The Luthier’s Apprentice

Magical conspiracy and family secrets add up to less than the sum of their parts in Calvani’s (Sunstruck) unconvincing caper. Emma Braun, a 16-year-old aspiring violinist and apprentice luthier in a poorly described contemporary Brussels, suspects the supernatural when her beloved violin teacher, Monsieur Dupriez, disappears in an unlikely way. Madame Dupriez doesn’t appear to care much about her husband’s disappearance, blocking Emma’s attempts to investigate. And Emma’s grandfather and craftmaster, Donatelli, wants to keep her safe—and, not coincidentally, away from the mysterious room in his attic that’s always locked. The motivations of the villain, while not explored very deeply, nevertheless add an unnecessary tang of misogyny to the proceedings. The resolutions of the various plots are telegraphed early in the book, and the shallow character development and sketchy setting don’t make up for the predictability of the overall story. (Jan.)