The Violin Conspiracy

A Novel (Good Morning America Book Club)

By: Brendan Slocumb

Narrated by: 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.

The Violin Conspiracy

This was by far one of the best books I have read. Ray brought you close to him by making you really feel everything that he was experiencing. About midway through the book, I couldn’t put it down. Loved it!

A delight

Loved the story and loved the back story as well about a young black violinist and the challenges that black classical musicians face. The narration is wonderful. Couldn’t put it down.

Brillance

the author has heart, a ton of passion ..story was executed very well. I'm so proud of this work n love for music.

Interesting and important social issues

Interesting story, good performance, social issues we’ll presented and important to reflect upon. Some parts of story are a bit long, but this is a story worth listening to.

Underdog Hero Tale

4/5: This was both a thought provoking and fun read. I love rooting for the underdog and Ray McMillian is definitely that: unsupportive mom and extended family, minority, poor, and attempting to find a place in the world (professional music) that doesn't seem to want him there at all. I also loved that I got taken on a journey of learning about the violin and symphonies, but not in a dry or overwhelming way. Throw in a theft of a multi-million dollar violin that once belonged to a slave (later freed), family members who want the money from the violin, and others claiming the violin belongs to them (descendants of the once slave owners) and the plot gets very complex and interesting. Slocumb did a great job of character development overall, although I felt maybe Nicole's character could have been explored a bit more (although maybe that was intentional). The issue of race and racism was also handled with care, allowing the reader to experience it alongside Ray rather than lecture on its evils (much more effective in my opinion). It took me awhile to figure out who stole the violin and I enjoyed that anticipation of figuring it out. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator; I especially enjoyed Slocumb's own epilogue in sharing that some of the experiences in the book actually happened to him and that this topic of BIPOC in the music world is deeply personal to him (he's a music teacher and plays the violin).