Merle Books Brussels

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 ERIC HOFFER GRAND PRIZE

ERIC HOFFER EBOOK PRIZE HONORABLE MENTION

DA VINCI EYE BOOK AWARD FINALIST

From the cobbled lanes of Brussels to a Black Forest castle...

From Prague’s dark magic to the remote Pyrenees...

History haunts the present day in Leona Francombe’s sweeping tale of suspense and adventure.

The Universe in 3/4 Time follows three struggling musicians across Europe as they try to unravel the mystery of an abandoned WW2 piano, a daring quest that draws them ever closer to the fate of the piano’s elusive owner and exposes revelations of their art lost to antiquity. With breathtaking twists and turns the quest traverses frontiers - and generations - as the piano unveils its wartime past and the forbidden romance it witnessed.

The Universe in 3/4 Time weaves together forgotten crimes of passion and heroism during occupation...characters glittering and downtrodden...the startling power of beauty to stare down war. And be careful when you venture into the nights, for there are ghosts you may recognize, and beyond the lamplight, tremors of cosmic harmony.

This page-turner is a bracing journey for both the intellect and the heart: a tour de force of storytelling that also takes time to marvel at the astronomy of Johannes Kepler, the hidden nature of music, and our place in the universe.

Fans of The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief, The Prague Sonata or The Nightingale will not want to miss The Universe in 3/4 Time: A Novel of Old Europe.

Join the growing chorus of readers:

＂I couldn’t put it down and I read on, late into the night, something I hadn’t done since I was 15.＂-Goodreads reviewer

＂Compelling and intriguing from cover to cover. It’s my favorite book from the past several years.＂-MainlyPiano reviewer

＂Plot twists that keep you guessing right up to the end...A novel of many depths that’s much more than an imaginative plot.＂-Goodreads reviewer

＂As an accomplished musician Leona Francombe...brings to light the unseen but powerful presence of music as a force able to change individual lives and the shape of history.＂-Emilio

＂From start to finish - a masterpiece!＂-William S.

＂Beautiful writing...loved the description of the trio’s interconnectedness-very true to life.＂-Goodreads reviewer

＂Uplifting. Delightful. Imaginative.＂-Windsong