The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

Have you voted in the Opening Round of the Annual Best Books awards on Goodreads? If not, you still have the rest of today AND then you can vote again in the Final Round between November 29 and December 4; winners will be announced on December 8. I mention this because it prompted me to explore books that I had been wanting to read:

THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb was published in February 2022, was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and is currently on the GoodReads Choice Awards list of nominees in two categories: Debut Novels and Mystery & Thriller. Slocumb, a music educator and violinist who has performed with orchestras along the East Coast, has crafted exciting page-turner about a musician named Ray McMillian, his mentor and teacher named Janice, and several generations of Ray’s family. With multiple timelines, the story goes all the way back to Civil War days and an Italian violin crafted in the previous century. It is that violin which is stolen prior to a major competition for Ray who, like only 1.8 percent of musicians performing in classical symphonies, is Black. THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY places a great deal of emphasis on the prejudice and bigotry that Ray faces (from his own family and others) and it was especially disheartening to learn that several of these instances were based on events in Slocumb’s own life. The descriptions of music are beautiful and it was fascinating to learn more about that profession, including activities like the Tchaikovsky Competition. THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY received a starred review from Booklist – it is an excellent coming of age story and an impressive thriller. Slocumb’s second novel, Symphony of Secrets, is scheduled for publication next April.