Second Fiddle Rosanne Parry Book Review

“If we had known it would eventually involve the KGB, the French National Police, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, we would have left that body in the river and called the Polizei like any normal German citizen; but we were Americans and addicted to solving other people’s problems, so naturally, we got involved.”

This is the introduction to Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry. Quite an attention grabber, right? That’s what I thought when I first heard it at the Stages on Pages event at Oblong Books back in November when Rosanne Parry read it aloud to us along with other small segments of her story.  I was hooked from that moment onward and found myself both looking forward to delving into a world of music, mystery, and adventure, and once again thanking April for dragging me (albeit willingly) to another signing where I happily purchased another awesome book to add to my ever-growing book collection.

Second Fiddle

 Second Fiddle tells the story of three best friends, Jody, Giselle, and Vivian, who live on an army base in Germany during the early post-Berlin wall era with their families. Together they have formed a talented string trio, and are excited to be traveling to Paris for a music competition as it will be their last hurrah before they are once again separated by the army life of relocations. However, before their plans for Paris can even get off the ground, they find out that their music teacher can no longer take them, and on their way home they witness the attempted murder of a Soviet soldier by his own officers. The girls quickly come to the aid of the soldier but are quick to realize the only way they can truly save his life is to smuggle him out of Berlin and that trip to Paris may be just the way to do it — if they can figure out how to pull it off.

Rosanne Parry sets up a truly engaging story of friendship, music, and freedom. The story is told through Jody’s eyes but all three characters are both strong and relatable. I loved them. They each have gentle humor and strong hearts which helps carry them through all the mis-adventures which they encounter. The other thing that carries them through the mis-adventures which take place in the novel is their friendship which I adored. It truly sustains them though the thick and the thin. At its heart, Second Fiddle is about playing music, being with your friends, and trying to do the right thing by discovering one’s own strength.

Disclosure: Purchased copy

Other reviews of Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry:

The Fourth Musketeer