I was intrigued by The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb from the moment I heard Kaytee gush about it on the Currently Reading podcast. As a member of a symphonic chorus, I've performed numerous times with symphony musicians, several times while conducted by a Black maestro.
Plot summary: Ray McMillian, a Black classical violinist, is the main character of this story. The novel begins with the shocking theft of his priceless Stradivarius instrument that literally never leaves his possession. In many flashbacks, readers learn about Ray's childhood, his introduction to classical music, the prejudices he encounters, the shocking discovery made about his great-great-grandfather's fiddle, and his rise to prominence while pursuing a prestigious worldwide musical competition.
My thoughts: I was equally engaged with the current and past timelines, especially the portions featuring Ray and his sweet relationship with his grandmother. The dynamics with the rest of Ray's family are complicated to say the least, and his mother is one of the worst characters I've read in recent history! The racial aggressions Ray experiences are shocking and infuriating and sadly mirror the author's actual own. The descriptions of the symphony performances brought to mind fond memories of my own experiences. I was surprised by the solution to the mystery, but that's par for the course with me and thrillers.
The audiobook is excellent with JD Jackson's narration, an author's note read by Brendan Slocumb, and beautiful classical music interludes. When I finished, I enjoyed Kaytee's interview with the author at currentlyreadingpodcast.com/show-notes and was excited to learn he has more novels in the works.
Plot summary: Ray McMillian, a Black classical violinist, is the main character of this story. The novel begins with the shocking theft of his priceless Stradivarius instrument that literally never leaves his possession. In many flashbacks, readers learn about Ray's childhood, his introduction to classical music, the prejudices he encounters, the shocking discovery made about his great-great-grandfather's fiddle, and his rise to prominence while pursuing a prestigious worldwide musical competition.
My thoughts: I was equally engaged with the current and past timelines, especially the portions featuring Ray and his sweet relationship with his grandmother. The dynamics with the rest of Ray's family are complicated to say the least, and his mother is one of the worst characters I've read in recent history! The racial aggressions Ray experiences are shocking and infuriating and sadly mirror the author's actual own. The descriptions of the symphony performances brought to mind fond memories of my own experiences. I was surprised by the solution to the mystery, but that's par for the course with me and thrillers.
The audiobook is excellent with JD Jackson's narration, an author's note read by Brendan Slocumb, and beautiful classical music interludes. When I finished, I enjoyed Kaytee's interview with the author at currentlyreadingpodcast.com/show-notes and was excited to learn he has more novels in the works.
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