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Letters to the Pianist Kindle Edition

by S.D. Mayes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 124 ratings
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A FAMILY TORN APART ... A PAST THEY CAN'T ESCAPE

In war torn London, 1941, fourteen-year-old Ruth Goldberg and her two younger siblings, Gabi and Hannah, survive the terrifying bombing of their family home. They believe their parents are dead, their bodies buried underneath the burnt remains – but unbeknownst to them, their father, Joe, survives and is taken to hospital with amnesia.

Four years on, Ruth stumbles across a newspaper photo of a celebrated pianist and is struck by the resemblance to her father. Desperate for evidence she sends him a letter, and as the pianist’s dormant memories emerge, his past unravels, revealing his true identity – as her beloved father, Joe. Ruth sets out to meet him, only to find herself plunged into an aristocratic world of sinister dark secrets.

Can she help him escape and find a way to stay alive?

LETTERS TO THE PIANIST is a compelling page turner packed with drama, intrigue and suspense. If you loved The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or The Pianist, then you will love this exciting new novel.

READ WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT LETTERS TO THE PIANIST 

Letters to the Pianist has a gripping and multi-layered plotline, authentic characterisation, which had me fall in love with Joe by the conclusion. Fascinatingly informative on the strength of Fascist sympathizers in wartime London society. This book is a five star read.'

— The Daily Mail

Letters to the Pianist is a taut and suspenseful tale of wartime intrigue.

— Readers Favorite

One of the best novels I’ve ever read. Mayes has written a masterpiece that you’ll want to take your time and read, savor the words slowly, and let the pages turn themselves.

— John Darryl Winston, award-winning author of the IA trilogy

I found the plot to be exceptional and unique…a book with mass reader appeal which took me on an emotional journey that I will never forget. An exceptional novel that will remain with me for a very long time. I give this book 5 huge stars! S.D. Mayes is an author to discover and watch if you haven’t already. A rising star!

— Booklover Catlady, Top ranked Goodreads reviewer

Wartime bombings, fractured families, murdered journalists and English Nazi sympathisers meld into a riveting page turner, impossible to put down. Mayes's Second World War suspense novel is a thrilling read interwoven, throughout, with the theme of family and love. An absorbing, fast-paced And easy-to-read novel.

— Julie Ballard, Author and Journalist

There really aren't enough superlatives to sum up this absolute treasure of a novel. I was emotionally drawn to the diverse characters from page one. SD Maye's expertly weaves a rich velvety plot full of intrigue, fear, love, loss, hope, evil and deceit in a tale which tugs at the heartstrings leaving the reader quite unable to put it down.

— Isabella May, Author of The Cocktail Bar
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  1. Print length
    412 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    September 19, 2017
  5. File size
    2168 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Letters to the Pianist has a gripping and multi-layered plotline, authentic characterisation, which had me fall in love with Joe by the conclusion. Fascinatingly informative on the strength of Fascist sympathizers in wartime London society. This book is a five star read.'

-- The Daily Mail

Letters to the Pianist is a riveting story. It was interesting all the way through and exciting at the end. A great story!

-- Ignite Bookblog

Letters to the Pianist is a taut and suspenseful tale of wartime intrigue.

-- Readers Favorite

One of the best novels I've ever read. Mayes has written a masterpiece that you'll want to take your time and read, savor the words slowly, and let the pages turn themselves.

-- John Darryl Winston, award-winning author of the IA trilogy

Five solid stars! Letters to the Pianist is a gripping historical suspense novel that throws you into the turmoil of WWII London immediately. Simply superb writing with some terrific plot twists to keep me on edge. S.D. Mayes has done her homework and it shows. Fantastic, epic and haunting.

-- Bibiana Krall, author of Leaving Pandora

About the Author

S.D. Mayes worked as a journalist for nearly twenty years before turning her hand to fiction. Inspired by her mother's tragic memories of wartime Britain, along with the bizarre but factual events of Hitler's pursuit of power, Letters to the Pianist is her first WWII suspense novel. Originally from the West Country, she currently lives in Berkshire, United Kingdom.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B074P5TTSH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ BHC Press/Gelan (September 19, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2168 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 412 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 124 ratings

About the author

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S D Mayes

S D Mayes

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S.D. Mayes worked as a journalist for nearly twenty years before turning her hand to fiction. Inspired by the bizarre but factual events of Hitler’s obsession with the supernatural, along with her mother's terrifying wartime memories, Letters to the Pianist is her first historical suspense novel. Originally from the West Country, she currently lives in Berkshire, United Kingdom.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
124 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BM Perrin
5.0 out of 5 stars Letters to the Pianist Runs the Gamut of Emotions
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
There are scenes of hope and happiness in Letters to the Pianist, almost seeming like a fairy tale when seen through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Ruth and her younger siblings Gabi and Hannah. But soon the realities of war and its aftermath intervene and sadness descends as a life is lost or dreams are shattered. There are also characters to loathe, individuals cruel and heartless almost beyond words. Romance and love also find their way into the story, passionate in places but never graphic in its portrayal. And finally, tension abounds, clearly the dominant emotion as the father, Joe, and Ruth find themselves embroiled in situations fraught with peril, literally fighting for their lives in the finale. With finely crafted prose, author S.D. Mayes elicits the full gamut of emotions. I have read books that have produced stronger feelings of anxiety or hope or affection, but I’m not sure I’ve read any that have elicited such range of feelings in the span of 400 pages. Kudos to the author.

The pacing was excellent, as the author keeps you a bit off balance, always wondering what’s next. Character development was also good, with Joe and Ruth in particular coming to life. As with many books of this genre, I enjoyed the interplay of history and fiction. Admittedly, I’m not that well versed on Britain during World War II and the players, although some are nearly universally known. One of my few unmet hopes in this book was that the author had described some of her research in a note at the end. However, I did fill in a few holes myself with online searches, again attesting to how gripping I found the tale. Other than that, the finale at the Douglas-Scott estate was the only other issue, as it seemed a bit convenient, but it was an extremely minor concern given the strength of the story.

Overall, Letters to the Pianist is an excellent book, a truly griping story that will push your emotions to their bounds.
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Melanie Neveux-Bell
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018
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This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me wanting more. Definitely a page turner that I gravitated to whenever there was free time.
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LindaS
5.0 out of 5 stars A page-turner that's also very well-written!
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2017
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This was a fantastic book! I love historical fiction, especially during WWII, so this book enticed me at first by the description. But it was the suspenseful aspect, along with the unique setting, that made the story really stand out to me as a five-star book. Letters to the Pianist starts off during 1941 in London and spans about five years, so we get a glimpse of life in London during and slightly after the war. Most of the WWII books I've read take place in either Germany or France, so this was a nice departure. There are basically two main characters in the book, but the secondary characters are very important and come to life through the pages. About half-way through, the book gets more suspenseful. Honestly, I didn't expect it, but it was a very pleasant surprise as it really became a page-turner. The story is well-written, the plot/subplots are very good, and descriptions and dialogue are great. There are a lot of moving parts in the book, but they all come together nicely. I look forward to reading S.D. Mayes' next novel.
2 people found this helpful
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Lee Husemann
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
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This is one of those books that you would love to give 10 stars to! This book captured me from the first few pages and it was really hard to put down. It starts out in London in March 1941 when a bomb goes off and the Goldberg's home is destroyed. The three Goldberg children, Ruth 14, Gabi 12 and Hannah 10 are rescued but the parents, Joseph and Rose, are not to be found. The children are sent to live with a relative and subsequently split up with two going to a different relative. Joseph Goldberg wakes up in the hospital with absolutely no memory of what happened or who he is. The story goes on from there and what a story it is. There are lots of characters and different story lines but everything ties together nicely. This was one fantastic read and I absolutely loved it. If you are looking for a great WWII historical fiction read, this is it.
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Rebecca
3.0 out of 5 stars History Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

During World War II Ruth, Gabi, and Hannah Goldberg find themselves orphans after their family home is bombed. They are sent to live with family they barely know but little do they know there father, Joe, is still alive. He does not remember who he is but now he can play the piano and is a musical genius. In the hospital he meets heiress Connine Douglas-Scott who renames him Edward Choppard. They end up marrying and starting a new life while the Goldberg children struggle. But Edward's memories are slowly coming back when Ruth finds him and begins to write him letters. But as they reconnect new questions about his father-in-law emerge that threaten to destroy the new relationship between Edward and his children.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I found the first have to be slow but once I got to the second half I could not put this book down! It was full of twists and turns. I would suggest this book for anyone who is interested in history and mystery.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Katy J
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional, shocking, thrilling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
It’s hard for a novel to stand out in such a competitive genre but this one does. As well as being an engrossing drama about a family torn apart by war, it also reveals the sinister world of Nazi sympathisers hidden among British high society.

Ruth’s such a likeable character – plucky, resilient and determined to get to the bottom of the mystery behind her father’s reappearance.

I also loved the way the father Joe found himself caught between different lives – the elite family he’s married into, the children his amnesia took from him after the bomb blast, and the other woman who recognises him from the past. As the truth emerges about his identity and the political leanings of the family he’s become part of, it’s clear he and the family he left behind are in a very dangerous place.

An emotional, shocking and fascinating story that I couldn’t put down. What starts as an engrossing family drama develops into a heart-in-mouth thriller.
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Helen
5.0 out of 5 stars An emotional read
Reviewed in Italy on May 14, 2019
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I've read many books set in WWII, and the most powerful ones take the reader on an emotional journey of suffering, despair, and courage. Letters to the Pianist is one of these powerful books.

The reader is drawn into Ruth, Gabi and Hannah's story right from the start, each character tugging on your heartstrings as their world is turned upside down when their home is bombed. Split up and sent away to two different relatives, you feel their pain as they struggle to cope with this new reality.

But little do they know that their father is still alive, although he has amnesia and can't remember anything from his life before the bombing. Now a famous pianist, and married to the daughter of one of the richest men in the country, he is at first oblivious to what is happening around him. When he discovers what his father-in-law really is, he realises that his life might be in danger.

Full of drama and intrigue, and an ending that keeps you turning the pages, this is an emotional read that I highly recommend.
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Jasmin S
5.0 out of 5 stars A novel you have to read!
Reviewed in Germany on May 13, 2018
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I was afraid that this was going to be 'one more novel' about WWII. I am so glad that I was wrong!

The thing that I liked best is the way this author writes- simple, understandable, yet so powerful!
The surviving instinct of young Ruth and their siblings, as well as their fathers is described so beautifully that I felt like I was with there throughout the whole time.
A unique story telling, wonderfully described characters with whom you can connect so easily even though we live in 2018 is such a remarkable trait of this author.

I specifically liked the fact that this was a description of lives of Jews in London at that time, and those places that are mentioned numerous times in others book and movies.
It was also a great thing to read something set in WWII that doesn't mention politicians as much as regular people and their lost, surviving, love and hope.

I genuinely feel that this novel is going to 'stay with me' for a long time and I am going to highly recommend it to anyone that loves reading.
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Joseph Willson
4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing...
Reviewed in Canada on April 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
Truthfully, I am not sure how to review this novel.
It is brilliantly written.
I found myself wondering, 'how is the author going to bring these characters together?' and churning out scenarios in my own mind waiting for this to occur...and then wham! It happens and it's completely different from what I had imagined...
This happened a couple of times during this read and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
I read so many books where you know what the outcome is going to be three or four chapters in, and it does tend to get a little stale...
With this novel, although I thought I knew where the book was headed I was surprised again and again.
Refreshing...
I think my only concern was the length of the book. I do believe there could have been some trimming done in the final edit. At 412 pages, for me that's a bit long.
Definitely recommended and a strong 41/2 stars.
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Anonymous
4.0 out of 5 stars An Enthralling Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book very much. It was enthralling and each page was quickly turned to see what happened next.

The characters were believable and engaging. A good debut novel and I will be keeping an eye out for the authors next offering.
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