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A review by serendipitysbooks
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
The Violin Conspiracy opens with Ray McMillian, a Black musician, discovering that his rare and irreplaceable Stradivarius violin, a family heirloom, has been stolen just weeks out from the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, the Olympics of the classical music world.
I loved this story for the insights it gave me into the world of classical music, especially the dedication required to prepare for an event like the Tchaikovsky Competition which I’ll admit I’d never heard of before this book. Some of the racism Ray faced as a Black classical musician was jaw dropping, all the more so when the Author’s Note (a must read) revealed they were based on events the author had really experienced. I thought the backstory of Ray, his family, the violin’s history and the links to slavery was well done. I found myself loving his grandmother which was easy to do - she really saw him and encouraged him - but criticising the attitudes of most of the rest of his family, particularly his mother. I had to check myself, to ask myself why his mother would press him to give up college and his dreams in favour of a low paying job, why most of his family might only see the violin in terms of the money that could be gained by selling it. The tension as to whether he would get his violin back and how it’s loss would affect his chances at the competition was also well done. The mystery as to who stole it and why probably interested me the least, and when the culprit and motive were revealed it was almost a letdown since both were obvious and unoriginal. I definitely enjoyed this book but believe it’s strength is as a contemporary story set in the world of classical music, with strong commentary on race rather than as a mystery or crime
I loved this story for the insights it gave me into the world of classical music, especially the dedication required to prepare for an event like the Tchaikovsky Competition which I’ll admit I’d never heard of before this book. Some of the racism Ray faced as a Black classical musician was jaw dropping, all the more so when the Author’s Note (a must read) revealed they were based on events the author had really experienced. I thought the backstory of Ray, his family, the violin’s history and the links to slavery was well done. I found myself loving his grandmother which was easy to do - she really saw him and encouraged him - but criticising the attitudes of most of the rest of his family, particularly his mother. I had to check myself, to ask myself why his mother would press him to give up college and his dreams in favour of a low paying job, why most of his family might only see the violin in terms of the money that could be gained by selling it. The tension as to whether he would get his violin back and how it’s loss would affect his chances at the competition was also well done. The mystery as to who stole it and why probably interested me the least, and when the culprit and motive were revealed it was almost a letdown since both were obvious and unoriginal. I definitely enjoyed this book but believe it’s strength is as a contemporary story set in the world of classical music, with strong commentary on race rather than as a mystery or crime
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality