The Violin Conspiracy

A Novel (Good Morning America Book Club)

De: Brendan Slocumb

Narrado por: JD Jackson, Brendan Slocumb

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world—when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

“I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit: a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.”—Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch

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.

©2022 Brendan Slocumb (P)2022 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

A Good Morning America GMA Book Club Pick! • ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST MYSTERY BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A Best Book of the Year: NPR, GOODREADS, Air Mail, Book Riot • A CrimeReads Best Mystery Book of the Year

A MOST ANTICPIATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Seattle Times, Goodreads, The Millions

A Medium Most Exciting Book Releases of the Year • Pop Sugar: 35 Must-Read Thrillers and Mystery Books to Keep You Chasing Clues • A Publishers Weekly Top Ten Mystery/Thriller

"Slocumb imbues his character's life with so much authenticity in the details, details that anyone who has played a stringed instrument, or played in a professional ensemble, will recognize. . . . Where Slocumb shines ... is in the passages where he shows Ray's grit. . . . [Brendan Slocumb] has plenty of brio to share with readers as well as listeners."—NPR

“Such a page-turner . . . a musical bildungsroman cleverly contained within a literary thriller. . . . Slocumb isn’t too different from his protagonist: a natural. He easily conjures the thrill of mastering a tough musical passage and the tinnitus-like torture of everyday racism.”—The New York Times

“When I opened Brendan Slocumb’s debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy, I was immediately transported to a place I’d never been, surrounded by characters I’d never met. In the crowded world of fiction, that’s no small accomplishment. . . . Slocumb has orchestrated an engaging and suspenseful story about an aspiring musician and his great-great-grandfather’s violin. . . . The Violin Conspiracy is so wonderfully written, especially its descriptions of music, that at times I questioned whether I was reading or listening to a concert. . . . Slocumb is equally adept at suspense, whether he’s conveying the ticktock of the main mystery or the heart-pounding, fist-clenching realities Ray has to face as a young Black man in America. This novel, which will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page, is sure to be a favorite in 2022.”—The Washington Post

Great book!

I’m so glad that I caught Mr. Slocum’s interview on NPR, leading me to this book. I loved this story and was pleasantly surprised by the storyline (figuring it out isn’t fun for me). I appreciate the honesty with which the racism is presented, both past and present. It made for hard listening but we need to be reminded of the truth about the past and that it continues today. The music between some of the chapters intrigued me as did the references. I appreciate classical music but don’t know much about it. This book has me inspired to look into various composers and to learn a bit more about it, starting with the pieces referenced. Lastly, I really enjoyed JD Jackson’s reading. I’ll be looking for books by Mr. Slocum in the future and will also keep an eye out for books narrated by Mr. Jackson. I highly recommend this book!

The family always has a story

I love love loved this book. I knew the love between grandmother and grandchild. I’ve felt the pride of my family living their dream well and I recommend this book to the whole family. It’s a mystery also. The narrator was as great as he always is , you’ll love this book!!!!!

One of the best books I’ve ever read

It’s outstanding. I love music. Don’t play any instrument but I really love music. The story got to my heart.
Wish the author the best. You deserve it. Congratulations 👍👋👋👋

Lyrical - best book I've read this year

This is a page turner. I loved the music at the beginning of each part.

fabulous

loved this book. wonderful story..very well written. gripping! I look forward to reading more from this author

Musical page turner

I think the reader will be pleases with this unusual
topic, the classical music world...witty, at times humorous, contemporary, couldn't put it down.

Outstanding

Slocum captured many of the life experience of a person of color. it's amazing that you still don't fit in all the right boxes if you excel at anything..

Entertaining and Important Story

This story is entertaining from start to finish while also telling an important story about what it's like for an inspiring young black violinist to be recognized for his talent in the classical musical world.

Interesting, and not just for musicians

Jackson does a good job taking on the vocal affect of the different characters, which was helpful. However, the producer might have coached him on some of the musician names and terms (eg, FJ Haydn’s name isn’t pronounced “heyden”). But he can be given a pass on pronouncing the instrument as “vyola”, as that IS an acceptable pronunciation, even if it drove me kinda nuts 😁 I think I would have been a great touch to have an excerpt of the violin piece playing under the narration when Ray was “playing”. The recorded musical interludes could have been a little juicier. I recall hearing the overplayed Pachelbel Canon. Was that piece even mentioned in the book?

Loved this story.

The story was fascinating and at times so infuriating because of the racism in the story which was blatant. The narration was spectacular and I loved all the voices so it was easy to distinguish characters. I couldn’t put my phone down! Filled with information about music, competition, family conflict and betrayal. I simply loved it!