It’s not often that a mystery can make me feel the whole range of emotions. But this is so much more than a mystery. It’s a coming of age story of an aspiring violinist, a young man who has to deal with the casual racism that assumes blacks and classical music just don’t mix. And not just from the establishment. Even his mother calls his music “noise” and pesters him to quit school, get his GED and find a full time job like his cousin. But his grandmother believes in him and gifts him her father...

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.My Review: Want to know what people really think of you? Stand between them and a big, fat payday. You will get your actual, genuine position in their hierarchy delivered at express speed and before the varnish could be applied, still less dried.Rayquan (usually "Ray") McMillian learns that there's nothing in this world like the benjamins to bring stuff into focus very early: He grows up without anything extra and the minimum was as ch...

Audiobook….read by Brendan Slocumb, and JD Jackson ….12 hours and 4 minutes A stolen violin 🎻…A talented Black classical musician … [Ray McMillian]A coming of age story … Unbelievable sad obstacles… mixed with a handful of professional musicians and music teacher who ‘did’ appreciate Ray’s talent….along with Ray’s wonderful Grandmother.Mystery & music … Music & mystery [prestigious Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow coming up — and Ray’s violin is stolen/ with a 5 million ransom Belittled and dep...

I enjoyed reading this book and rate it 4 stars. It is more of a story of the world of classical musicians than a mystery. Ray McMillian is a poor black teenager who dreams of becoming a professional musician. The book has a somewhat improbable premise of a beat up family violin turns out to be an authentic Stradivarius. Ray's violin is stolen and the thief wants $5 million.The mystery of who stole the violin is solved. More enlightening is the reality of the all too real racism present in the c...

“Until then, he’s been a solitary, lonely kid — and then a solitary, lonely man — who had had one special person in his life, dressed in a pink housecoat and smelling of lavender and bluing solution in her hair. She had gone, but she had given him music, and music had filled his world, that allowed him to connect with people in a way that he sometimes could not believe could ever be real. But now she was gone, and the violin had gone, and the music had gone, and he felt so lonely and guilty now

For me, this book was a slow burn. The story picked up momentum as it unfolded. Towards the end, I couldn't put it down, due to wanting to know the resolution. In a nutshell, the book is about a young black man in his 20's (Ray McMillian) who is a talented classical violinist. He was given a family heirloom by his beloved grandmother - a violin which had belonged to his great great grandfather (Pop Pop). The violin turns out to be priceless, much to the surprise of Ray's family and Ray himself.T...

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is a 2022 Anchor Books publication. Given a violin by his beloved grandmother, Ray McMillian, discovers the instrument is a genuine Stradivarius worth a fortune. While he is trying to focus on his music, the discovery of the Stradivarius and its monetary value has generated some distracting publicity. Now, coming out of the woodwork, is a family who claims the violin belongs to them, while Ray’s own family is blind to his musical abilities, but has no pro...

"The melody started slow in the night, a plucking of strings, snowflakes falling dreamily, one flake at a time; and then a burst of cold air poured down on them, and flakes eddied, biting in the chill, the north wind coursing through the living room. Dawn came, light glistening off a frozen pond."Ray McMillian painted all this for them through the melody that permeated through the air. His talent streamed within the strings and the light touches of the bow of PopPop's ancient violin. The music c...

Ray McMillian is a Black violinist, a prodigy whose talent has not been nurtured with private lessons, a quality instrument, or a supportive family. Indeed, his mother considers his practicing on a high school rental to be just ‘noise’. The exception is his grandmother. She gifts Ray with his great-great-grandfather’s violin that has been stored in the attic. It is covered with white rosin and only after a thorough cleaning is it revealed to be a Stradivarius, the epitome of Italian craftsmanshi...

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for this suspenseful, riveting ebook in return for an honest review. I was hesitant to start this book when I learned it was set in the world of classical music, a subject where I know next to nothing. Once I started reading, I found the story emotional, gripping, and difficult to put aside. My trepidation was due to being tone-deaf and unable to fully appreciate and enjoy music. Reading this powerful, sensitive story was like being transported

Rayquan (Ray) dreams of one day earning a living as a classical violinist. As a young black male, he has rarely seen another face like his in famous orchestras. A fact that drives him to work twice as hard as the other violinists he plays and competes with. His mother is not exactly supportive of his music. She sees it only as noise and would rather Ray find a steady job to help with expenses. The one person who fully appreciates and nurtures his musical goals is his Grandmother. Ray’s Great Gra...

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an Honest Review.I give this 2.5 stars going down to 2 stars for the purpose of this rating system.This novel has a lot of interesting elements to it. It follows a young black man who is an underdog in every way as he attempts to rise to the top of his field. He struggles with low self worth, an unsupportive money hungry family, and multiple other issues. It should have made for an interesting read.I just don't...