The Industry of Human Happiness

A tale of love, murder and obsession in the early days of recorded sound. Set in the murky backstage world of late Victorian theatreland, The Industry of Human Happiness is about the obsessive characters who dreamed of bringing recorded music to the masses. Max and his younger cousin Rusty have a vision of launching the gramophone industry from a Covent Garden basement. But a renowned opera singer is brutally murdered in his hotel bed and they are thrust into the underworld of opium dens, brothels and extortion. Ghosts from the past and a contested inheritance turn the cousins against each other, and they go head-to-head to launch rival talking machines. With Max's sweetheart, the ambitious singer Delilah Green, caught in the middle, the pair battle rival manufacturers, London theatre owners and, ultimately, each other, for their very futures. This is a story of obsession, the pursuit of love and the enduring magic of music.

James Hall is a music journalist and author. He has written for The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Observer, the FT and The Sunday Telegraph. As one of the music writers and critics for the Telegraph, he has reviewed shows by everyone from Beyoncé to U2 and from Kanye West to Paul McCartney. Follow James on twitter on @jamesfhall Or visit his website: www.jamesfhall.com