The Violin Conspiracy

by Brendan Slocumb

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. If he’s lucky, he’ll get a job at the hospital cafeteria. If he’s extra lucky, he’ll earn more than minimum wage. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his great-great-grandfather’s beat-up old fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach. Together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Ray will have to piece together the clues to recover his treasured Strad ... before it’s too late.

With the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray’s great-great-grandfather asserting that the instrument is rightfully theirs, and with his family staking their own claim, Ray doesn’t know who he can trust—or whether he will ever see his beloved violin again.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Music, Thriller

334 pages, ebook

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was born in Yuba City, California and was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He holds a degree in music education (with concentrations in violin and viola) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more than twenty years he has been a public and private school music educator and has performed with orchestras throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

In his spare time, Brendan enjoys writing, exercising, collecting comic books and action figures, and performing with his rock band, Geppetto's Wüd.

Reviews

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

***READ THIS ONE AND THEN "SYMPHONY OF SECRETS" COMING IN APRIL***

I have waited a few days to write this review because otherwise it would have been a long rant of everything that is so good about this audiobook!!!

Ray grew up in rural North Carolina. His mother is always after him to make money, contribute to the family, and he does as much as he can. Now that he is in high school his mother is constantly on him to drop out and hurry up and get a job with a paycheck. She is an out of touch mother, also caring for two younger siblings. BUT RAY DISCOVERS HE LOVES MUSIC when he takes a high school class and learns the basics of playing the violin. His teacher soon discovers that he’s a natural and Ray has no intention of dropping out of school.

There is one person who believes in him and that is his grandmother. He has always been her favorite!! When she becomes aware of his interest in the violin she gifts him her “Pop Pop”'s fiddle and HE IS ON HIS WAY!!

As noted in the blurb “He makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather's fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen.”

But he is more than the violin, he is an extremely talented musician and NOTHING IS GOING TO STOP HIS RISING STAR!!

This audiobook immersed me so fully in Ray’s life that I had a “shock like” feeling whenever I had to stop listening!!

WHY SHOULD YOU TRY THIS AUDIOBOOK???

**This book will tell you a story about how a young Black man overcame the racism inherent in the classical music world. IT IS EYE OPENING!!

**THE NARRATION IS RIGHT ON!! The voices of the characters brought them fully to life!!

**Yes there is a mystery to solve also!! Many possibilities about who could have stolen it

**This is also a crazy family drama, IF YOU CAN’T COUNT ON YOUR FAMILY WHO CAN YOU COUNT ON? Fortunately Ray meets a mentor, Janice. From there it is a college scholarship and beyond

**The author’s notes are a story on their own. The author is also a Black violinist and parts of the book are based on his life.

If you want a satisfying, totally immersive experience, I highly recommend the audiobook. There is music between chapters that help set the mood and sent me running to find some of my favorite classical music to listen to!!

If I could give it more than 5* I would. This was an audible audiobook worth every penny and more!! I LOVED IT, can you tell??

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that a mystery can make me feel the whole range of emotions. But this is so much more than a mystery. It’s a coming of age story of an aspiring violinist, a young man who has to deal with the casual racism that assumes blacks and classical music just don’t mix. And not just from the establishment. Even his mother calls his music “noise” and pesters him to quit school, get his GED and find a full time job like his cousin.
But his grandmother believes in him and gifts him her father’s violin, one that turns out to be a Stradivarius.
The mystery in the book is the theft of this violin, a mere month before Ray is to compete in the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow. Suspects include his own family and the white family that once owned his great grandfather and believe the violin belongs to them.
The characters here are rich and fully realized. Slocumb is a music teacher and a performer and he has the ability to make us feel how the music transports Ray.
This book grabbed me and kept me engaged throughout. I just kept finding ways to keep listening to it. Make sure to read/listen to The Author’s Notes. There were times during the book I couldn’t help but wonder if the scenes were a little over dramatic. And then Slocum explains that they were episodes taken from his life.
The mystery wasn’t difficult to unravel. But I wasn’t reading this for the identity of the kidnapper.
JD Jackson was perfect as the narrator and enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is a 2022 Anchor Books publication.

Given a violin by his beloved grandmother, Ray McMillian, discovers the instrument is a genuine Stradivarius worth a fortune.

While he is trying to focus on his music, the discovery of the Stradivarius and its monetary value has generated some distracting publicity.

Now, coming out of the woodwork, is a family who claims the violin belongs to them, while Ray’s own family is blind to his musical abilities, but has no problem seeing the dollar signs attached to him and that special instrument.

Right on the cusp of a very important recital, the instrument is stolen and held for ransom, leaving Ray scrambling, frantic to find the violin and prepare for a competition…

Not all mysteries involve murders. In this case, the theft of a historical violin, is at the center of this multi-layered ‘whodunit’.

As a veteran mystery reader, I did guess early-on who was behind the theft. Despite that, the particulars are well hidden, and worth sticking around for. But in my opinion, this book is far more than just a standard mystery/thriller.

It’s an eye-opening story, giving the reader a look at the classical music world, which can be an adversarial environment, especially when it comes to competitions. The story examines some ridiculous stereotypes, which caused Ray to receive some open surprise sometimes, and maybe even some skeptical dismissal by his musical peers.

The best thing about the story, though, in my opinion, was Ray characterization. I loved his dedication to his craft, his determination, and his principles.

His family is a mixed bag, but others step up on his behalf, giving him the support and encouragement, he needs. But it’s Ray’s big, honest heart, his confidence, and moral code, along with his dedication to his craft and his will to succeed that makes this an inspirational feel-good story, just as much as it is thrilling and enlightening.

4+ stars

[Myco . · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an Honest Review.

I give this 2.5 stars going down to 2 stars for the purpose of this rating system.

This novel has a lot of interesting elements to it. It follows a young black man who is an underdog in every way as he attempts to rise to the top of his field. He struggles with low self worth, an unsupportive money hungry family, and multiple other issues. It should have made for an interesting read.

I just don't think the execution was great. It is a coming to age with a little bit of mystery. The blurb suggests that we will be following the story of Ray McMillian trying to get his violin after it is stolen for ransom. That is how it starts however it quickly switches to 7 years ago (the start of his journey of becoming a professional musician) and it slowly works it self back to the present.

This takes a up a good portion of the book.I think some backstory was needed and helped me understand the main character and his family more. The issue came in that because it went on for so long it became very repetitive and I started to lose interest. Each chapter we would have Ray go up in age and deal with the same racial abuse from different people. It was never ending. It slowed down the pace of the book tremendously. Which is time that could have went towards building a mystery.

I read the author's note and I understand that he had to put up with a lot of the unfortunate racist attacks just because he is a black boy/man trying to play violin. As a black woman I can certainly empathize with the author. However, I think it would have been better if he had written a non fiction novel so that people could properly bare witness to all he had to endure. Because putting in so many examples of racism into THIS book did not add to the story. It only served to neglect other elements.

Even when we got back to the present the book seemed to be going nowhere.

I was able to read this book quickly but I did not enjoy it.

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent Plot, Complex Characters, Slow Pacing

In the opening scene, Ray has his extremely expensive Stradivarius violin stolen. Then, we relive Ray’s background, his musical journey, his family, and all of the suspects. Who did it?

The Violin Conspiracy has an interesting plot, weaving in important social justice issues, and some of the characters have an engaging backstory. Despite getting a “golden ticket”, it isn’t all smooth sailing for Ray.

This book did touch on some issues close to home. In the book, Ray talked about his lack of private lessons, and I could completely relate. When I was in the sixth grade, I began to play the flute for the first time as part of the school band. I loved music, diligently practiced on a daily basis, even slept with my sheet music under my pillow.

I don’t know if things have changed since then, but the teacher would rank each student publicly. First chair would be the best student, and the worst would be last chair. What a great way to shame students publicly!

My fellow students had taken private lessons since kindergarten. Some of them owned extremely expensive flutes (while I had the school rental just like Ray) and attended $1,000+ per week music camps. Despite my enthusiasm for music, I was consistently ranked last chair and dropped out after two years.

Music education is in definite need of an overhaul….but I digress.

The pacing in The Violin Conspiracy is too slow. It seemed to drag on and on. Ray did too many practices and recitals. Although I do understand that that is what musicians do, it wasn’t particularly interesting and didn’t make for great storytelling with the level of repetition.

Further, I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. The person who “did it” never made much sense from the beginning.

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[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Violin Conspiracy” is a story that has staying power. This is so much more than just a thriller. This is multi-dimensional story that involves the life of a classical violinist, a family drama, an historical fiction nod to the horrors of slavery, a coming-of-age story, and a story of greed. But mostly, it’s a story about sticking with what you love, even if people tell you that what you love is not something you should do because it doesn’t fit with what they expect of you.

Rayquan (Ray) McMillian is a black young adult attempting to make it as a classical violinist. Problem: There are no black classical violinist. Even his own family refers to it as “messing with the fiddle”. His mom tells him to get a REAL job, at Popeyes, and help support the family and stop this silly business with the fiddle. Ray confronts a lot of racism with his violin. Many times I had to stop reading, I was so upset. But what upset me most was the lack of family support. Author Brendan Slocumb channeled some real-life experiences into his novel. I sure hope he had better family support than Rayquan did!

Ray has always loved playing his violin. He rented his violin from his school, always needing to return it at the end of the year. And, as with all school rented musical instruments, it was not a highly functional violin. Although his mother discouraged his playing, his grandmother loved it when he played his fiddle. She happened to save her husband’s violin, Ray’s Grandfather, and gave it to Ray. It was in no condition for play. Yet Ray sees the violins worth in that it was one that was handed down in generations, played by Ray’s ancestors.

Long story short, he gets it cleaned up (and his experience at the violin establishment was enough to make me pause) and lands a full scholarship to college. Shortly after that, he learns that he possesses a rare violin. Suddenly his family wants a piece of the action. It’s akin to a story of a person who wins the lottery and family suddenly comes out of the woodwork.

Oh but there’s more. Once the violin’s worth becomes public knowledge, then the slave owners of his Great-great-great-great grandfather say it’s their violin and they want it back. Ray’s Grandmother always said that the violin was given to the great-great-great-great-grandfather by his slave owner (who was thought to be the paternal father of Ray’s grandfather). Now they want the violin.

As the story opens, the violin is stolen (hence the conspiracy). Who took it? Where is it? The list of suspects is long. Meanwhile Ray is in a highly rated competition in Moscow and he needs his violin back. The person(s) who stole the violin are holding it for a ransom.

This is the bones of the story. The meat is Ray’s life as a violinist. What it takes to be a superior violinist; the money involved in pursuit of being a classical violinist is astounding. What he needs to overcome because he’s not white; no one expects a Black man to be able to play concert violin solos. The racism is difficult to read. Sadly, in the author’s notes, Slocumb said these things have happened to him. There are details of concert life that are very interesting.

I chose to listen to the audio production of this story. The narrator, JD Jackson did not grab me right away. However, at the end, I feel he was the correct voice choice. Violin music plays between major chapters. I enjoyed the music, as it put me in the “feel” of the story. At the end, Mr. Slocumb narrates his author notes which are insightful. I highly recommend the audio. This is a story MADE for audio!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit: a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about — in this case, classical music. I devoured this fine novel: every page and every word. And that ending? Never saw it coming.

[Tina(why is GR limiting comments?!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *

This is a debut book that many people really enjoyed. It didn't "wow" me as much as I anticipated it would but I did overall enjoy it. It's a good and important story with only a touch of mystery.

The story opens with a mystery. Ray McMillian is a black classical musician. He has been using his great-grandfather's "fiddle" for many years. The violin is a Stradivarius and worth a lot of money and is very precious to him. It is stolen from his hotel room on the eve of an important Classical Music Competition. I thought there would be more of a mystery on the quest to find who stole it. The story then goes into Ray's background and how he started out playing the violin. His family especially his mother has never been supportive but his Grandmother always was. She is the one who gives Ray her Father's old fiddle which has been in her attic for many years collecting dust. Once it's found out just how much it's worth his family turns on him. He wants to keep it and continues to play it.

The story was good and highlights racism and Ray's own personal struggles with it. It's maddening and sad and the note he finds towards the end did bring tears to my eyes as I listened to it. It just falls short of 4 stars for me as I did find the middle lagged a little and was a bit repetitive. I'm still glad I stuck with it though. The author's note at the end was very good too! He's a promising new writer and I would gladly read something else by him in the future.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook….read by Brendan Slocumb, and JD Jackson
….12 hours and 4 minutes

A stolen violin 🎻…

A talented Black classical musician … [Ray McMillian]

A coming of age story …
Unbelievable sad obstacles… mixed with a handful of professional musicians and music teacher who ‘did’ appreciate Ray’s talent….along with Ray’s wonderful Grandmother.

Mystery & music … Music & mystery [prestigious Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow coming up — and Ray’s violin is stolen/ with a 5 million ransom

Belittled and deprecated by his own mother ….(painful as could be for me)

Racial prejudice … (awful - ‘HORRENDOUS ’ verbal, hurtful painful verbal ‘attack’ for being Black)…. I felt so angry at the cruelty— I wanted to swear and fight back — “The Mother F…..er”…
“SHUT THE F UP”….I wanted to say.

However- there is so much beauty - some humor too - lovely violinist playing for the audiobook format -
And most of all … I REALLY LOVED OUR PROTAGONIST…

The seamless writing, the storytelling, the audio-narration, the emotions, the engaging pure ‘reading/listening’ enjoyment ….is richly-thematic-wonderful.

If you’re suspicious about the ‘hype’….there is no need. It’s honestly deeply engrossing.

Plus… the authors notes at the end was very inspiring!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The melody started slow in the night, a plucking of strings, snowflakes falling dreamily, one flake at a time; and then a burst of cold air poured down on them, and flakes eddied, biting in the chill, the north wind coursing through the living room. Dawn came, light glistening off a frozen pond."

Ray McMillian painted all this for them through the melody that permeated through the air. His talent streamed within the strings and the light touches of the bow of PopPop's ancient violin. The music carried itself from his very bones and from the hidden chambers of his mind. He was born to play.

Brendan Slocumb creates an experience for all of us through The Violin Conspiracy. He broadens his scope to reach out to all who have been dismissed and diminished in society. This novel speaks out against those who view others with a tainted lens that dims the dreams and hopes of far too many based on race, gender, social status, perceived intelligence, and wrongful stereotyping. Ray's story will shine a light upon those darkened corners.

Ray's grandmother, Nora, is one of those light bearers. Ray has always shown an interest in the violin and has been relegated to his school violin on loan. But his grandmother gifts him with possession of his great-great-grandfather's violin. Slocomb will take us back on a journey of the origins of this instrument and why it is so precious in the eyes of Ray and his grandmother. It is through the strength of those vibes that Ray becomes better and better. He astounds his teachers even without the enhancement of private lessons.

But things at home take on a different slant. His mother is demanding in her nature and she expects Ray to quit school and work at the local Popeye's to bring in money to help raise his twin sisters. She shuts him down at every opportunity and throws his vision of a musical career to the wayside. Ray will remember his grandmother's words and he bends over backwards to compensate his family with odd jobs while keeping focused on his dream. Lack of support from our own is the sharpest arrow to the heart.

The Violin Conspiracy will pivot back and forth to the present where Ray's precious violin has been stolen from his hotel room. He's soon to leave to Moscow for the Tchaikovsky Competition. Ray is absolutely distraught. We will come to find that this old violin in the cracked alligator case is worth far more than anyone ever expected. And the race to get the violin back will burn up the following pages.

This is Brendan Slocumb's debut novel. He speaks through a voice of painful experiences himself. Just read the Author's Note at the end. It boggles the mind to think of the numbers of humanity who have been shunned and ridiculed and forced from their dreams and their inner talents because of the cruelty of others hellbent on destruction for a myriad of demented reasons.

Maybe, just maybe, a little bit of Ray will remain long after the last page.......his resilience and his determination to block the shadows of negativity.....to step around and to step in an unexpected direction that raises us to a far higher level for ourselves and for those who'll follow.

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready to be hooked! This book is about how one man's harsh words can make or break you, and how a family's hunger for money can turn your world upside down.

Ray is our hero, fighting against all odds to become the best. His journey is packed with more mystery than thrills, but it’s powerful and gripping. You’ll find yourself cheering for Ray as he battles through every obstacle thrown his way.

It's a must-read for anyone who loves a good underdog story with a twist of family drama and mystery. Dive in and admire Ray’s relentless determination!

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for this suspenseful, riveting ebook in return for an honest review. I was hesitant to start this book when I learned it was set in the world of classical music, a subject where I know next to nothing. Once I started reading, I found the story emotional, gripping, and difficult to put aside. My trepidation was due to being tone-deaf and unable to fully appreciate and enjoy music. Reading this powerful, sensitive story was like being transported and immersed in a new and different culture. Since I enjoyed this book so much, I think any lover of music should be enthusiastic about this enthralling story.

Ray McMillan, a Black man, grew up in North Carolina. As a child, he was determined to become a world-class violinist. He was dissuaded because a Black boy was thought to lack the talent to succeed in the world of classical music. He practiced enthusiastically on an old violin but knew he needed a better instrument for his talents to flourish. He cannot afford one, nor afford music lessons. His family is far from supportive. His mother constantly and harshly ordered him to stop the noise, and to get a minimum wage job. His extended family sided with his mother and regarded Ray's love for music as a worthless hobby. He found solace in the love and support of his grandmother.

When he is a teenager, a friend asks him to play concerts with a group. Ray is overjoyed but meets a harsh reality when doors are shut on him because of his colour and he becomes the target of racial slurs. The author is an African-American classical musician who is writing from experience. Some of the incidents of racism encountered by Ray are taken from the author's own personal setbacks and his being targeted by prejudice and stereotyping.

Ray's beloved and supportive grandmother gives him an old, musty, beaten-up fiddle that belonged to her grandfather who was once a slave on a plantation. His master was a terrible man who inflicted horrifying atrocities on his slaves. He enjoyed the distraction of the young man playing the fiddle for himself and other slaves. It was believed he was also the boy's biological father. When his master was dying he freed the young man and gave him the fiddle. This freed slave's granddaughter is Ray's elderly grandmother who had stored the old fiddle in her attic.

After much restoration of the old musical instrument, it is appraised and discovered to be an authentic, priceless Stradivarius violin, worth perhaps 11 million dollars. Ray loves the violin, not for its fabulous value, but because of its heritage, and when playing it his talent soars. He has gained the confidence to enter the world of classical music despite the racial prejudice inherent there. After much training and traveling to perform in concerts, Ray feels he is now ready to enter the prestigious and renowned Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He has a girlfriend, is making good money, and with his Stradivarius in hand, he feels he has a good chance to win if the judges fairly evaluate his musical talent, and disregard any racial bigotry.

His life is not without problems. His family incessantly demands most of his earnings, and the descendants of the slave master have a lawsuit demanding that the violin is rightfully theirs. They claim that Ray's great-great-great-grandfather stole the violin and insist it be returned to their family. These worries do not come up to the level of the disaster that Ray encounters a week before going to the competition in Moscow. His priceless violin is stolen and a ransom of 5 million dollars is demanded for its return. There are a number of suspects. His own greedy family, the descendants of the slave master, and the chambermaid in the hotel where he and his girlfriend stayed. Now he learns that his main rival for the top violin award is a Serbian man, and coincidently a black market violin has surfaced in Serbia. Is his rival behind the theft, hoping that will cause Ray to drop out of the contest?

The mystery was intriguing, and the characters were well developed and resounded on an emotional level.
Recommended!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully told story, not only for its delicate mystery, but for its author’s note at the end. But, mostly, it reminds us that there are some characters that give us faith in the world – the mentors that tell us we are capable of being anything we want to be, regardless of what people or family may expect of us.

Because someone believed in Ray, Ray could believe in himself, and follow his love of the violin.

His grandfather gifted him a “fiddle” and this is the root of the story. And this is what we want to follow – not just the importance of the fiddle, but the impact on Ray’s life and the choices he makes for the love of music and playing the violin.

But, don’t just stop with the end of the story. Be sure to read the author’s notes at the end.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and rate it 4 stars. It is more of a story of the world of classical musicians than a mystery. Ray McMillian is a poor black teenager who dreams of becoming a professional musician. The book has a somewhat improbable premise of a beat up family violin turns out to be an authentic Stradivarius. Ray's violin is stolen and the thief wants $5 million.
The mystery of who stole the violin is solved.
More enlightening is the reality of the all too real racism present in the classical music world. The author is a professional musician and some of the racist experiences are his. I also enjoyed the descriptions of his music.
One quote:
"The melody started slow, in the night, a plucking of strings, snowflakes falling dreamily, one flame at a time; and then a burst of food and poured down on them, and flakes eddied, biting in the chill, the north wine course through the living room."
Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing and Brendan Slocum for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#TheViolinConspiracy #NetGalley

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3+] My favorite part of this book is the afterword where the author discusses the racism he encountered as a Black classical musician and how it motivated him to write. I did find the novel easy to focus on during a distracting time. I wished for more depth and ambiguity - the characters were mostly extremely greedy or virulently racist with just a few exceptions. And the plot was simplistic. The best parts of the novel were the vivid descriptions of Ray playing the violin.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When you begin to hate them just because they hate you, you turn into them, and then they win.”

I love when my attention is brought to something that I am generally unaware of. I don’t know about you guys, but in the world of classical music, I know little to nothing. However, Slocumb with this book reminds me that racism can exist in a lot of places even in the places we don’t think about.

Who knew a story about a black man and his love for playing the violin could unfold a story of family history, determination, family dynamics, and of course, racism, both overt and covert. I enjoyed being on this journey with Ray, and knowing that much of this is inspired by Slocumb’s life makes me connect to it more. I love that I could feel Ray’s passion every time he spoke about his dreams as a violinist, and it broke my heart that it’s through his dreams that he discovers how far racism goes.

Although this book is also advertised as a thriller, I really felt that it could get away with not describing it as such because those parts were pretty predictable. Luckily, the story is more focused on Ray, and his journey which more than made up for this. And although this story deals with hard subjects, it didn’t feel like a book full of riddles and complicated literary devices but a story that anyone can read and understand.

I would absolutely recommend it!

[NILTON TEIXEIRA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great concept and well structured, hence my 3 stars, but unfortunately I did not like the writing.
The characters felt too weak and cartoonish. The main character’s mother was over the top and unbelievable.
In my opinion there was no substance and I could not even feel the passion for the music. I also thought that it was too repetitive.
The racism was showcased throughout the entire book, but because of the writing I couldn’t feel a thing and the mystery element was very disappointing.
I really wanted to love this book, as my friends did.

[Chantel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on graphic violence, racially motivated crime, financial insecurity, racial slurs, psychological abuse, physical abuse, parental neglect, & others.
 
The frequency with which Slocumb incorporates racism within this book was exceedingly high. This book is a story & the purpose of putting forth a work of fiction is ultimately to lead the reader through a tale that has been weaved with profoundness & forethought as to where the ending may conclude. It is to the detriment of every person who has been at the forefront of racially motivated hatred to read a story in which every other interaction presents a repeated act of racism without gifting Ray, the main character, with any depth to his person; there is nothing happening in between these acts of violence which leave the reader with the sentiment that this story has a plot. Rather, this book reads like a retelling of horrible things, none of which I deny have happened.

When one reads a situation of fictionalized work that incorporates aspects of realism without necessarily branding the work as magical-realism, the web, known as the plot, may easily become mangled in an effort to sustain legitimacy & credibility. Objectively speaking, racism is wrong—I am not arguing the contrary. What I am saying is that presenting a story of the struggles encountered by a Black musician seeking to find his place in the world of classical music, while simply littering the book with racism; his grandmother saying that he needs to work harder; his mother being an abusive slog; his immediate family being complacent in his mother’s abuse; & little else to classify this book as anything but a familial drama, there is little left to lead the reader to feel any level of the desired sympathy for the main character.

How did Ray make it through so many years of his life without being made aware that Black people in North America experience acts of racism? Was he not present when any singular member of his family might have encountered a similar situation to the one he had at the music store? Did no one in his family think to talk to him about the experiences he might have had growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina? This feels absurd. I am not assuming that the stress & anxieties lived by adults in the world should be imposed on children but, I cannot help but wonder that Ray lived freely in North Carolina without encountering a single racial slur up until he was 18/19 years old. As I have no tangible life experience in this domain as stated in the introductory paragraph, I shall leave these questions to be posed & answered by people of the community who may better speak on such things.
 
Bordering on unbelievable, this story takes place in modern times & by modern I mean that it could be taking place in the same year as I wrote this review as well as it could the year prior. I have a particularly difficult time forgiving judicial ineptitude in books that take place in modern times as there is practically no excuse for things not to be resolved. I appreciate that the real world is seldom like the one we read about in books but, seeing as this story incorporates so many aspects of realism within the plot one would anticipate seeing a thorough police search take place when an authenticated Stradivarius violin insured for $10 million is stolen from under Ray’s nose. I acknowledge that policing bodies are not always as wonderful as one would hope. However, Nicole being the thief of the violin & not being followed or questioned in depth is ridiculous.

Any person who has spent an afternoon watching any criminal show on television can readily tell you the spouse is almost always the culprit. This is not a far-fetched notion. Nicole, being someone who was present in the room when the violin went missing, who had all the motive in the world to take it, who had a history of romantic relationships with a person who was questionable legally speaking, walked out of the hotel room & away from police questioning without so much as a scratch on her record. This feels ludicrous, to say the least. How moronically boring it was to read about all the policing efforts being placed on a person who was surely an undocumented inhabitant of the United States whilst Nicole roamed around scot-free.
 
Leaning on a popular belief behind that saying I would like to focus on Leon. The beloved ‘PopPop’ of Grandma Nora, who played the Stradivarius violin until his passing in 1935; left the Plantation that saw him under the ownership of a Master Thomas essentially without any hesitation or qualms by the Master of said Plantation nor from any other person involved in the business aspect of running such a place. Though I would love to believe that this was a common occurrence, one that I might believe to be true, I cannot rightly say that it was. I must admit that I felt rather disgusted with the route the author decided to take in terms of stringing together the moral of the story to the historical aspects that held weight both in the book & in reality.

Reading that the Marks’ family was related to the slave owners that held Leon & many other Black people captives, & had travelled willingly on a boat from Italy to the United States only for them to hold the desire to become slave owners was wickedly stupid. I respect that many parts of history are hidden from us should we not know where to look. However, I do.

The Italian people who immigrated to the United States were not regarded with any dignity or respect by the American people. Anyone who was not, shall we say, Germanic looking or bred was a stain on the human species & this included the Irish, Italians, Greeks, Chinese, & so on & so forth. As found in “The Book of History: United States” (1923): “[…][O]nly once before 1854 did the number in any year reach a thousand. […][T]he number increased, varying somewhat from year to year until the hundred thousand mark was reached in 1900.”(pg. 6321) This citation highlights that the number of Italian immigrants making their way to the United States was minimal at best. It would be implausible to assume that the small number of those people came to this new country & were gleaming to take part in slave ownership when many times they were also Indentured.

Within the same book, there is noted that the percentage of Italian immigrants from the South (i.e. the reputably poorer part of the country) who spoke English was 55% which leads one to the conclusion that these people were not, in fact, jumping on a weeks-long journey to a country where they could statistically not communicate with the inhabitants with great ease. A search through census records would lead one to record that Italians were often marked as ‘Black’ given both the pigmentation of their skin & the derogatory opinions held towards them by those running the Census. Therefore, how would these same people have been taken seriously?

Is it possible that Italian immigrants came to the United States & held social weight to put themselves in the slave trade & ownership—chances are slim but not impossible, after all, we as a species have bore witness to many a mind-bending occurrence. Yet, I cannot rightfully conclude that members of a group of people, whom the inhabitants of the United States despised, would have been able to make their way to the South, a less than welcoming location, put themselves forth to own a property outright, been taken seriously in their purchase of slaves & then have run a ‘successful’ Plantation.
 
We come to the part in the story wherein Leon has played the violin for Master Thomas for a greater portion of his life. It has been hinted that Leon is a child born from the rape of his mother by Master Thomas yet, we’ve no reason to focus on that for very long as, before we know it, Leon is standing at the death bed of his humanitarian violator & being told that he will be granted whatever he wishes for because ‘he didn’t try & run away.’ What an incredible stroke of luck. Especially if we are to believe that Master Thomas was an Italian immigrant he would certainly have more to prove than any of his fellow American slaveowners & therefore have little reason to show kindness to anyone, ever. Yet, in a letter that Leon forced Grandma Nora to write when she was nine (9), we are led to the moral of the story which has left me with revulsion.

In his recollections, Leon says that he asked to be a free man & voilà, wish granted. He asked for the freedom of his mother but, given that the Lady of the house had poor opinions of the victim of alleged rapes, she would be trapped at the Plantation. But, Oh! What other fairy dust has been sprinkled over the life of Leon, he is allowed to take the family heirloom, known to Ray as the Stradivarius, on his route with him to freedom. This comes from the same man we read about who amputated the body parts of those he had enslaved for the sake of ensuring that they never felt able to revolt or seek freedom. How on earth am I meant to believe that this makes sense? But wait, there’s more.

Leon tells Grandma Nora that even though Master Thomas was a mean man, though he was a cruel man, Leon always treated him with respect. Leon never treated Master Thomas poorly & so, Grandma Nora should know that even if she is treated badly, she should treat everyone with respect. Am I meant to deduce that Leon treated Master Thomas with respect because he was a respectful person & not say because Master Thomas was performing horrific acts of violence & abuse against everyone on the Plantation? The moral of the story cannot possibly be to link the survival mindset of someone who was enslaved to the racism experienced by someone in the 1930s. Clearly, there is a disparity in what is being presented & I cannot help but wonder that no one questioned why this letter that Grandma Nora wrote was not edited to reflect better light on the moral of the story.

I am sure that Leon felt better within himself by acting in a way that saw him attempt to be true to his values. However, he was enslaved. It does not matter that he was respectful to a person who owned slaves; this person does not care about the well-being of a person they are keeping as a slave. At the end of the day, it did not matter what Leon did, he could have had his limbs cut off for simply being a Black person. It’s nice to want to encourage a young person to be true to themselves even in the face of cruelty but to say that treating a slaveowner with respect was taking the moral high ground versus simply performing acts in an attempt to not be mutilated, abused or killed, is absurd. Leon could have drawn a conclusion to his life working in the music scene, where he most certainly experienced prejudice being a ‘free man’ in a world that believed only White Americans were truly free.
 
As a final thought, I would have regarded this book more highly had it been branded as a drama. This is not a thriller. To put this book amongst those that riddled the heart with murmurs & leaps is to do it a great disservice. This is a story that seeks to highlight the racial inequality felt by Black people who are attempting to breach the classical music scene. This alone is enough. One did not need the ploy to steal the violin as it brought down the quality of the book significantly.

A story about classical music artists & the struggles they overcome to be the best at their craft would be wonderful to read. Even more so from the perspective of a person who did so themselves. The author would have done well to write this book as non-fiction. I truly appreciated all the details regarding orchestra performances, practices, compositions of the Greats, etc. I would have enjoyed this story very much.
 
Yet, when I have reached the end of this book I wonder that we should regard Grandma Nora so highly when she raised Ray’s mother—his abuser—& did nothing to quell her abusive behaviour. I wonder that the Marks family terminated their lawsuit because they were worried that the letter Grandma Nora penned as a child might reflect poorly on their family, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it would have already been known that they had slaveowners in their family. I wonder that none of the characters held much depth in a story that revelled in recollections; I don’t even know who Ray is at all, he plays the violin & that’s all that’s written. I wonder at many things & yet, I shan’t remember to wonder tomorrow, so little this story did impress upon me.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ray McMillan is an extremely talented violinist. He is a black young man, using a school rented violin to play. He is poor but has a talent that no one can take from him. His family, particularly his mother are not nice people. His mother wants him to go and get a job preferably at Popeye's, so he could earn money which her greedy self feels she needs. However, Ray is the apple of his grandmother's eye and when she hears him play, she is reminded of Pop Pop. She tells Ray that Pop Pop had inherited an old violin from his ancestors who were slaves. It was given to his great great great grandfather from the owner of the plantation where he was a slave. There is a chance that the violin is upstairs in the grandmother's attic and after much searching, Ray finds it. It's old dilapidated and needs work and is encased in an old alligator skin case. Ray is thrilled to finally have a violin of his very own.

As the story continues Ray and his family find out that this is not any ordinary violin but the prized and worth a fortune Stradivarius. His family is beside themselves claiming the violin belongs to the family with their hands constantly out for money. Of course, Ray is beside himself carrying the violin with him at all times, and attracting the attention of some who recognized his extraordinary playing, while also encountering the current family of the man who originally gave Ray's ancestor the instrument. Of course they say his great great great grandfather had taken it.

Lawsuits ensue and as Ray climbs up the ladder and his skills are recognized more and more; he enters the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Much to his chagrin, the Stradivarius is stolen, and Ray and his girlfriend are determined to pay the ransom and get what belongs to Ray back. It's a harrowing time, fighting off his greedy relatives and also the sister brother team who want their instrument returned, while preparing for the most intense performance Ray will ever have.

I appreciated that this story shone a light on someone who is gifted in music, someone whose life is music, someone who had a bleak future ahead, finding courage and determination and growing into a decent man. Yes, Ray faced prejudices and the author made that quite apparent in the telling, but Ray was no quitter and he sallied forth with the sage advice of his grandmother. The story was interesting and made many valid points about discrimination against the black community in the area of classical music which hopefully have diminished.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel has a really great premise but the writer couldn't pull it off. The writing was weak. The racism the main character experiences is cartoonish. The women characters were offensive - especially the main character's mother. Big disappointment.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this debut novel from Brendan Slocumb which centers around a Black man who has a passion for classical music and a Stradivarius violin that has been stored in his grandmothers attic for decades, with the twists being that nobody knew it was a Stradivarius, as well as some family intrigue from the days when his great-great-grandfather was a slave. Ray, our protagonist, catches the eye of a college professor who gets him the training he needs, but this violin takes him to a new level. Lots going on in this book as Ray's family fights him for ownership of the violin, and the descendants of the slave owner also want the violin returned to them. On top of this the violin is stolen (which in and of itself is just a super part of the book), and we see the racism that is in classical music, as well as Ray's own mother continuing to denigrate his music and efforts. While the author makes the case for racism in classical music, to me an even stronger criticism has to go to Ray's family who refuse to support or encourage classical music. Very good book on so many levels.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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“And none of that mattered. No matter how nice the suit, no matter how educated his speech or how strong the handshake, no matter how much muscle he packed on, no matter how friendly or how smart he was, none of it mattered at all. He was just a Black person. That’s all they saw and that’s all he was.”

While I did find The Violin Conspiracy to be a bit all over the place the author's acknowledgements hit hard. The book opens in medias res with Ray McMillian, our main character, discovering that his Stradivarius has been stolen. Ray is preparing for the international Tchaikovsky Competition and without his fiddle, he feels unmoored. The narrative then jumps back in time where we meet Ray in his teens and learn more about his family situation. His mother wants him to drop school so he can work full time and so she can buy a new tv. When Ray begins to earn good money by playing at various events she quietens down somewhat but she still clearly disapproves of his violin playing and often ridicules him and his belief that he could pursue a career as a violinist. The only supportive member of his family is Ray’s beloved grandmother who loves him to bits. She also wants him to play and gifts him her grandpa’s fiddle. Ray eventually ends up getting a scholarship for a prestigious college. His mother doesn’t want him to go but Ray is determined to follow his path. He eventually learns that his violin is a Stradivarius. His family wants him to sell it and claim that it was never his, to begin with. To keep them at bay Ray begins to send them large sums of money but they never seem satisfied. He also begins to receive thinly threatening letters from a family that claims to be the righteous owners of the violin, and it turns out that they are descendants of the people who had once enslaved Ray’s great-grandfather. Eventually, the narrative reaches the beginning, where Ray’s beloved violin has been stolen and the competition is just around the corner.
Throughout the narrative, the author highlights just how racist and elitist the classical music world is. From when he played as a teenager at venues to his time as a teacher and a professional violinist, Ray experiences racism. Classical music is something that is often associated with whiteness and because of this Ray has to fight to be accepted into this world. No matter how hard he proves himself he will be confronted with people dismissing his skills, claiming that he is a ‘diversity token’ or diminishing his talent. There are many harrowing scenes where Ray is mistreated and abused, and the realism of these scenes made it clear that these episodes had likely been experienced by the author himself (such as the wedding one early on). From outright racist remarks to more ‘veiled’ ones, Ray has to fight tooth and nail to claim a space in this extremely white elitist world. That he has no support from his family certainly doesn’t help as with the exception of his grandmother and an aunt, they are all keen on him selling his violin.
The novel tries to combine a Bildungsroman novel with a more suspenseful storyline but the two don't quite mesh together. The flashbacks into Ray’s teenage years do add context to his life and the violin but they fail to make him into a more rounded character. I found him rather flat, at times a little more than a vehicle to move the story forward. I would have liked for him to have a more defined personality and a more developed characterisation. Other characters were similarly one-dimensional, Ray’s mother in particular. She’s portrayed as a horrible person: every scene she is in she says something awful. She has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and I could not understand why Ray would bother with her at all. He also has siblings but we never see him interact with them. His other relatives, with the exception of that one aunt, are all greedy and nasty to him. The bad characters in this book are also extremely one-note. This is fair enough, a simplistic approach could have worked but I found it annoying that the author would describe these characters as physically ‘ugly’ and are often ‘fat’. The woman who claims that the violin belongs to her family for instance has ‘jowls’ covered by ‘downy hair’. All of the policemen are of the doughnut-eating variety, but this, I didn’t mind as much given my less than warm feelings towards them.
Anyway, the story suggests that either Ray’s family or this white family are behind his missing violin. The novel then takes a weird turn by making someone else responsible and forgetting almost entirely of Ray’s family or that other one. It just seemed an odd choice and a predictable one at that.
I also did not care for the way Ray spoke about or describes women (“the tawny-haired woman with the tight dress running her fingers suggestively around her wineglass”; “The attractive women who seemed to take an interest in him were mostly in the look-but-don’t-touch category”; “A young athletic woman was crossing in front of them, her toned ass bouncing with every step in her black leggings.”).
The writing too could be quite cheesy, especially in its efforts to tie everything back to classical music (“He tried to breathe but his ribs had been wrapped in piano wire”; “Why was he so terrible at talking to this woman? She was violin-shaped, right? So why was this so hard?”).
Still, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing or the characters, the story was relatively engaging. If you are interested in this novel I recommend that you check it out yourself.

[Casey Mage · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off. I love love love the reason this book exists along with it's message. Music should be for everyone and we truly need to make changes within the classical world.

I have a background in classical orchestral music performance and the things in this book that are mentioned seem to be incredibly accurate to me and make me quite sad and angry at the industry as well.

However, all these things being said, as an avid reader I did not like this book. I have a full bulletpoint list as to why.
***MINOR SPOILERS***
1. This is marked as a mystery/thriller. At no point in this story was I at the edge of my seat, I think it should have been listed as a fiction novel, based on a true story.

2. The twist at the end was completely obvious from the moment we met the character who stole the violin.

3. All characters besides Ray were one dimensional. Nicole for example, all she has to do is say he's "cute" and now they are in a relationship. Ray's Mom is painted as a singularly selfish person who only cares about money and gossip. Ray's Grandmother loves him unconditionally. These characters need depth in particular. They each only seem to exist on a one-note purpose.

4. Much could have been left out. Most of this novel takes place in the past except for what seemed like the first and last chapter. It is slow and predictable. Telling the story in a different way, removing some chapters, or spicing up the order might have helped. You can see that the author tried to do this, but in my opinion it was unsuccessful, leading to boring repetitive points.

5. This is oddly the biggest concern for me. I just didn't buy it to begin with. Why? Because no professional musician with a million dollar instrument does NOT lock their case. While the book was extremely accurate with many things about the classical music industry (probably more than I know), I find that this key plot point set a very negative tone. It's true musicians will take their instruments with them everywhere and wooden items in particular are sensitive to temperature changes. However, I can not fathom the reasoning behind not locking your case. And there isn't even a good answer for it other than Ray doesn't find it necessary. With all he has been through, and all the mistreatment/racism/cruelty he has suffered in his life, would this not make him cautious? I get anxious if my instrument isn't secure, even if I'm close by. I never even leave it on stage during rehearsals. What I'm saying here, is although there was SO much on point about music, this one tiny detail 'that Ray never locked his case because it was always by his side', was so unbelievable of a fact that for me personally it broke the story completely.

Please support your local music community. Never bully or assume you know anything about anyone just because of their looks or interests. Be kind.

[Marci carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great read about an inspiring violinist who overcomes great obstacles! The violinist has a family heirloom violin and later discovers it’s worth millions. Unfortunately someone steals the violin before a major competition. I thought the author did a great job showing the diversity one can face when trying to climb a ladder of success. I also thought the author did a great job showing the lengths one would go to in order to stay connected to a musical past and heirloom. I thought the author did a great job educating on diversity. I was a little disappointed in discovering the thief so I took a week to finish it up. I just didn’t want it to be that person and almost didn’t finish it. Guess it’s the romantic in me. Lol. Overall a great book. The epilogue was wonderful and I’m glad I finished it all. We all need more people like Janice to encourage us.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Want to know what people really think of you? Stand between them and a big, fat payday. You will get your actual, genuine position in their hierarchy delivered at express speed and before the varnish could be applied, still less dried.

Rayquan (usually "Ray") McMillian learns that there's nothing in this world like the benjamins to bring stuff into focus very early: He grows up without anything extra and the minimum was as cheap as it could reasonably be (often enough cheaper). As soon as it became possible, Ray was pressured to stop wasting time with his stupid fiddling and get a shelf-stockin' job to "help the family" (aka his selfish mother). Time to make horrible noises on his fiddle was more than merely grudged, it was a source of actual anger...seen as selfish, unproductive, the action of a loser. (All those fingers pointin' back from the accusatory poking one missed her notice, it seems.)

You knew there'd be a grandmother in here, right? One who Believes in Ray? You were right, there is.

And a more wonderful soul it's hard to conjure. I was all ready to Pearl-Rule this bad boy before Grandma Nora (she whose belief in Ray makes her "talk so sweet {about him} it could give you diabetes") came on stage, I was so pissed off at the Philistines and money-grubbers Ray has to call family! What malign genetic flub gave Grandma Nora a daughter like Ray's mom?! And there's no end to the nasty, of course, since this is a thriller/mystery. But that's the tour I signed up to take, and was ready for. A bracing dose of lovingkindness later, it was all gas no brakes and that finish line won't know what hit it.

Ray, as you'll have gathered, is a fine musician and to hell with his grasping, whiny mother complaining about the "racket" his practicing makes. He perseveres, Grandma Nora's staunchness in his corner, and actually begins to climb the ladder of classical violin's performance hierarchy. What he faces along the way is no surprise to anyone reasonably sentient, as his ethnicity is used by everyone around him. Only rarely to help him, I'm sure you'll be stunned to learn. His other shining light is his teacher, his one professional mentor, Dr, Janice Stevens. She makes school a haven, a place where someone really gets him and sees the music in his being.

Ray's early training in Keep Calm and Carry On within the loving bosom of his family pays off. That ability to focus is his superpower. It leads him to the *pinnacle* of a violin soloist's ambitions: the International Tchaikovsky Competition, a quadrennial classical-music Olympics that unquestionably makes a musician's career. Even competing there is a leg up...and for a Black man raised with nothing, it is damned near unprecedented for him to be there.

That? That's enough novel for most of us. But Author Slocumb said, "...now, what happens if the Black man happens to get a Stradivarius from his grandmother...?"

What happens is betrayal, heartbreak, and the kind of publicity you damn sure can't pay for. Broken hearts mend; wounds don't fester forever; a career launched into the stratosphere by a juicy scandal leads to a lifetime of opportunities. Ones Ray's absolutely up to taking full advantage of, coming away with a silver medal in spite of the horrors around his violin's rape from him. This one unique possession, it will surprise no one to learn, opens so many doors to him. It will not surprise anyone, either, that he walks boldly up to the doors expecting them to open...and they do.

Ray's search for the thief of his prized possession, his almost desperate desire not to believe where the search leads him, and his dogged perseverance through it all speak volumes for the value of adversity surmounted in creating character. I think Author Slocumb did exactly the right thing by enabling Ray to reach back, to offer a hand of fellowship from his place of privilege.

Ray made it a point to highlight music by Black and Latinx composers. After all those years fighting and proving wrong the preconceptions that people who looked like him couldn't play the music of dead white men, he dove into the phenomenal music written by those people who did indeed look like him.

It is the thing that defines my memory of Ray McMillian, fictional character: He worked his ass off, he focused on the problem at hand, and he stomped the daylights out of the inner voices installed early that demanded he think about unimportant stuff instead of powering himself, supercharging his gifts with well-honed talents.

In the end, what matters in a life? Looking back, what difference does any of what we do make?

"Music's the gift. Caring's the gift. There are a lot of ways apart from a concert hall to make a difference in someone's life."

That's Dr. Janice Stevens, if you're wondering, having a ghostly chat with post-disaster Ray. Thanks, Janice. Whatever your name, wherever you might be...whichever one of us you reached out for, gave a hand to...Thanks to the Janices the world over who do something easy for them and priceless to the recipient.

Care.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a struggling black teenager, racism is very much alive in classical music from the audience, the repair people, the employers, and the teachers. Ray McMillian is driven to become the best violinist in the world even if he has to work three times as hard. His passion to play surpasses all obstacles. His beloved Grandma Nora preached to be respectful and to stay sweet and bestowed a beat-up family fiddle that turns out to be a priceless Stradivarius. His music flows through this lush instrument enchanting his listeners. “He would not be ignored or denied or embarrassed ever again: he was a musician, and music had no color.” “Music is about communication – a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own.”

This is a marvelous debut book, the first in a series, of music and mystery. In the opening chapter, we learn that the priceless Stradivarius has been stolen. Who? How? Why? I guessed correctly in the first chapter who was the thief even though there was nothing to support my belief.

I had the pleasure to meet the author at Miami International Book Festival in November 2022. Unfortunately, torrential rains kept many readers away. Also, I was thrilled to learn that my book purchase was the first paperback edition he signed. I still need to get on Instagram and follow up with a request the author made.

I highly recommend this talented author and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocum is not my usual genre. I really enjoyed it. Born into a poor single mom home Ray found a passion playing the Violin. As a black boy he faced racism by so many. People did not believe ge could play just because he is black and it isn’t “you peoples kind of music.” He fought many to become a world famous violinist. He overcame his greedy family and racist people. Then Ray’s world started to fall when his violin was stolen. Who took it?
Loved Ray’s strong sweet kind character and hated his family, especially his greedy, negative mother.
Who did steal his violin?

[Meike · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 Tournament of Books Shortlist
This debut novel by professional violinist Slocumb comes packaged as a mystery about a stolen Stradivarius, but at the core, it's a coming-of-age tale about a young Black men who struggles to make it in the world of classical music, where performers are expected to be white. Protagonist Ray inherits a fiddle from his grandmother, practices religiously, and soon becomes known as a prodigy. When the instrument is inspected for restoration, it turns out it's a 10 million dollar Strad with a dark backstory that slowly reveals itself as the story progresses. While Ray aims to partake in a prestigious music competition, his family tries to convince him to sell the fiddle and make all of them rich, while a white family claims ownership as well. Then, the violin gets stolen...

In a way, this is a motivational and inspirational text about a resilient, talented, and determined young Black man standing up against his non-supportive family, greed, racism in the world of classical music, and the dark forces of history that once again try to perpetuate injustice: Ray demands agency, and then he employs it to rectify his situation. It's also a celebration of music as a universal language that ultimately can't be turned into a weapon to exclude, but encompasses everyone. And sure, this is not the most literary text ever written, but it's captivating, intelligent, and fun, and the fact that a real musician illustrates the scene gives it depth and vividness.

A compelling read, rendered by a writer who knows what he's talking about. While in the English-speaking world, mere coming-of-age novels tend to automatically be qualified as a Bildungsroman, this actually is one: Ray gradually learns how to exist in the flawed world around him, as his own person.

[Holly R W · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book was a slow burn. The story picked up momentum as it unfolded. Towards the end, I couldn't put it down, due to wanting to know the resolution. In a nutshell, the book is about a young black man in his 20's (Ray McMillian) who is a talented classical violinist. He was given a family heirloom by his beloved grandmother - a violin which had belonged to his great great grandfather (Pop Pop). The violin turns out to be priceless, much to the surprise of Ray's family and Ray himself.

The novel tells the story of the violin's theft and segues into a whodunnit. There are red herrings galore. As the violin is estimated to be worth 10 million dollars, the FBI is involved as well as a detective from Ray's insurance company - the stalwart Alicia Childress. They investigate a variety of possible suspects, including Ray's family (portrayed as grasping and greedy) and the descendants of the white family who had owned Pop Pop as a slave. They say that the violin is theirs.

On a different level, this is the story of Ray's growing up as a musically talented black boy who is misunderstood by everyone in his family, except his grandmother and one aunt. His mother tells Ray to drop out of high school and work at Pop Eye's (never mind that Ray can get a music scholarship to college).

Ray also encounters racist reactions from whites who disbelieve that he can be a classically trained musician.

Per the author, the character of Ray is largely based upon himself. Many of the racist experiences in the story are from his own life. In his author's note, Slocumb writes:

"Music is for everyone. It's not - or at least it shouldn't be - an elitist, aristocratic club the you need a membership card to appreciate: it's a language, it's a means of connecting us that is beyond color, beyond the shape of your face or the size of your stock portfolio.

Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony."


Additional: Here is a link to a music piece that is one of Ray's favorites. It's called "Rhosymedre". Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO85h...

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to the fiction of Brendan Slocumb is his debut novel The Violin Conspiracy. Published in 2022, this mystery draws heavily from the life of its author, a public and private school music educator for twenty-three years. His novel worked a spell on me because at face value it's impossible to ignore how pedestrian it is. Most of the book is telling and much of it deviates from the international thriller genre for the account of a young classical musician and his special violin. Yet I found myself flipping the pages needing to find out what would happen next.

Rayquan McMillan returns to Charlotte from a performance in New York, where he spent time with his loyal girlfriend Nicole, a violist from the city of Erie. Opening his violin case, Ray discovers a Chuck Taylor shoe and a ransom demand for $5 million. The thief can demand this sum because Ray's missing violin is a three-hundred-year-old Stradivarius, a prized string which beyond its $10 million auction value, Ray has a personal connection to. The Strad was passed down to him by his grandmother from her grandfather, a slave who was granted his freedom along with what they always regarded as an old fiddle.

The NYPD, the FBI Art Crime Unit and an insurance company art detective find their leads exhausted quickly. Ray's suspicion falls instantly to two parties. Andrea and Dante Marks are descendants of the slave owner who Ray's grandmother maintained gave the fiddle to her grandfather. The Marks have confronted Ray in person with their shameless claims as well as filed a lawsuit. So has Ray's family, several of whom contend the fiddle belongs to all of them. Ray maintains that he has no intention of handing the violin over to anyone or selling it, seeking to honor his grandmother's wish that he play it.

Ray recounts a childhood where he faced contempt and misunderstanding by much of his family as well as bigotry and hatred from those unwilling to accept a Black classical musician.

It's not that he didn't know he was Black--of course he did. A glance at the back of his hand was a constant reminder. And it's not that he didn't realize that there was racial prejudice in the world--it was baked into every TV show, discussed ad nauseum in the news, marched against and preached against. So how was it possible , how was in even conceivable, that he would somehow believe that racism didn't apply to him, that white people would just ignore his skin? He was dressed in a suit, with a nice tie, and he spoke with the same accent they did: his handshake was firm and his gaze direct. He knew he had a great smile on the rare occasions when he smiled. He wasn't the smartest kid but he was smarter than most.

And none of that mattered. No matter how nice the suit, no matter how educated his speech or how strong the handshake, no matter how much muscle he packed on, no matter how friendly or how smart he was, none of it mattered at all. He was just a Black person. That's all they saw and that's all he was.

He would always--always--be seen as only half as good as everyone else.

The Violin Conspiracy (the title suggests a variation on The Da Vinci Code which is not what the novel is at all, thankfully) isn't compelling because of its mystery. A more skilled author would've made the art detective or perhaps the FBI's Art Crime unit the focus and ratcheted up the international intrigue with more finesse. What makes the book good is its focus on Ray, on the challenges he faces not only as a Black classical musician out in the world, but at home. His father is out of the picture and his own mother is so dismissive of his goals --classical music is "noise"--that she tells him to get a job at Popeyes Chicken.

This a Cinderella story and when told well or from a unique perspective, they work. Surrounded by negativity, Ray believes there's something better for him out there. He ignores what others tell him, continues to believe in himself, practices his art and being a good person. Ray's faerie godmother is named Janice Stevens, his college violin teacher and a manager of sorts. She has his fiddle appraised and abracadabra, notifies him of its immense value. Ray's life is transformed but success brings more problems. I rooted for Ray to overcome these and kill it at the ball and couldn't put the book down until I learned how the tale would resolve itself.