Release: February 1st 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Anchor Books
Source: NetGalley
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N
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A riveting tale about a Black classical musician who loses his family heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious classical music competition in the world.
Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything. And nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. His mother thinks he should get a real job. Also, the fact is that he can’t afford a high caliber violin. And above all, the racism is inherent in the classical music world. And when 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 is fast approaching. But someone steals his prized family heirloom . Ray determines to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray’s great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?
About the Author:
Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb birth was in Yuba City, California, and grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was the concertmaster for the University Symphony Orchestra at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro . And he served as the principal violist. He has performed with numerous small chamber ensembles and in the BESK string quartet.
For the past twenty-three years, he has been a public and private school music educator, and is a Nobel Educator of Distinction. He also serves as an educational consultant for the Kennedy Center and as the concertmaster for the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra.
He is the founder of the nonprofit organization, Hands Across the Sea, based in the Philippines. After touring the Philippines with the Northern Virginia Chamber Ensemble and witnessing firsthand the conditions that many of the young music students and their families endure, Brendan founded the Hands Across the Sea to offer support to the Berea School of the Arts in Manila, by providing instruments, lessons, and monetary support. The organization also supplements school supplies and dental and medical assistance.
In his spare time, Brendan enjoys writing, exercising, collecting comic books and action figures, and performing with his rock band, Geppetto’s Wüd.
The Violin Conspiracy Review:
“The Violin Conspiracy” is a fantastic mystery novel that shines in the genre because of the impeccable way the author wrote it.
Firstly, I have to commend the author for the representation in the novel. The way the author described his real-life experiences in Ray’s character was beautiful. Ray is the highlight of the story because of how personal the author gets with him. You immediately connect with Ray because he has a beautiful talent and only wants to share it with the world. I rooted for him throughout as he balances his worries with the lawsuit while also preparing for the competition.
Moreover, I enjoyed the mystery behind the missing violin. The author paces the story in an exciting manner, where we don’t know who could be behind the theft. Is it Mikhail or someone from the Marks family? There are a few twists and turns as Ray tries to find the violin. Even though I read many mysteries, I feel that this one moved me because of the emotional connection that Ray has to the violin. Also, the reveal as to who was behind it was a shocker and made the story memorable, as I did not see it coming!
The author also adds lovely family moments, and I adored the scenes that he shares with his Grandma Nora. You also realize how greedy his family members are, and his Grandma (and maybe Aunt Rochelle) were one of the few exceptions who cared for him.
As the author beautifully mentions in the end, alone, we are a solo violin, but together we are a symphony. Overall, “The Violin Conspiracy” is a remarkable novel, and you don’t have to be a music enthusiast to enjoy reading it!
