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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
Enjoyable story. Preferred the 1920s story line more than present day. I love all of the background into the music world. Wonderful portrayal of a neurodivergent adult. Same criticism as his first novel….the ending kind of conveniently fizzles out. Hopefully he continues to write and this will improve with time.
I loved this author’s The Violin Conspiracy.
(See Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4985778934).
So, I was looking forward to this one.
The story begins with Dr. Bern Hendricks, a music professor at the University of Virginia being provided an opportunity to authenticate a recently discovered composition from his favorite 20th century composer (fictional) Frederick Delaney. He asks for support from his tech friend, Eboni. What they discover puts them in danger.
In a 1920’s timeline, we meet a homeless Josephine Reed. She meets Fredrick Delaney, a struggling musician. He recognizes her brilliance, and has her as his silent partner.
Are you following where this is possibly going?
How will this affect present day?
Especially the powerful Delaney organization?
Their efforts to collect evidence to solve this mystery may not only threaten the organization, but put their lives at risk.
Bern and Eboni show as savvy, young Black professionals. We experience Bern’s expertise in classical music and Eboni’s excellence in technology and cyber security. When we are in the 1920’s timeline we are quite aware of Fredrick as a struggling young white musician with allusions of grandeur, and Josephine as a young Black woman, on the streets – with the music in her – neurodivergent – an ability to invent a unique musical language of her own. We witness how easily Fredrick takes advantage of her.
How do we feel as readers?
This book is knee deep in themes:
Justice. Greed and power. Friendship. Intellectual property rights. Racism. Physical and emotional abuse. Music. Courage. Persistence. Determination. Beautiful Minds. Oh, and lots of New York Pizza.
Yes, I do want to say the author tackles important issues, such as the social and systemic treatment of the marginalized, as well as racism in the musical world, with tact and grace.
Yet, this was a slow-burning mystery (not very dramatic) that took a long time to build for me. I almost gave up on it twice.
It finally picked up towards the 75% mark.
What? Isn’t that about the time for it to end?
To be honest, that was only because I found myself skipping along. I know…shameful. I just had a hard time finding my way…
Yes, Josephine’s story was compelling. I appreciated Bern and Eboni’s quest for answers. But, having said all this, once I did get to the end, well, did that feel a little over-the-top to you, too?
Or is it a possible reality – or shall we suspend disbelief?
I have questions. Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end. That helped me find some answers. 3.5 stars.
(See Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4985778934).
So, I was looking forward to this one.
The story begins with Dr. Bern Hendricks, a music professor at the University of Virginia being provided an opportunity to authenticate a recently discovered composition from his favorite 20th century composer (fictional) Frederick Delaney. He asks for support from his tech friend, Eboni. What they discover puts them in danger.
In a 1920’s timeline, we meet a homeless Josephine Reed. She meets Fredrick Delaney, a struggling musician. He recognizes her brilliance, and has her as his silent partner.
Are you following where this is possibly going?
How will this affect present day?
Especially the powerful Delaney organization?
Their efforts to collect evidence to solve this mystery may not only threaten the organization, but put their lives at risk.
Bern and Eboni show as savvy, young Black professionals. We experience Bern’s expertise in classical music and Eboni’s excellence in technology and cyber security. When we are in the 1920’s timeline we are quite aware of Fredrick as a struggling young white musician with allusions of grandeur, and Josephine as a young Black woman, on the streets – with the music in her – neurodivergent – an ability to invent a unique musical language of her own. We witness how easily Fredrick takes advantage of her.
How do we feel as readers?
This book is knee deep in themes:
Justice. Greed and power. Friendship. Intellectual property rights. Racism. Physical and emotional abuse. Music. Courage. Persistence. Determination. Beautiful Minds. Oh, and lots of New York Pizza.
Yes, I do want to say the author tackles important issues, such as the social and systemic treatment of the marginalized, as well as racism in the musical world, with tact and grace.
Yet, this was a slow-burning mystery (not very dramatic) that took a long time to build for me. I almost gave up on it twice.
It finally picked up towards the 75% mark.
What? Isn’t that about the time for it to end?
To be honest, that was only because I found myself skipping along. I know…shameful. I just had a hard time finding my way…
Yes, Josephine’s story was compelling. I appreciated Bern and Eboni’s quest for answers. But, having said all this, once I did get to the end, well, did that feel a little over-the-top to you, too?
Or is it a possible reality – or shall we suspend disbelief?
I have questions. Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end. That helped me find some answers. 3.5 stars.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
I enjoyed this a lot; it has similarities to [b:Trust|58210933|Trust|Hernan Diaz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631246461l/58210933._SY75_.jpg|91248878] and [b:Horse|59109077|Horse|Geraldine Brooks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639948376l/59109077._SY75_.jpg|85529891]. Past/present settings, reexamining histories, disenfranchised people, but with a little more thriller energy. The author’s note is also worth reading.
3.85. Good story. Makes me wonder how many times this false attribution really did occur.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another great music industry-based thriller! The Violin Conspiracy was one of my favorite books of 2023 so I was anxious to read Brendan Slocumb's second book. It did not disappoint! Once again the story had something for everyone, interesting, relatable characters, and a mystery plot line that holds your attention, plus through the historical fiction aspect of the story, we learn about the music industry in the post-WWI era. The history of Motown, Sun Records and artists of that era are fairly well known, but I had never thought about music being sold mainly by the sheet and mechanical recordings being a "new" thing.
The author has a talent for expressing his love of music and making it understandable and relatable to people who are not very familiar with older and more classic forms of music. He also makes you appreciate the struggles of those whose talents are overlooked or devalued due to their race.
The author has a talent for expressing his love of music and making it understandable and relatable to people who are not very familiar with older and more classic forms of music. He also makes you appreciate the struggles of those whose talents are overlooked or devalued due to their race.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well written, interesting and very believable story. Just wasn’t compelled to push play on the audiobook until the threat of expiration on my loan.
This was a blend of mystery and historical fiction. The author alternates between present day and the 1920s. A music history scholar gets his dream opportunity to research the most important American composer of the 20th century, but soon discovers that not is all how it seems. Deals with racism, and the question of who gets to write history. I liked this book a lot -- I really enjoyed the historical aspect of it, and the character of Josephine.