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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
onegalonelife27's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Schloub has done it again, weaving a musical mystery! I truly enjoyed this one.
One day, Dr. Bern Hendrix gets a mysterious call from the spokeswoman of the Frederick Delaney foundation, founded by one of America’s famous composers, to come over to their office. When we are introduced to Frederick Delaney and his work, I honestly got a bit jealous. I would love to hear this music talked about, especially the masterpiece “Five Rings of Olympia” an opera in five parts Delaney wrote. Yet with the last one, “Red”, the original draft was lost and Delaney could only write a subpar version afterwards. Yet almost a century of its disappearance, the first draft is found and The Delaney Foundation wants Bern to transcribe and make it performance ready. One thing that makes it tricky is the series of drawings, known as Delaney doodles, are used to indicate how certain parts are to be played. So he asked one Eboni Washington, computer expert and former colleague of his to help look over the drafts, hoping to decipher the doodles. Together they discover that the doodles, and perhaps the music itself, are tied to a Josephine Reed, a Black woman barely mentioned in the foundation’s archives. So thus the search for Josephine Reed starts.
Just as the modern duo are left with more questions than answers, we get a shift back in time to meet Frederick “Freddy” Delaney. A young man with a love of music and ambition, but who lacks talents to match that. After one event, he happens to meet “Crazy Jo”, Josephine, a neurodiverse Black woman, and after hearing her play, he begs for lessons. Soon enough, his talent takes off and a friendship begins. However, when he discovers her own talent for composing songs, he wastes no time in transcribing and putting his name on the music, claiming music by a Black woman wouldn’t sell. For a while, this arrangement works for both of them. Yet the more and more famous Delaney now “Fred” gets, the more and more pressure he puts on Josephine to keep coming up with music that she doesn’t get credit for…
And just as Bern and Eboni discover the role Josephine had in the music, the Delaney Foundation begins to crack down on the both of them, wanting everything they found on Josephine and will do whatever it takes…
With the point of view split between Bern in modern times and Delaney and Josephine’s in the late 1910s to early 1920s, we get tensions on both sides. Bern basically worships Delaney, due the Foundation helping underprivileged kids get a chance music, known as Delaney kids. Bern is one of those and has focused his life to studying Delaney work. Yet not only discovering his idol is not who he thought he was, but also facing the tactics the foundation pulls to halt his research on Josephine. Bern’s arc is gripping as we see someone more starry-eyed about the world, slowly realizing harsh truths but not letting that stop him from revealing the truth, especially with Eboni at his side, no matter what. Delaney starts out as a kid with a dream, trying to make it in the big city, and does really care for Josephine at the beginning, and Josephine is at first overwhelmed but happy to have the stability and chances to hear music Delaney gives her. Yet as “Delaney” music grows more and more popular, we see a devolution? Character regression? Not sure what the proper term for what Delaney goes through to become the man he becomes, but it is interesting. And Josephine’s own story is both inspiring and heartbreaking, I’ll say that, the ending provides catharsis for both Bern and Josephine.
If you like a different kind of mystery, complex characters, and overall justice prevailing and righting the wrongs of history, I highly recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use
elenushka8's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Police brutality
shirarweiss's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was suspenseful and compelling, and I wanted to know what happened next. However, I didn’t necessarily like it? It was really hard to read - it made me so upset. I just wanted to get through it. It did make me think a lot about music, artistry, history, power, and narrative control. I found Bern kind of annoying, and I was so angry about Josephine’s treatment that I could hardly read it. I want an entire book that’s just Josephine’s POV. I loved the dual timeline and multiple POVs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Mental illness
awebofstories's review
adventurous
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
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
kamin8882's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
“Josie, we’ve been over this. You know people won’t want your music if they knew you were colored” I don’t believe you, she thought, they love the music because it has all the colors.”
Brendan Slocumb is now officially an auto buy author for me. After reading The Violin Conspiracy earlier this year, I was so excited to read another brilliant book by him.
This book is written beautifully- I love the format so much. It is broken up into “acts” like an opera or a play would be, alternating between present day timeline from Bern’s POV, and the 1920’s where we get Freds POV and a little of Josephine. I love dual timeline books, especially when one timeline helps answer questions from the other. Amazing !!
I love feeling things when I read (don’t we all) and this book definitely gave me the feels. Joy when Josephine described how she heard the music, anticipation when Bern and Eboni started unraveling all the secrets, anger with the way poor Josephine was being used by a selfish white man- sooo many things! Happiness, sadness, anxiety, relief. . . this book was much more than a musical mystery. It was about honoring an amazing beautiful woman and fighting for what is right. I truly loved this book so much. I wish I could hear what Josephine heard.
Also- can I add how much I loved the badass female characters in this book. Josephine was so pure and intelligent and I love that he represented her autism in such a beautiful way. And EBONI! She was a force to be reckoned with and would not let anyone tell her otherwise. And who else is crazing NY pizza after this ? Just me?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
cleches's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
carolita1128's review
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs