February 27, 2023
The thought-provoking latest from Slocumb (after The Violin Conspiracy) centers on fictional early 20th-century composer Frederick Delaney, celebrated for the brilliant music he produced before apparently losing his talent later in life. In the present day, the powerful Delaney Foundation calls in Bernard “Bern” Hendricks, an expert on the composer’s work, after they discover a previously unknown handwritten score of a Delaney opera. Delaney claimed to have lost his only copy of the work, and the clumsy score he recreated flopped when staged in 1936. Overjoyed to find that this version reflects Delaney’s genius, Bern accepts the foundation’s invitation to authenticate it. With the aid of a technology expert friend, Bern identifies cryptic markings on its pages as references to Josephine Reed, a Black musician who was sometimes seen with the white Delaney. When their investigation suggests Reed may have created the great music Delaney claimed as his, the foundation turns threatening in order to protect its namesake’s reputation. Gripping chapters set in the 1920s and 1930s vividly evoke Reed, Delaney, and the racial inequities that fueled their relationship, though the present-day narrative never fully gels. This exploration of the ways race, power, and modern music intersect lands as a timely page-turner. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management.
Starred review from June 10, 2024
There is no sophomore slump for Slocumb in this fantastic follow-up to The Violin Conspiracy. Expertly balancing two intricately plotted timelines, Slocumb, a violinist and educator, highlights the struggles that Black musicians and composers face in the classical music realm, just as he did in his highly praised debut. Fictional Jazz Age composer Frederick Delaney established a foundation to help impoverished young musicians, so when professor Bern Hendricks, a Delaney Foundation beneficiary, is asked by the organization to work on a special project, he jumps at the chance. The foundation believes it has found a missing Delaney masterpiece, and they want Bern to prepare it for performance. When something seems off to the musicologist, he hires his friend Eboni, an IT whiz who has also worked on Delaney musical analysis. Narrator Chant� McCormick expertly distinguishes Slocumb's delightful and varied cast of characters, especially shining in her depictions of the reserved Bern and feisty Eboni. She also smoothly navigates the 1920s flashbacks where Delaney first helps, then exploits, neurodivergent Black composer Josephine Reed. VERDICT All mystery fans should enjoy Slocumb's musical thriller, which is heartwarming as well as thought-provoking, especially given the outstanding characterizations and perfect pacing of narrator McCormick.--Beth Farrell
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