True Beethoven fans know that Beethoven is the greatest composer of all time, but in recent years Mozart's followers have grabbed most of the good tunes. Beethoven is admired but he is lost in our affection. John Suchet both admires Beethoven and likes him, and his three-volume fictional biography, THE LAST MASTER is a carefully researched labour of love. Not a street name or coffee-house in Vienna has gone unchecked. There are many studies of Beethoven and his music, but fewer biographies. His work is complex, and his letters are not immediately revealing in the way that Mozart's are. John Suchet makes his aims clear: within the framework of the historical evidence, he allows himself to imagine episodes which could have happened. Anything which turned out to be impossible has been rewritten until it met this criterion. The result is an awesomely impressive feat of scholarship as well as a compelling read.