The Violin Player

By John Knoerle

Winner of Mayhaven's Award for Fiction! There are two personalities at play in this gripping tale of suspense. One is Walter Sumner. The other is the shadowy figure that stalks him. As the 44-year-old... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193227801X
• ISBN13: 9781932278019
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Mayhaven Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A powerful well-written novel

The Violin Player ranks as a powerful story, well told. John Knoerle creates an atmosphere of dread, anticipation, excitement, panic, and fear... I often found myself having to look up from the book just to catch my breath and assure myself that it was "just a story". It reads like a grainy, black and white movie where you can see just enough detail to be afraid - but never the whole picture, like the original "Nosferatu", or Stephen King's "Thinner". Large amounts of research and the hard work of word selection add to the story, imagery and feel of the novel.I enjoyed how Knoerle made a Jaguar automobile a character as well - but that is a guy thing. Read this to be in on a new author and a story-telling roller-coaster.

Well written

I took a chance with Knoerle's first book and am very glad to be reading this author again. This story is intriguing and fast paced. Definitely will read more when he writes more. Not as gritty as Crystal Meth Cowboys. A great plot to try and figure out. Not predictable and the ending a surprize.

Great Suspense

The Violin Player was fast-paced and suspenseful. John Knoerles captured his characters in a few words of description and through dialogue. They were memorable. It answered the question of what you should do if you're falsely accused of murder. I highly recommend it.

A treat for dedicated mystery buffs

When his mother dies suddenly of a heart attack, 44-year-old Walter Sumner must take his place at the head of the family table. Among his responsibilities is the posting of his mother's date of death on the family's GenealoG webpage. But when he goes to do just that, Walter finds that her date of death is already posted there. Stranger still, it was posed before she actually died. As the primary heir to his mother's estate the police consider Walter the prime suspect. Then another family member's death date is posted! Walter must find the person responsible before death strikes again. This is John Knoerle's second novel and continues to demonstrate his genuine storytelling talent. A well crafted mystery., The Violin Player is a treat for dedicated mystery buffs who will enjoy every plot twist, turn, and surprise in this nicely crafted and highly recommended story of suspense.

Great Suspense, Great Reading Pleasure

This remarkable book combines the non-stop narrative drive of suspense masters like Robert Parker and Elmore Leonard with the brilliant, lyric prose of the great New Yorker writers -- Updike and Cheever come to mind. Like Raymond Chandler, Knoerle uses the mechanics of a murder mystery to reveal the "known world" as a menacing, fascinating and dangerous place -- a place that demands action and reveals character. This book defines the phrase "good read." Here's hoping book groups discover Knoerle, and he gets the wide audience he deserves -- he puts the formula-driven "plot mechanics" to shame.