The Violin Conspiracy
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by Brendan Slocumb

Ray McMillian has a gift and a dream -- he's determined to become a world-class professional violionist, 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 and prejudice inherent in the often-rarified world of classical music.

When Ray discovers that his beat-up family 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 feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin but prove to himself -- and the world -- that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

MNW's Rating and Review

Not my kind of book
A slow starter
One chapter at a time
Couldn't put it down!

I discovered The Violin Conspiracy when I attended a local book fair where the authors of the books being sold were in attendance, speaking as panelists and signing their books. Although I was unable to get Brendan Slocumb to sign my copy, I still was very happy with this purchase. The yellow cover and abstract violin illustration instantly pulled me in! When I noticed the book was written by a Black man, I was just about ready to buy it without even reading the synopsis.

Reading the description lead me to believe the book was a heist novel about retrieving a lost family violin. Heist stories are my favorite kind of stories, I love to see a plan set up and then see how the characters are able to execute it. Movies like Ocean’s 8 or Swindle or books like Heist Society are what started my love for heist stories. However, The Violin Conspiracy is more of a coming-of-age novel with a fun heist twist attached to it. Although it was not what I expected when I started it, Slocumb weaves the story in such a way that I still found myself enjoying Ray’s journey through music and being Black with a dream.

Some parts were harder to read than others. There are many tales of Ray having to deal with racism trying to crush his dreams. As a Black woman myself, I have experienced this type of racism as well, when others try to diminish your dreams because of your skin color. When I’m reading, however, I love an element of escapism where the characters aren’t having to live in a world where racism like this happens. But, I do love a novel that can be as well written, as funny, as page-turning as The Violin Conspiracy while still bringing awareness to tough topics.

I gave The Violin Conspiracy 3.5 stars because although I started with one chapter at a time at the beginning, as it was difficult (for me) to get through Ray’s hardships, once the mystery itself started unraveling and the ending was close, the book ramped up and I blew through the last few chapters during a very long car ride home. I also correctly guessed who the culprit was! As I was reading the chapter where the culprit is revealed, Black Rainbows by St. Vincent was playing in the car. There’s a section at the end of that song where violins are playing very loudly, the tempo increasing every few measures. It felt like the music was ramping up with my heartbeat as I read through the mystery. What a fitting style of background music for The Violin Conspiracy!

Brendan Slocumb has already released a second book, Symphony of Secrets, which I am very excited to read.