The Violin Conspiracy

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Mystery / Slocumb, Brendan	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Mystery / General / Slocumb, Brendan	4-week checkout	In transit
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Mystery / General / Slocumb, Brendan	4-week checkout	Due 05-01-2024
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Mystery / General / Slocumb, Brendan	4-week checkout	Due 04-24-2024

"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?"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

The violin conspiracy submitted by stht on July 25, 2022, 2:21pm I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Slocumb does a good job of weaving together different timelines to create a compelling protagonist and an engrossing mystery. Classical musicians will enjoy the detailed look at the life of a performer, racism in the classical music world, and the importance of good and kind mentors; but there's also a strong emotional core to the characters and a clever mystery that will appeal to a wide audience.

The Violin Conspiracy submitted by Markandmaryellen on March 19, 2023, 1:19pm A great read for lovers of classical music. An important reminder of the generational sting slavery has on families. But despite all that has happened, goodness, greatness and hope survives in Ray. With all that said, the mystery lacked tension.

A fun read, if slightly predictable submitted by Cloverdale on August 14, 2023, 8:07am I had a pretty good idea of “who done it” early on but not how. That said, the protagonist is someone I was rooting for deeply, and appreciated the multiple threads uncovering the truths of his family, his history, and issues within the worlds of classical music and society at large.