Name: The Violin Conspiracy
ISBN: 9780593315415

Brendan Slocumb

A riveting tale about a Black classical musician whose family heirloom violin is stolen on the eve of the most prestigious classical music competition in the world. Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. Not his mother, who thinks he should get a real job, not the fact that he can't afford a high-caliber violin, not the racism inherent in the classical music world. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather's fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition--the Olympics of classical music--fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen. Ray is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray's great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?

The Violin Conspiracy

So I did forget I was reading this book for about 2 weeks. However, very interesting plot and captivating writing. 

Jillian Roberts

I loved this book. The violin mystery pulled me in, but the deeper reflections on race, music, and family made it so much more than a simple thriller.

Amelia

Bria

Sonia Grgas

This book was all over the place for me. It started out as a page turning thriller and then got bogged down with family drama. What makes it a 3.5 read is the exposure to the world of classical music and to what it takes to become a world class musician. The plot and characterization would get a 2.5. Having said this, I still will probably try reading the author's second novel when it comes out.

“How do you remember to keep breathing when the most important piece of your life…is stolen? You just do.”

This stunning debut is about Ray, a young violinist whose family violin turns out to be a priceless Stradivarius. His determination to succeed as a black man in classical music. The plot about the loss of his violin was great; the glimpses into his life, and the racism he endured while pursuing his dream, were even better.

Cheri McElroy

“How do you remember to keep breathing when the most important piece of your life…is stolen? You just do.”

This stunning debut is about Ray, a young violinist whose family violin turns out to be a priceless Stradivarius. His determination to succeed as a black man in classical music. The plot about the loss of his violin was great; the glimpses into his life, and the racism he endured while pursuing his dream, were even better.

Kristen Claiborn

I somehow got stuck in an ugly book rut before I finally got this one off a library hold. I had read (painfully slowly) a string of books I found uninteresting (I don’t usually post reviews for books I didn’t love, especially when I’m in the minority), then I fell into a pile of books centered around race, this one included. ALL of the race-related books were very good, but reading a bunch of them in a row has a tendency to be a bit heavy. I longed for a cheesy romance when I got to this one, but because I get most of the books from the library and they have an end date, I dug right in. 
	This one took me completely by surprise, from the first page to the last. I grew up with a musician, and he was as committed and driven as this young man, but he didn’t face the same roadblocks that Ray did. It never crossed my mind that minorities wouldn’t be taken seriously in the world of classical music, so this book definitely changed my perspective. I can’t imagine a family NOT supporting a child’s love of anything, yet Ray’s mother wanted him to do anything other than play his violin, despite his obvious talent. I rooted for Ray to win out against his mom, then I wanted his mom to have a karmic lesson…dammit. I’m a horrible person, I know. 
	I definitely loved the mystery and intrigue of a missing treasure, even if a priceless violin isn’t an obvious choice of treasure. While it was an extremely rare piece, it meant more to Ray as the vessel for his music (and an heirloom from his grandparents) than anything else. Slocumb was able to weave a tale of personal redemption into a mystery that spanned the globe. It was a wild ride, yet poignant at the same time. It’s by far one of the best books I’ve read in 2022.

Cindy Lieberman

A young black boy plays violin in school but has to turn in his rented instrument at the end of every school year, not having the funds for his own instrument or private lessons. Yet he persists, and one judge at a music competition sees something in him. His grandmother, the daughter of former slaves, loves his music and tells him about her father’s fiddle playing. She gives him that old fiddle from the attic so he can keep playing, despite the boy’s mother’s objections. Of course there is more to the story. An engrossing story about the life of an aspiring musician - the contests, the teaching and soloing opportunities - and the mystery surrounding a missing instrument worth millions. 

As a work of fiction, the story seemed a bit over the top in depicting the racist attitudes encountered by the violin prodigy. From the shopkeeper who didn’t want to repair the boy’s great-grandfather’s fiddle to the NYC hotel that didn’t honor his reservation to the other student musicians who complained of affirmative action…not to mention all the Southern cops that arrested him for DWB…it seemed a never-ending litany of abuse against a young man who managed to hold his head up high. Yet. Yet the author — himself a professional classical musician — says in his closing notes that he personally experienced all of these acts of prejudice throughout his life. How shameful of the rest of us for looking briefly at a person and deciding what they are incapable of doing or becoming.

Lenya King

Beautiful mystery surrounding a talented Black violinist and his stolen $10 million violin. Story with a ton of heart, powerful and important read. 4.5/5 stars

Katrina White

3.5
I love this quote from the violin conspiracy, "Ray of course, would disagree. 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 hopes and hungers, on whatever we hear."

 The Violin Conspiracy is a mystery about a young man's ancient violin and his struggle to overcome racism to rise in the classical music world. The plot is the strongest part of the story and mystery. I kept thinking I had it all figured out but didn't accurately guess it at what I think is a perfect time-about 90% in. 
 
The strongest aspect of the story was describing Ray's musical world how hard he had to practice, what he had to overcome in regards to not having access to the best teachers, and schools. Also the doubts and triumphs he went through playing the violin were very well described.

 The best was when the author described the rapturous feelings Ray had while playing the music. Then it made sense after reading the authors note-Brandon Slocum is a violinist! 
 
I'd say the weakest point of the story was the characterization of Ray and surrounding characters. We got a bit more from Ray but most everyone else was one note. Also, I may be mistaken but there was a plot Point dropped in regards to his family?

 All in all this was an enjoyable read that got better as the story continued! 
 
thank you NetGalley and Anchor Books for this ARC.

The Violin Conspiracy

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