The Violin Conspiracy
Fiction
Anchor
February 1, 2022
Hardcover
353
Purchased
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?
My review:
This one was a treat I didn't see coming. While this book may be listed as a mystery/thriller, don't expect that will be the focus of the story. The book starts with finding out that Ray's priceless violin has been stolen, but then we go back in time to follow his life starting at t young age until we catch up again to present day. No one believes in a young black boy's musical abilities, especially his mother who wants him to get a job to help out the family. However, Ray's grandmother is the exception, and she leaves him an old violin which was her grandfather's so he can continue to pursue his passion. Said violin is worth millions and lots of people have reason to want to get a hold of it. A lot of the book also deals with the ongoing racism Ray experiences throughout his life, even once he has achieved success. I absolutely loved the descriptions of the concert world, was saddened by the trauma Ray had to endure, and not at all shocked by the steps some people took to claim what was his. Was the mystery pretty easy to decode? Well if I could figure it out fairly easily, then it must have been (I'm not known for my detective prowess), but for me, the mystery was not really the main plot of the story. I loved the character of Ray, and was rooting for him to rise above the fray and achieve his dream.
This is well worth the read, especially if you like your mysteries to have lots more meat on them than just the 'who dunnit' aspect. And who doesn't love a rags to riches story, especially if the character is deserving of the accolades?
