About the author: Jane lives in Mount Airy, North Carolina. She is the author of the Madeline Maclin mysteries and the new Grace Street Mystery Series. You can find her at http://www.janetesh.com/ or email her at [email protected].
About the book: A fun, fresh, fascinating fantasy tale, Butterfly Waltz introduces protagonist Des Fairweather, a young musician whose creative efforts are hampered by fears he may possess destructive magical powers. When he helps his friend Jake Brenner, a tabloid writer on the hunt for a big supernatural story, Des is swept up in a world of mystery and intrigue. Despite his skepticism of the validity of the stories Jake is seeking, Des reluctantly accompanies Jake on his latest adventure—all with the promise that Jake can help Des secure an audition with the city symphony, a break Des desperately needs. When Jake’s search takes the two out to the country to investigate an unusual phenomenon at the Snowden estate, Des encounters a startlingly beautiful young woman who claims to be magical. That young woman is Kalida, a mysterious creature who has escaped from the people of the Caverns and renounced their evil ways. But when Kalida is discovered, her people will stop at no end to get her to return to their world. Will Des be able to cast aside his fears in order to save Kalida … before it’s too late? A mesmerizing tale that blends music, mystery and magic, Butterfly Waltz charms with its enchanting storyline and compelling characters. Resplendent with adventure, intrigue, and the allure of the supernatural, Butterfly Waltz is delightful.
My Review: Combining originality with good writing, Butterfly Waltz has a lot of potential. It is a page turner and a quick read. The four main characters, Des, Jake, Kalida and Christine, are engaging characters and the plot flows seamlessly without a single hitch; one always knows what is going on, which makes sinking into the story all the easier.
Alas, there is not much of a story to sink into. There are definitely a lot of elements that are brought together in a beautiful way, but the book, standing currently at 213 short pages, is way too short for the richness of what Tesh has brought to life. This is one of those cases where more would have been better. I felt at times like I was reading a screenplay. While the action is solid, the lack of other sensory information make it go by way too fast—like eating the peanut butter and jelly without the toast.
However I would still recommend this book to those looking or an imaginative story with a unique storyline and a great, atypical ending.