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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5 stars. So, so close to 5 stars, but I was left with some questions that bothered me.
See below if you want to see way too much nitpicking, but this review is not at all negative. I just had some nitpicky questions, lol. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it on audio, and at no point was I bored or felt compelled to speed up the audio because the story was dragging. And this is a fairly long story. I think some of the negative reviews missed the point of the book: it's not a mystery. As many people have pointed out, the "mystery" is spoiled in the blurb. So no, there really isn't much in the way of plot twists or heart-pounding action scenes. It's more of a slow burn with a mounting sense of dread, because you do know exactly what's coming. And there's nothing wrong with that. You don't know exactly how it's going to happen or how much justice is actually going to be served at the end. You know from real life that stories like these don't always have satisfying endings. So I was completely invested. I usually only listen to audiobooks during my work commute, but for this one I was also listening to it at work, while working out, before bed, etc. I was so interested in the characters and what was going to happen next. Highly recommended, and I added The Violin Conspiracy to my TBR list.
(The spoiler section below only has minor spoilers, but these are some of the nitpicky questions I had.)
I know this wasn't the focus of the book, but it was weird how family seemed at least somewhat important to the modern day storyline, yet there was almost nothing about either Delaney's or Josephine's family in the 1920s? Two current members of the Delaney Foundation are said to be Delaney's nephew and grandniece, which meant Delaney had at least one sibling, but absolutely nothing was ever mentioned about his family during Delaney's life. Was he estranged from them? How did they get his money and board positions with his foundation? Did he share his riches with them? Were they named in his will? Were they given board positions when Delaney first started the foundation? Did they just get everything after he died because they were next of kin? It was just weird how his descendants were such powerful people on the board but as far as the book is concerned Delaney might as well have just sprung from the dirt, fully formed.
I guess we know a little more about Josephine's family, but everything we know is through vague memories of half-remembered stories. Because again the story almost completely ignores Josephine's family in the 1920s and only introduces her brother's descendants in the modern day. Why did Howard take Josephine to New York with him to begin with? Why did he abandon her to live on the streets? Was that part of the plan--get rid of the "weird" and "disruptive" sister? Did her family never wonder once what had happened to her, especially after Howard came home without her? There's never any mention of them or her being in correspondence. The only time Josephine thinks about her family it's about when "Howard left" or mentions of how the family piano was locked away from her. It puts a bit of a sour note in the end when Josephine's living relatives get all that money she was owed. Howard's kids and grandkids weren't responsible for Howard's actions, but it does really seem like Josephine's family, during her lifetime, didn't care at best and were abusive toward her at worst. Howard's own daughter can't even dredge up memories of even stories about Josephine. She was utterly erased from her family. Which was sadly not uncommon at the time for neurodivergent or mentally ill people, but do her living relatives really deserve Josephine's money when they had nothing to do with her and knew nothing about her?
See below if you want to see way too much nitpicking, but this review is not at all negative. I just had some nitpicky questions, lol. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it on audio, and at no point was I bored or felt compelled to speed up the audio because the story was dragging. And this is a fairly long story. I think some of the negative reviews missed the point of the book: it's not a mystery. As many people have pointed out, the "mystery" is spoiled in the blurb. So no, there really isn't much in the way of plot twists or heart-pounding action scenes. It's more of a slow burn with a mounting sense of dread, because you do know exactly what's coming. And there's nothing wrong with that. You don't know exactly how it's going to happen or how much justice is actually going to be served at the end. You know from real life that stories like these don't always have satisfying endings. So I was completely invested. I usually only listen to audiobooks during my work commute, but for this one I was also listening to it at work, while working out, before bed, etc. I was so interested in the characters and what was going to happen next. Highly recommended, and I added The Violin Conspiracy to my TBR list.
(The spoiler section below only has minor spoilers, but these are some of the nitpicky questions I had.)
I guess we know a little more about Josephine's family, but everything we know is through vague memories of half-remembered stories. Because again the story almost completely ignores Josephine's family in the 1920s and only introduces her brother's descendants in the modern day. Why did Howard take Josephine to New York with him to begin with? Why did he abandon her to live on the streets? Was that part of the plan--get rid of the "weird" and "disruptive" sister? Did her family never wonder once what had happened to her, especially after Howard came home without her? There's never any mention of them or her being in correspondence. The only time Josephine thinks about her family it's about when "Howard left" or mentions of how the family piano was locked away from her. It puts a bit of a sour note in the end when Josephine's living relatives get all that money she was owed. Howard's kids and grandkids weren't responsible for Howard's actions, but it does really seem like Josephine's family, during her lifetime, didn't care at best and were abusive toward her at worst. Howard's own daughter can't even dredge up memories of even stories about Josephine. She was utterly erased from her family. Which was sadly not uncommon at the time for neurodivergent or mentally ill people, but do her living relatives really deserve Josephine's money when they had nothing to do with her and knew nothing about her?
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not worth my time
adventurous
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:
Yes
Fast-paced story, a race to get the truth out about a composer in modern times alternating with the actual story of the composer’s life from the past.
Important spotlight on the hardships of marginalized voices being heard.
Important spotlight on the hardships of marginalized voices being heard.