Symphony of Secrets Review & Giveaway

Ever had moments those around you are convinced you can’t separate fiction from reality? Talented flutist Amy Johnson sees a mystery behind every action that happens around her much to her daughter’s chagrin and amusement. Amy’s dreams seem to come true when she is offered the opportunity to audition for the Minneapolis Symphony. Then strange things begin to happen at the Symphony and her daughter decides to become a cheerleader. When her daughter begins to ask tough questions about who her dad is, Amy’s world begins to implode.

In many ways this book is a departure from the Becky Miller and Restorer series. This book is written with a light touch that often had me laughing out loud as I read it. Amy sees more what ifs in a situation than anybody I know! But at its core, the book stays close to the mom-lit area that Sharon Hinck is well-known for. Humor graces every page with the lightest hint of romance.

There is also a thread of mystery running through the book – very much on the cozy mystery side of the genre. I enjoyed it and found the resolution plausible in a world of crazy musicians. And Sharon made the symphony and those in it come to life in a way that I enjoyed – even though I secretly wondered as I picked it up if I’d care about the characters and their lives after chapter one.

Instead, I found it easy to relate to Amy and her struggles to be a mom in this crazy world. Balancing a job and single-parenting a teenager, Amy has opted for being a lone-ranger parent. Such an easy thing to do as we pull our cars into our garages and close the doors at the end of a day. She often feels that everyone else has this parenting thing down pat and she’s the only one who is clueless. Again, I could relate. But the reality is we each learn how to parent our individual children as we go.

Another new element to this book was Amy’s spiritual journey. Music is her god throughout the book. Yet as the pages turn and we near the end, she is open to the possibility that there is a God and He wants to know her personally. At no time does the plot stop so a message (AKA sermon) can be shoved down the reader’s throat. Instead, her steps toward Christ are realistic and a natural outgrowth of her journey.

If you’re looking for a book that will pull you through its pages, making you laugh with the occasional zinger that penetrates close to home, you will enjoy Sharon Hinck’s latest book Symphony of Secrets.

If you'd like to be entered to win a copy of this book, leave a comment telling me which kind of music is your favorite.