Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Violin Conspiracy

Title: The Violin Conspiracy
Author: Brendan Slocumb
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: February 1, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Original • Poignant • Reflective

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd initially added The Violin Conspiracy to my TBR when it was selected as a GMA pick (I've had previous success with GMA picks in the past), yet what really solidified me wanting to pick it up was it being on the 2022 end-of-the-year favourites list of two trusted friends. All of this made it an easy choice to include as part of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends in 2023.

Quick take: I absolutely loved this book! It was exactly the type of book that reminds me why I love reading to begin with. It combined so many elements I love (a heist, a mystery, a messy family, some history, an underdog story...) and evoked a whole range of emotions. Ray is one of those memorable characters that will stick with me. He knows what he wants, and despite facing so much adversity and many obstacles, he remains determined to pursue his dreams.

Throughout the narrative, there was also the opportunity for me to learn and gain an understanding of the classism and racism in the classical music industry. I cannot say this is a topic I have thought about in the past, but this book certainly sparked a curiosity. Slocumb talks about his personal experience as a black musician in the classical music world in his author's note, and I think this is a valuable addition to the book. I would by no means considered myself a classical music fan, yet I was absolutely drawn into the history of the violin and Ray's world. Slocumb has interwoven so many moving passages about the power and beauty of music.

The audiobook, read by JD Jackson, is absolutely fantastic - I could easily listen to his voice all day long. There are also beautiful pieces of classical music interspersed between chapters, which really connected me to the story. It made for the perfect tandem read.

I had my suspicions as to whodunit early on, but it never detracted from my interest. With only three months left in the year, it is safe to say The Violin Conspiracy will be finding a way onto my 2023 favourites, and my copy will be finding a home on my favourites shelf. After his fantastic debut, I am really looking forward to reading his follow up, Symphony of Secrets.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• everyone!
• fans of the underdog
• book clubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony."

"He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we, the listeners, will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication - a way of touching your fellow man beyond and above and below language; it is a language all its own."

Content Warnings

author2223's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

5.0

Content Warnings

wormgirl's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

pershie13's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

It took me a long time to finally finish this book while completing my last semester of undergrad, but this book turned out fantastic! The book follows the story of violinist Ray McMillan, who received no formal training on his instrument until he reached college. Mentored by his violin professor Dr. Janice Stevens, Ray becomes one of the best at his craft. Along with following his journey as a violinist, the story also places an emphasis on the instrument he plays, a Stradivarius violin passed down to him by his grandmother. The story turns into a sort of mystery/thriller as we find out in the opening pages that this violin has been stolen and requires a multi-million dollar ransom for its return. This story covers many of the issues that Black people often face in the field of classical music, as well as the themes of hard work, family, and mentorship. The story definitely took unexpected turns, and I questioned to the very end what was going to happen to Ray, his violin, and his musical career. The book was fantastic, and I enjoyed every twist and turn!

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le3713's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious 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

4.25

What I liked: as someone who played the violin in school, I absolutely loved the setting in the classical music world. You can tell the author knows and loves what he's talking about in this regard. I really enjoyed the treatment of diversity and racism in classical music and the strong mentorship relationship with Janice.

What I didn't like: the plot of the stolen violin, and its resolution, fell flat for me. Though I didn't mind this, most of the book was was about Ray's life prior to his violin being stolen, which slowed down the pace.

All told, this book was very memorable for me, despite its plot weaknesses. Highly recommended for anyone who loves classical music, less so for someone looking for a true thriller.

The audio book has brief musical interludes between sections, which was a bonus!

Content Warnings

scrummyb's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This one is a hard one to rate. First off, this book is not about a missing violin. That is just a mechanism, that in my opinion, the author most likely used so he could write a book that wasn't just a semi auto biography, and would propel the story along. He himself is a black man & a classical musician and without looking anything else up about him, I'm sure these events were inspired by his real life experience. So for the "mystery" of the missing violin, only 2.5-3 stars. It was pretty obvious from the beginning. But as I said, that's not really what the book is about. This book is about a black man's experience in the classical music world. About systemic racism, generational trauma, & about his identity and his relationship with his family. And its a fantastic read when that's what you're rating. I know nothing about the classical music world and it was fascinating to read about it and have that as the back drop for the story. I grew attached to the main character and his grandmother and I felt the emotions along with him. So while I entered into this book thinking it was predominantly a mystery about a violin, it still gets 4.25 stars because it's a beautiful read that invokes powerful feelings as well as is an interesting look into the world of classical music.

Content Warnings

rebeccarudisill's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Ray is the absolute heart of this book. His genuine love for music and his soul level goodness made me love him from page one. He approaches everything and everyone from a place of genuine kindness, and his love for his grandmother was truly touching. The story is fantastic and keeps you engaged until the end. I am so thankful for the opportunity to know Ray and to know the pieces of Brendan Slocumb himself that were woven into this sorry. Also, on behalf of Baton Rouge, I am truly sorry for the way our people treated you. It was wrong, and we will do better.

Content Warnings

andloveistoolong's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

Content Warnings

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