THE VIOLIN MAKER'S SECRET - Evie Woods
A Perfect 10
Harper Collins
ISBN: 9780008696603
ISBN: 9780008696597 (Ebook)
February 2026

Fiction

England and Europe - Past and Present

A violin, lovingly made, sits in the Lost and Found at Heathrow Airport. Made in the early eighteenth century after its maker lost the love of his life, the violin holds a magical promise, both good and bad, for whomever possesses it. 

Baggage handler Devlin wants to get something special for his girlfriend. He remembers her telling him long ago that she always wanted to play the violin. And there just happens to be one in the Lost and Found! As he opens the case, Devlin is overwhelmed by a sense of clarity. But his girlfriend tosses him out, expecting an engagement ring, not a violin! And then he reads about a very valuable violin that had been stolen. 

Walter, retired from teaching, has yet to deal with not working every day. Or having close friends or even having a hobby. As he sits alone in his apartment, a bottle of pills before him, there is someone at the door. It's a former student, Devlin. And he has a violin he'd like Walter to evaluate. When Walter handles it, he has a feeling that soothes him. He must help Devlin. 

When Devlin and Walter show up at Gabrielle Wilding's shop with a violin that they want appraised, she is struggling to make   ends meet. Can this beautiful instrument be the answer? It certainly boosted her mood just holding it. 

While all three of these very different people have secrets, they all want to find the violin's rightful owner. But is there someone else out there looking for it? And how serious are they about wanting it back? Did they have the same reaction to it that Devlin, Walter, and Gabrielle have?

THE VIOLIN MAKER'S SECRET is a poignant tale so indicative of author Evie Woods. The instrument's story, told from its inception to the present, tells how it survived, who it helped, and who it didn't help. The violin's voice narrates these tales, and it's heartbreaking, uplifting, and so emotional. Definitely a book deserving of   A Perfect 10. 

Jani Brooks