by Kristen B.

One of the reasons I love to read is to gain new perspectives on what it’s like to live an entirely different life. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb offered just that in a smooth, beautifully written package. While the framework of the story is the mystery of who stole a valuable violin, the book is all about living your dreams and working hard to realize them. It almost doesn’t matter “who did it,” as long as the violin is returned. That’s what kept me reading – does Ray get his precious violin back?

Imagine being a violin prodigy. But here’s the rub: no one recognizes or supports you as such because of the color of your skin and your socio-economic status. Rayquan McMillian was born in rural North Carolina and seemed destined to leave high school early to get a job so he could help his mom pay the bills. His true love in life was playing with the high school orchestra and in a local gig group for weddings and such. He brought in enough money to placate his mom.

Now, imagine finding out your grandfather’s dusty old violin moldering in the attic is actually a Stradivarius. Ray’s Grandma Nora was his fiercest defender (and my favorite character), who loved him wholeheartedly and supported his love of music. She encouraged him to look for his grandfather’s violin in the piles of family detritus in the attic. Eventually, he found it, fought to have it minimally restored at a local shop, and had an instrument to call his own.

When auditioning for the local honors orchestra, Ray got the opportunity of a lifetime when he was discovered by a strings professor from a local college. When offered a full scholarship, he seized the opportunity and never looked back. When it was time to start auditioning, his mentor encouraged him to find a new violin. He then got a call that changed his life: Did he know what he had? He had no idea that he owned a $10 million piece of musical history.

All of this combines into a wonderful, heart-warming story of one person’s determination to be true to his talents and to live in the world of music. Ray had few illusions about his chances to succeed, but he rose to perform at the most prestigious places within classical music: Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Tchaikovsky Competition. You read about the hours and hours of practice, learning technique and struggling to gain mastery over fantastically difficult music, and through it all, how much Ray loves the various pieces and connects to the music. The writing through these passages is lovely and lyrical.

The book opens with Ray discovering the theft of his violin, then gives you his story until it all catches up at the Tchaikovsky Competition. Ray, his girlfriend Nicole, and his college mentor travel together. As Ray heads to the most important performance of his life, he has to worry about insurance policies, lawsuits from two different sets of relatives, and whether he’ll get his beloved instrument back so he can play the way his grandmother dreamed he would. The book navigates family expectations, professional politics, and international intrigue all through the point of view of a good kid who just wants to play music for people. I rooted for Ray through the entire book!

The author’s website has a Spotify playlist, which I discovered after reading. It brought new levels to understanding how difficult some of the music selections truly are. Slocumb is a professional musician and clearly is writing what he knows – not just the world of being a professional musician, but how much more difficult it is to be a Black professional musician with racism and condescension at every turn.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is available in print, large print, and e-audiobook.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).