Evening's Empire (edition 2003)

Russell Kent, composer, is trying to deal with the loss of his wife while also trying to write an opera adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (And that is an opera I would dearly love to see.) As part of his ongoing recovery from grief, he decides to visit the small coastal town, Evening, where his wife died a year ago, and continue writing his opera there.

The town of Evening is a character all on its own. Set on the wintery coastline of Oregon, it survives through its cheese factory and tourism, and is peopled by some of the most dull, cheese obsessed, small minded small town people it has ever been the misfortune of Kent to meet. Luckily, there are some diamonds amongst the dullards; in particular his landlady Megan Sumner, and Bernard Dreerson, owner of the local bookshop, The Warp and Weft. These diamonds seem to be waging a war of some sorts with the town dullards, but it does take a while for the undercurrents to become clear, and they definitely weren't at all what I was expecting.

Herter has written a fascinating story, peopled with highly believable characters, and has made music come alive in words. A book where the unexpected occurs, and where cheese and music are both strong motifs. And it's not many books you can say that about. ( )