character in The Fifth Beethoven who is on the autism spectrum after her brother. Melanie has written numerous popular books for young people, including several in the best-selling Orca Currents series, and plans to write many more. For more information visit https://melaniejacksonblog.wordpress.com/.
What People are Saying About The Fifth Beethoven
“I’ve just finished reading it and I absolutely loved it. It’s delightful and the whole plot is so clever, as is the title. I think what I really liked about it is that it is set in Vancouver and the fact that I could identify with so many of the issues.
“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.
“In my mind’s eye, I could see all the locations in Vancouver [used in The Fifth Beethoven]. Plus, I could envision the characters, who came across as real.”