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disguisedposer's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5* Even if you didn't like The Violin Conspiracy (which I loved), you might still like this one. It's not technically noir, but has that vibe. While it is about a composer and music academia, it didn't feel as music heavy as the first one. I didn't understand a lot of the musical references in the first book, but I didn't have that problem here. I highly recommend this one (also The Violin Conspiracy if you haven't read it yet).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This had a little bit of everything for me, and I loved the ending. I’m always rooting for the underdog, so for me, while the historical events were awful, I loved how Josephine got all that she wanted, even if that wasn’t how she wanted to get it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Drug use, and Mental illness
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Racism, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
Minor: Classism, Gun violence, Death, Bullying, Sexism, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Murder
kerrygetsliterary's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
WOWWW. Slocumb's sophomore novel is just as phenomenal as his first. I absolutely loved Symphony of Secrets just as much as The Violin Conspiracy and Brendan Slocumb is quickly becoming one of my favorite and auto-buy/read authors.
I was intrigued following Bern's plot in the present day, analyzing and authenticating the newly discovered work of Frederic Delaney. Though heavy on the musical composition, it was a fascinating aspect of the story and learning about the particulars of his examination while finding new tidbits of information to discover the truth about Delaney's past hooked me right in.
I thought I was hooked reading Bern's POV, but then we are dropped into the 1920s and get to witness what happened with Fred Delaney and Josephine Reed, and wow! Being thrown into their world and observing Josephine’s talents was so compelling. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but I also wanted to savor it! I loved Josephine’s character (and the representation of neurodivergence) and not only her brilliant mind, but her strength and resilience.
I also loved Eboni, a tech genius who Bern hired to help analyze and decode Delaney’s work. She was such an intelligent anchor in his life, resolute and steadfast and courageous through all their challenges. Without her, Bern would have faced a slew of even worse consequences and dilemmas.
The pace was perfect, and the story didn’t drag at all. Slocumb expertly blends historical fiction with mystery with a touch of thriller. I was so stressed and anxious for Bern and Eboni at certain points!
Through the mystery of Delaney’s composition and investigation of the past, Symphony of Secrets also explores themes of racism and power that parallel both the past and present timelines. Slocumb displays how racism, power, and privilege are still incredibly prevalent today, and how white supremacy has permeated our society, even in places we think are diverse or progressive.
Absolutely a well-deserved five stars. Highly recommend. And I can definitely see this being optioned for a movie!
CWs: racism, racial slurs, violence, blood, suicide, police brutality, gaslighting, murder, sexism, domestic abuse, emotional abuse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Death, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Cursing, Gun violence, Blood, and Murder
spuriousdiphthongs's review
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Death, Cursing, and Cultural appropriation
scmiller's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Murder, Sexism, Death, and Violence
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Classism, and Suicide
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read the Violin Conspiracy last year and loved it. When I saw Symphony of Secrets, I knew I had to read it. And it was fascinating. I loved the twists and turns, though I would have loved for one of them to have been fully revealed to the 'now' audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Mental illness
evanmcomer's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Slocumb describes “Symphony of Secrets” as a musical thriller. However, the slow pace of the plot and the rushed pay-off at the end made this book just OK for me.
Let’s start with the good. For me, the strongest parts of Slocumb’s book were the chapters set in the 1920s. The author clearly did a lot of research and had a good feel for setting. The characters in that part of the book were richer and more fully drawn. And Josephine, who is neurodivergent, was written with significant care and depth. The book shines brightest when it’s in historical-fiction mode.
As for the bad, this book’s plot felt stagnant. It really only felt like a “thriller” in the last third. The rest seemed like set-up. The portions of the book written in modern times were slow, and Bern and Eboni were both less interesting than Josephine and Fred. Bern’s character arc, where he tries to navigate the internal politics of and comes to terms with the realities of the philanthropic organization for which he works, felt boring. The interesting parts of Eboni’s storyline all seem to happen off page. This meant that, for me, some of the big reveals that happened at the end of the book felt unearned.
As I said above, it wasn’t until about the last third of the novel that “Symphony of Secrets” lurched into the thriller genre. We see Fred’s psychological manipulation of Josephine transform into physical abuse. This all builds to Fred murdering Josephine and another music publisher in the final chapters of the book. That was also a deeply unsatisfactory development tor me. I never had any sense of justice or closure from this part of the story. The nuance that Slocumb used to show how Fred manipulated and gaslit Josephine at the beginning of the book fell by the wayside, and Fred spent the last part of the story being little more than a cartoon villain. Reading the end, it felt like the plot that Slocumb spent so much time setting up became too much for him to handle, so he opted for the most abrupt, shocking ending he could think of.
The Delaney Foundation, which Slocumb paints as a corrupt philanthropy project, was so exaggerated that it took me out of the story. If Kurt Delaney started twisting his mustache at some point in the book, I would not have been surprised. This really boils down to a problem of stakes. The basic conceit of the plot—a musical historian discovers that a famous composer stole his most famous works from a black woman–was strong enough. Giving the philanthropy trying to cover up that discovery the kind of reach that they could buy off the NYPD, pay criminals to hunt down the main character, and manufacture criminal charges against him ratcheted things up to a high enough level that I was no longer able to suspend my disbelief. While things like police corruption and the racism inherent in white philanthropy are real, a book about intellectual property theft doesn’t seem like the proper forum to address them. My brain just could not make sense of the idea that a nonprofit foundation would go to such extremes to protect a piece of classical sheet music—one that it intended to release to the public anyway!
Many of my negative feelings about the ending stem from Slocumb’s treatment of Josephine. While I think Slocumb wrote Josephine well by-and-large, he does give savant-like properties to her neurodivergence, which is a stereotype that is harmful to people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other conditions. And to make matters worse, he uses the richness of her character to set up her death. He wanted us to love Josephine and to see her complexities, only so he could make her a victim. Josephine really doesn’t get to tell her own story; she’s there so that Fred, Bern, and Eboni can tell it.
3.25⭐️
Let’s start with the good. For me, the strongest parts of Slocumb’s book were the chapters set in the 1920s. The author clearly did a lot of research and had a good feel for setting. The characters in that part of the book were richer and more fully drawn. And Josephine, who is neurodivergent, was written with significant care and depth. The book shines brightest when it’s in historical-fiction mode.
As for the bad, this book’s plot felt stagnant. It really only felt like a “thriller” in the last third. The rest seemed like set-up. The portions of the book written in modern times were slow, and Bern and Eboni were both less interesting than Josephine and Fred. Bern’s character arc, where he tries to navigate the internal politics of and comes to terms with the realities of the philanthropic organization for which he works, felt boring. The interesting parts of Eboni’s storyline all seem to happen off page. This meant that, for me, some of the big reveals that happened at the end of the book felt unearned.
The Delaney Foundation, which Slocumb paints as a corrupt philanthropy project, was so exaggerated that it took me out of the story. If Kurt Delaney started twisting his mustache at some point in the book, I would not have been surprised. This really boils down to a problem of stakes. The basic conceit of the plot—a musical historian discovers that a famous composer stole his most famous works from a black woman–was strong enough. Giving the philanthropy trying to cover up that discovery the kind of reach that they could buy off the NYPD, pay criminals to hunt down the main character, and manufacture criminal charges against him ratcheted things up to a high enough level that I was no longer able to suspend my disbelief. While things like police corruption and the racism inherent in white philanthropy are real, a book about intellectual property theft doesn’t seem like the proper forum to address them. My brain just could not make sense of the idea that a nonprofit foundation would go to such extremes to protect a piece of classical sheet music—one that it intended to release to the public anyway!
Many of my negative feelings about the ending stem from Slocumb’s treatment of Josephine. While I think Slocumb wrote Josephine well by-and-large, he does give savant-like properties to her neurodivergence, which is a stereotype that is harmful to people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other conditions. And to make matters worse, he uses the richness of her character to set up her death. He wanted us to love Josephine and to see her complexities, only so he could make her a victim. Josephine really doesn’t get to tell her own story; she’s there so that Fred, Bern, and Eboni can tell it.
3.25⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
znvisser's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sometimes I read a premise that I am so intrigued by, I am fairly certain I am going to love the book - so once the writing doesn’t disappoint my tastes in early chapters, I know I’m in for a great ride. Symphony of Secrets definitely delivered for me, but eesh this book stressed me out and raised my heart rate at times. Fred Delaney is a completely terrible character and despite my annoyance I couldn’t stop reading. Every time he says “swell” I was reminded of Mad Men’s Pete Campbell so well, that’s the vibe, but then more successfully evil. In this story Delaney is introduced to this brilliant woman, Josephine, and exploits her labour in any way he can while claiming it is actually she who benefits from their arrangement. This goes from very bad to even worse. Delaney himself is however so utterly unworthy of any praise or fame for his musicality, that he is not even able to hear the differences between his composed and stolen work, remaining completely stunned every time he disappoints just any mediocre critic or musician around him. And unfortunately as time goes on he grows unsurprisingly more obnoxious.
For all the things I loved about this book - the premise and plot, the two timelines and of course Josephine and her mind and experiencing music with her - there were two smaller things I didn’t love: the pacing (Bern and Eboni take so much time to unravel small bits of history, then they are on the run and there is no one they can EVER ask for help, and then suddenlythey got all details right and are lawyered up?! ) and the romantic angle (the tension was understandable but the writing once it happens was cringe and it didn’t really add much to it all). However, luckily neither really affected my love for this book.
For all the things I loved about this book - the premise and plot, the two timelines and of course Josephine and her mind and experiencing music with her - there were two smaller things I didn’t love: the pacing (Bern and Eboni take so much time to unravel small bits of history, then they are on the run and there is no one they can EVER ask for help, and then suddenly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Cultural appropriation, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Sexism, Alcohol, and Death
lizzym126's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Classism, Racism, Suicide, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicide, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Outing