by Daniel Mason
First published 2003
Edgar Drake lives quietly in London, tuning pianos for proper Victorian households. Then the War Office summons him on a foggy 1886 afternoon with an unusual assignment. He must journey to Burma's remote jungles to tune a rare Erhard grand piano belonging to Surgeon-Major Anthony Carroll, a British officer who has achieved remarkable success negotiating peace in the volatile Shan States. Carroll's unconventional tactics have earned him both legendary status and growing suspicion from his superiors. Edgar leaves his wife and familiar world behind, traveling across Europe, through the Red Sea, across India, and finally into Burma's highlands. Along the way, he encounters storytellers, soldiers, and rogues who fill his head with tales. Carroll's own letters fascinate Edgar, drawing him deeper into the mystery of this enigmatic doctor. As Edgar ventures further into the jungle, questions multiply. What drives Carroll's methods? Who is the mysterious woman who accompanies them? Why was Edgar truly summoned? The deeper Edgar travels into this strange new world, the more he wonders whether he can ever return home as the same man his wife once knew.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, mystery
Setting: Burma, London, Shan States
Period: 1886
Audio Cassette · MacMillan UK