My own grandparents came to Ohio around 1900. "Rose Street" brought to narrative life all the stories my father, uncles and aunts have told me over the years.

I wonder if Carmen Leone realized that by telling his story, he was telling mine, too, as well as the stories of countless others. They might Italian, but they don't have to be. In fact, the soundtrack that came to my head while reading "RoseStreet" was the song "Tradition," from "Fiddler On The Roof." How can the story of an Italian immigrant couple and their American-born children have anything to do with Jewish shtetl life?

Read the book.

Ever look in the mirror and just examine your own eyes. Ever see the faces of your relatives in your own?

"Rose Street" is, too, such a mirror.

Pierre-Joseph Redoute was the Audubon of flowers--particularly roses and lilies. His artwork is stunning and he depicts the various varieties of roses in immaculate detail. An absolutely gorgeous book, published by Taschen and printed in Italy, my version is about 5"X 8" page size and the ISBN number is 3-8228-1356-7 (English version).

For the lover of roses, any illustrated book by Pierre-Joseph Redoute will be a treasure to admire for years.

Joseph Pierre

Justine Pagett flees from New York to Paris after the loss of her mother. Her grief doesn't allow her to see past what she wants. She returns to New York to research Sophie DeLyon, a distinguished composer. Little did she realize that she'd have to dig up more than she had anticipated after Sophie mysteriously disappears. There are various twists throughout the novel. The ending is flooring.

Sheet Music's language is sensual, beautiful, dark and stark. I love how the author describes food and music in an erotic manner. The aspects of erotica in this novel, as opposed to her first two novels, are more subtle -- used as an undertone this time. M.J. Rose is quite versatile. Sheet Music is one of the best suspense novels I've read all year. You won't find bloody scenes and gruesome details in this one, for this is a clever erotic/psychological thriller. Highly recommended...

MJ Rose paints evocative pictures of our souls with words. "No. Without my mother, I was not myself. And sometimes I think I am still not myself."

Through SHEET MUSIC we follow Justine's journey to find her new self--her motherless daughter new self. As we travel with Justine we are reminded of the smells that we associate with our own mothers.

The first page of Sheet Music reveals Justine Pagett's emptiness. Even as Justine makes love to her Parisian paramour, she recalls her dead mother and the love they once exclusively shared. Justine draws us to her pain; we are curious about her emptiness and the mystery that surrounds her parents' relationship. We discover that Justine has good qualities; she is capable of being a friend to certain women, but her relationships with men are shallow and troubled. The armor she wears against intimacy contributes to scandal and a tarnished reputation as a journalist.

On probation with her employer, Justine leaps at the opportunity to write about Sophie DeLyon, a renowned conductor and musician whose enigmatic life has long been the subject of speculation. To do the piece, Justine needs to return from her home in Paris to New York, where she must confront her estranged father, sister, and the raw memories of her mother's painful death. Justine also needs the help of a former lover, Austen, who was once one of DeLyon's handpicked students. During her mother's illness, Austen reached Justine with his music in a way that words couldn't. The memories of his sensuality still touch her in ways that make Justine fearful, because she vows never to suffer in love as her mother did.

Justine arrives at DeLyon's exclusive music academy, located on hundreds of acres of prime oceanfront property, on the very day that Sophie DeLyon disappears from her sailboat in a squall. Justine also begins to receive threatening messages that insist she stop writing about DeLyon. While Sophie's students, friends, and family members attempt to cope with her absence and possible death, Justine wonders why Sophie invited her to Euphonia to write the story-and what mysteries the message-sender is afraid Justine will disclose. Justine also realizes how much of an outsider she is among Sophie's entourage, and how she is locked outside their grief.

Justine understands obsessive grief, though. She observes the interaction of Sophie's two adult children, who reveal conflicting emotions toward their mother. Charlie, Sophie's grandson and Austen's thirteen-year-old son, is devastated by his revered grandmother's disappearance. He, Helena, Sophie's closest friend at the academy, and several of her returned students are inconsolable-and Justine recognizes her own emotional destitution in these people. She also, despite escalating resistance, begins to uncover some of the dark secrets in Sophie's life. Just as Justine must discover who Sophie was outside the spotlight of her towering talent and philanthropy, she must face her own grief and see her own mother as a whole person.

M.J. Rose delves into some important issues in Sheet Music. The novel examines obsession and selective memory. The reader realizes that some characters will untangle their emotions, while others will succumb to their blackness. Rose also studies the deep effect of music and art on individuals and she observes the isolation of pushing the artistic envelope.

I highly recommend Sheet Music, which portrays characters that stay with the reader after the last page, and whose sensuality and empathy touch the heart. Readers of mysteries, romance, and self-awareness novels will all enjoy this book.

Deborah Turrell Atkinson, author of PRIMITIVE SECRETS, a clever, contemporary mystery that reveals a Hawai'i that few visitors see, from the winding cane roads of Hamakua to the seedy side of Honolulu's Chinatown.
Poisoned Pen Press, October 2002

This book is just about how to get by if you're a bachelor. It's incredibly funny for the most part (the cooking sections should not be read if you've just ate!). This is a fantastic little book, very helpful if you plan to live like a slob or like a typical college freshman.

The action switches back and forth between the trial and the memories in Genny's mind of what really happened with Slade Gabriel, her parents, her friends, and herself as she leads you into the painting of her own life with this dynamic man who had captured her love, her lust, her being as Ms. Rose delves into the human psyche and peels back the layers of what makes Genny and Gabriel tick. The characters are very complex with a mixture of dark and light. I was so emotionally tied up that when I finished Flesh Tones I had one doggoned big cry, especially when I discovered the gift that Gabriel left Genny.

M.J. Rose also gives you a virtual tour of the art world and artists. I've always loved New York and the museums, but I now have a much better opinion of what art is all about after reading this compelling book. This summer I know everyone is going to be talking about M.J. Rose's FLESH TONES, a book that appeals to your intellect, and your emotions. Sensational!
There is a lot of thought provoking issues that certainly will jolt you.

"FLESH TONES is one hell of a compelling read with its eye opening view into the art world as M.J. Rose mesmerizes you with a tale of lust, greed, passion and obsession that is staggering to your emotions as a kaleidoscope of visions flash by in glorious colors. Believe me, you won't be unaffected by this book. I'm still reeling. Simply stunning! Ms. Rose gets better with every book. Put her on your A list now."

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews

Ms. Rose is a real winner with FLESH TONES. It is a sophisticated, intelligent, highly entertaining and very well written novel.