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Anchor Books

The Violin Conspiracy: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel

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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. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2022


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • A symphony of storytelling
Format: Kindle
Just finished "The Violin Conspiracy," the debut novel of Brendan Slocumb - a symphony of storytelling intertwining mystery, music, resilience, and systemic prejudice. One becomes sensitive to the plight of being a black man in America as Slocumb masterfully weaves his protagonist’s journey from rural North Carolina to the global stage of classical music. What sets this novel apart is Slocumb’s ability to immerse readers in the cutthroat world of classical music, illustrating its beauty and its barriers. His descriptions of music are vivid and electrifying, making you feel as though you’re sitting in a concert hall, while his exploration of racism is unflinchingly honest and thought-provoking. There were times while reading where I would pause and search the particular violin concerto being discussed to listen to the music, which added a differentiator to my reading experience. To create added drama and tension, the theft of a beloved violin serves as the catalyst for a high-stakes mystery. But in the end, the novel’s true soul lies in our protagonist's grit, determination, and love for music. Truly enjoyed the story, characters, and depth of feeling created by the author. High praise and 5 stars. Check it out! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024 by R Scheese
    • 4 Stars!
Loved this 4 Star mystery. It was so fun and not at all what I was expecting! I had put a off reading this book thinking it was going to be yet another pretentious story about pretentious people doing pretentious things, but WOW(!) I was wrong! SUMMARY Ray is a concert violinist who loved his violin dearly, not only because it’s priceless but it was a gift from his late grandmother and had been in his family for over 150 years. One day, after flying home to NC after a concert in NYC, he realizes it’s been stolen. He’s heartbroken! The police, FBI and insurance company all get involved. Ray has two ideas of who may have stolen the violin; one being his family and the other being the descendants of the family who used to own his great great great great grandfather as a slave. The former slave owners claim the violin was stolen from the plantation by Ray great x4 grandfather. The great (x4) grandfather always said it was a gift from his master. Ray also suspects his family because they never wants him to have the violin, after they discovered its worth, they wanted it sold and the proceeds split. To make matters worse, Ray is slated to perform very soon in the most prestigious musical competition in the world. All he wants is his violin back. The plot follows not only the search for the violin, but also his rise from an underprivileged boy with a rented school and absolutely no support or recognition of his talent at home to a renowned violin soloist. I should also mention it focuses on this struggle as a black violinist where he is definitely in the minority and has to continuously fight to be taken seriously. WHAT I LOVED There was so much to love about this story. I enjoyed the “who done it” part of the plot; I changed my mind over and over as to who I thought was the guilty party. It was fun to visit the world of orchestra. I have to admit I know very little about it and found it interesting. The history of the violin was fascinating and I loved it! Most of all I loved watching Ray overcome so many obstacles and achieve his goals. That could have been a book in itself. WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE I found myself frustrated with Rays mother. She was my least favorite character. I had no love for that woman. She gave him so little encouragement and support. It didn’t make me dislike the book, but it frustrated me. OVERALL Loved it and highly recommend it! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022 by RSW Kindle Customer
    • Great book!!
Format: Paperback
This was my book club’s July read and we all really enjoyed it and it was a good book for discussion. The members who listened to it on audio said the music in the audio added to their enjoyment of the book. This was the debut novel for Slocumb. This book will have you quickly engrossed in the mystery of Ray McMillian’s missing violin and will have you rooting for him from page 1. Ray has a dream to be a world class violinist, but he has a lot of things standing in his way- his lack of money, his race, and sadly his family who don’t think being a violinist is a real job. Ray inherits a fiddle that belonged to his grandfather, which turns out to be a priceless violin. But then right before he is to compete in a big competition, Ray’s violin goes missing. The book is engaging and beautifully written. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2025 by Melanie Falconer
    • A mystery and a beautiful character rise above heart ache in the world of classical music.
Format: Paperback
Fabulous book in so many ways. I loved it because it was educational about a subject I knew nothing about, violins and music. The main character, Ray was a beautiful, gentle soul tormented on so many fronts, racially, mentally, physically, but positively persevered to try to become a success. The twists and turns of the mystery made it so engaging. I think it would be a great book club read. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2026 by Kathy Wass
    • 🥹🥹🥹
Format: Kindle
The violin conspiracy was a story that was quite different for me, but I absolutely loved it! The narrator for the audio was fantastic. There was a case of the missing violin, an international competition, family drama, greed, and the ugly side - doused with racism - of the music industry. Who says a poor black boy with his violin and a dream couldn’t change his life.. the story as a whole was good but the ending felt rushed. I would recommend. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2025 by ReadnliftwithShar
    • African American can play the violin
Format: Kindle
Great reading for our book club
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2026 by earlene verrett
    • Classical music and the Black experience
Format: Hardcover
"The Violin Conspiracy" is at its best when the author, Brendan Slocumb, details—in several vivid set pieces—the Black experience, in the world of concert music and in the world in general. It is these parts of the book that are the most memorable, and for which his style (a kind of reportage, with much conversation) is most suitable. It is clear that Slocumb is drawing on his own experiences in these passages. The early pages of the book have fine specifics about playing the violin (probably not understood by most readers), but that dwindles. The prose is serviceable; there is one word—couple— that Slocumb uses frequently. It should be followed by "of": it is a number (2), as is, for example, trio— a trio OF violins. Another word—usualy referred to as the f-word— appears increasingly and near the end of the book, there are several per page. Is this necessary? There is a surprising gaffe from a writer who is a violinist: he writes that it takes an hour to play the Mozart "Turkish" violin concerto (it lasts about half an hour) and an hour to play the Tchaikovsky concerto (it clocks in at about 35 minutes). Music's dimension is time; musicians know accurately how long a work lasts. As to who stole the violin? The reveal is curiously flat, anti-climactic. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2023 by Lizchen
    • Riveting, Resonant, and Unmistakably Real
Format: Audiobook
The storytelling in The Violin Conspiracy is riveting. I found myself engrossed almost immediately and stayed that way until the final page. As a Black man, the family dynamics, the internal drive to succeed against long odds, and the determination to overcome both visible and invisible barriers were incredibly moving. As a student of the Civil Rights Movement and a fifth-generation descendant of slavery, the historical references and present-day realities felt unmistakably real. Nothing about this story rang false. This novel reads less like a traditional whodunit and more like a historical narrative and coming-of-age story. I especially appreciated the way the author, himself a lover of music, infused elements of his own lived experience into Ray’s life. That intimacy shows on every page. Whether or not you are a lover of classical music, you will not want to put this book down. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2026 by Rev. Kevin T. Taylor

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