Breaking Measures by Emma Raveling ~ Review

**Before I begin, I want it to be known that although I was provided with a review copy by the author and/or publisher all opinions expressed in the following reviews are purely my own. To find out more, please visit my disclaimer page.**

My Review

Rating: 5+

'Something remains in the silence after a performance.   

It echoes between the seats, winding through aisles and rows, whispering as it returns to the front of the hall.   

The stage remembers.   

Its polished floor pulses with the heartbeat of every musician who has crossed it and holds within its infinite memory that which murmurs endlessly in silence.   

Power.   

The same power pulsating in the thick blood now flowing across the pale wood and pooling around the podium. This sacred ground siphons away an artist's life, ingesting ambition and arrogance, and devouring countless dreams of immortality so that it can satiate a voracious audience.   

The stage demands to be fed.   

When you step on it, you become the willing sacrifice.'

Poignant and edgy, Breaking Measures takes contemporary fiction to the next level.

Emma Raveling's writing has always been a stunning example of how an author can reel in their readers from the very first word. And Breaking Measures is no exception. In fact, it builds on Raveling's ability to entertain readers by adding a bundle of mystery and suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seat...and looking over their shoulders to check that a mass murderer hasn't snuck into their houses! 

Sprinkled with delicious descriptions of the main protagonist Leila Cates' music career and her love for her art, this novel is utterly captivating from start to finish. Examples of these beautifully crafted descriptions include:

'Leila retreated to the piano, hands trembling at the life spinning out of their control. She pushed the metronome, the precise tick reminding her of measures and boundaries.   

Now that Orion was gone, the frantic presto pulse no longer seemed right. She adjusted the speed, reducing it to an ominous adagio that boomed like thunder in her chest.'

And another one of my faves:

'People wanted to see her triumph over grief and become the bloodied gladiator standing alone in the arena. The stage demanded a moving display of grit and tenacity, a story about an inspiring comeback despite tragic suffering. 

Leila was now the headliner in a performance selling the American Dream. 

The only way to extinguish the sordidness of murder was with a spectacular performance that would be remembered for the ages, a concert that would become an immortal part of her legacy.'

This book is highly recommended for readers who love to read well-written books.

Love books where it feels like every word, every sentence, has been chosen and put together with the utmost care and attention? Do you love books that make you feel invested in their mysterious events, and that urge you to join in on the journey to discover the truth?

Then Breaking Measures is most definitely for you! 

About the book

On the fast track to international success, acclaimed concert pianist Leila Cates is close to achieving her dreams. But her path to certain stardom comes to a crashing halt when the body of her boyfriend, a world-renowned conductor, is discovered on the eve of her New York debut. When rumors about their relationship surface, Leila quickly becomes the primary suspect.  

Desperate to clear her name, Leila sets out to uncover the truth. Enlisting the reluctant help of Orion Frazier, the lead detective on the case, their investigation soon entangles her in a world of secrets and lies.  

With everything on the line, can Leila find the strength to face what she finds?    

A taut suspense thriller of dark secrets and even darker ambitions, Breaking Measures is a stand-alone prequel novella to A Woven Silence.

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