This was a unique and engaging story. i really liked the characters and their development.
Many thanks to Black Rose Writing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

A Shadow Melody
by Brian Kaufman
Pub Date: 05 Jan 2023

A Shadow Melody is a mixture of historical fiction, science, science fiction/paranormal and a sweet romance. I enjoyed the book and was ready to give it a 4-star review.... until the last part of the book took a turn that I was really disappointed in. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will leave it at that, but I will say the ending is left open...

3 stars

This story had me engaged from start to finish-I ended up reading it all in a day! The plot was interesting and the characters kept me emotionally invested. After all, who hasn’t considered the question of what happens after death? If you enjoy historical fiction, paranormal, and a little bit of romance, you should definitely read this. Thank you Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for the arc. I’ll be looking forward to reading other titles by this author.

This is a short novel that feels like a novella. It's written like a short story, with the kind of ending a short story often has, but it's really a novel that hasn't been given enough room to breathe.

Nothing is developed as much as I felt it needed to be. The romance felt cursory. The dark-fantasy element (I'd consider communicating with the dead dark fantasy, though it's presented in a context which otherwise suggests science fiction) felt inadequately led up to and not motivated enough by the prior parts of the story, which also felt disjointed, as if the child Harry we met at the beginning didn't have much continuity with the adult Harry. I think this is because while some of his abilities were the same, there didn't seem to be a clear emotional throughline from beginning to end. The twist also felt abrupt (and broke my suspension of disbelief: <spoiler>the Catholic Church never actually "outlawed" a musical interval as demonic, and having a piece of music do psychic damage just... didn't work for me</spoiler>).

I think it's the emotional throughline that I was really missing. I've reviewed a few books this year that I've put on my Best of the Year list despite significant mechanical issues, because they showed good storytelling ability and took me on an emotional journey that worked. This one is the opposite; there are relatively few and minor prose errors, but it's all chops and no gravy.

There are some missed opportunities, too, that could have created such a throughline. For example, while in college, Harry secretly admires his best friend's girlfriend; but after the two friends are both in World War I, she disappears from the story completely, even though she could easily have filled the exact role that is instead filled by the randomly-appearing and previously-unheralded Elizabeth. It's as if, with each time skip (child to college age, college to the war, war to several years post-war) there's a reset, and what Harry cares about, and the cast of secondary characters, are completely replaced. I think that's what makes it feel underdeveloped and too short; none of the sections is complete in itself, and there's not enough connection between them.

For me, this had potential, but needed more work to be satisfying.

Harry Smith in his young life head had some of the best and the worst things that could happen to a person happened to him. He lost his mom at the young age of three in for a few years him and his dad lived hand to mouth until his dad got hired at Mr.Brampton’s estate and this would change young Harry’s life for the better and forever. Young Harry was one of the smartest seven--year-olds Mr.Brympton ever met and so he took a special interest in him. He was a professor at the local college and new young Harry was something special and after the death of his father the professor would be all young Harry had left. This is why when Harry left to join the great war Mr. Brympton was not happy about it. Throughout Harry’s life he wanted to know why did people die? Why did his mother die why did his father have to die? After the war when the professor passed away he left a big enough inheritance to let houri study and research and try to answer the scientific questions he had. One day after moving into his little cottage A local girl name Elizabeth knocked on his door having Vincent there by the window to see if he would hire her as a housekeeper. This would change young Harry’s life forever. She would also help him answer his questions about that but either he asked the wrong questions or didn’t understand the answer because sometimes it’s better just to wander. I know this isn’t the greatest summary but how do you summarize such an awesome book. This isn’t a romance book it isn’t a paranormal book and although they have aspects of both I think this is a book that stands all on its own I truly enjoyed this book and when I say I did not say the story going we’re dead I don’t think anyone will babe but this book is so good I loved it and highly recommend it it is definitely the kind of book I have come to expect from Black Rose Writing . I will definitely be looking for more books by this author asked for this one I highly recommend it if you love historical fiction with a paranormal and romantic twist you’ll love this book. Let me just say this book is so much more than a romance book I feel as if I’m doing it a disservice by putting the genre in my review but it does have romantic aspects but it is a way more credible story than just a whimsical ghost or romance genre. I’ve received this book from NetGalley and Black Rose Writing but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Brian Kaufman's A Shadow Melody was an enjoyable read for me from start to finish. I enjoyed the premise, and the characters. The writing was deft and focused more on storytelling and delivered wonderfully.
From the description, "In the early 1900s, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and Harry Browning each researched devices to contact the dead through scientific means. Only one of them succeeded."
This book runs a gamut of genres and pulls you along for the ride by being both intellectually and emotionally engaging. I would like to go into more detail but don't want to spoil it for anyone.
I highly recommend #AShadowMelody by Brian Kaufman. Thank you to #NetGalley, and #BlackRoseWriting for the ARC of this book. I plan on picking up a physical copy for my straining bookshelves, and keeping an eye out for more works by the author.