The Man of Twists and Turns

It’s hard to tell them apart, Wolfgang Mozart and the great composer’s sister Nannerl. Both had prominent noses, mischievous eyes, and a certain naiveté to their gaze. But there was a difference. Nannerl was a girl, and that decided which of these fabulous musical talents would be remembered. Until now. My novel MOZART’S LAST ARIA [...]

I’ve a guest post on the Fresh Fiction blog and also there’s an interview with me on the CBS columnist Jeff Glor’s blog about my new novel Mozart’s Last Aria. Read the Fresh Fiction post to find out why I don’t think Mozart was an idiot. Read the CBS post to see why I think [...]

A very nice review of my new novel Mozart’s Last Aria on Bookreporter.com has this to say, among other amusing and insightful observations: Music is notoriously difficult to capture in prose; Matt Rees tries valiantly, elegantly, and for the most part successfully to do justice to a composer who is regarded — and not just [...]

My new novel Mozart’s Last Aria has two great reviews on the blogs Reading Lark and Life in the Thumb. I’m delighted because these are the places readers go these days to find out what’s hot. It’s a sign of growing word-of-mouth for the novel. Reading Lark gives it an “I Love It” tag and [...]

My son Cai has completed the draw for the winners of my MOZART’S LAST ARIA book giveaway. As predicted, Cai’s name was the first out of the hat (which took some organizing, I’ll tell you), but he agreed to forgo a copy of my novel so long as I let him watch Charlie and Lola [...]

I am, as they say back in the UK, chuffed as hell that Mystery Scene magazine gives my new novel an absolutely terrific review. Reviewer Sue Emmons says MOZART’S LAST ARIA deserves “a resounding bravo.” Sue also calls it “beautifully written and diligently researched. Rees makes the musical realm of Mozart sparkle with intrigue.” Well, [...]

This Monday, December 5, is the anniversary of the day in 1791 when Wolfgang Mozart, the greatest composer the world has ever known, died at age 35. To commemorate the occasion, I’m giving away five copies of my new historical crime novel MOZART’S LAST ARIA, in which Wolfgang’s sister Nannerl goes to the Imperial capital [...]

The blog Page 69 Test asks writers to look at page 69 of their books and demonstrate if/how it’s representative of the entire work. I did this for my new novel MOZART’S LAST ARIA. Meanwhile, the book gets a fabulous review on Life is Short, Read Fast: “A powerful story with mystery, romance and amazing [...]

On the Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy arts blog, I’ve written a piece about why artistic attention is finally being paid to Nannerl Mozart, sister of the great composer and an important musical figure who was denied “greatness” because of her sex. I’m referring to the new French movie “Mozart’s Sister,” as well as some other [...]

Marshal Zeringue’s Campaign for the American reader continues with an invitation for me to speculate about which actress ought to play the lead in a movie version of my new historical crime novel MOZART’S LAST ARIA. (It’s speculation for now, because movie deals take a long time coming…) Here’s what I wrote (and here are [...]