Review by Booklist Review
For Curtis Wilson, the cello is everything. It's his passion and his way out of the oppressive poverty and racism he endured as a child. He's a talented prodigy on the brink of a stellar career when it all comes crashing down. His father cooperates with the FBI to provide evidence against a dangerous criminal organization, forcing the family into a witness protection program. They must all start over with new identities to save their lives, and Curtis can no longer perform. With so few Black cellists in major orchestras, it would be impossible for him to blend in, even with a new name. Seeking an anonymous outlet for his creativity, Curtis creates the Dark Maestro, a comic superhero, and eventually has millions of online followers. When even this puts his family in danger, he decides he's had enough of hiding and hatches a plan to sidestep the FBI and bring the criminals to justice on his own. Following up on The Violin Conspiracy (2022) and Symphony of Secrets (2023), Slocumb delivers another winning music-themed thriller.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Slocumb (The Violin Conspiracy) melds music and crime in his impressive third thriller. Growing up in southeast Washington, D.C., with a drug dealer father and a largely absent mother, Curtis Wilson has limited opportunities for advancement--until he learns to play the cello, thanks to a public-school grant. As a preteen, his talent and commitment yield first local and then national success. Sadly, his family members don't share his trajectory--his father, Zippy, lands in jail, leaving his longtime girlfriend to barely hold things together. Once Zippy's out, his former kingpin boss sets him up with an accounting job. The gig turns out to be crooked, and the FBI quickly strong-arms Zippy into providing evidence to avoid prosecution. Unfortunately, the case brings Curtis's stratospheric rise to a shrieking halt as the family goes into witness protection and the feds' case flails. Slocumb effectively incorporates issues of class and race into the well-paced story, for example by prompting readers to wonder if Curtis would have to go so deep undercover if he were white instead of one of the few elite Black cellists. Though the narrative requires more than a little suspension of disbelief, it's worth sticking around for the nerve-jangling climax. This is as stimulating as a well-played sonata. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Slocumb's (Symphony of Secrets) latest musical thriller follows Curtis Wilson, a cello prodigy who overcame poverty and difficult family circumstances to attend Juilliard. But just as he debuts with the New York Philharmonic, the FBI pulls him into witness protection. His drug-dealing father, Zippy, ratted out a dangerous criminal organization, requiring Curtis to abandon his promising career, at least until the gang is busted. Aided by Larissa, Zippy's long-suffering girlfriend and beloved mother figure to Curtis, Curtis finds another creative outlet--comics--and begins producing an animated superhero tale that becomes a hit on YouTube. However, Curtis eventually grows tired of hiding and dons his own crime-fighter cape to bring down the gang targeting his dad. Peet expertly narrates this intricately plotted novel, allowing listeners to savor Slocumb's beautifully drawn characters and complicated relationship dynamics while managing the plot's breakneck speed. He excels at representing the characters' complex dimensions, convincingly showing their personal growth throughout the story. While the ending is a tad unbelievable, Peet's perfect pacing keeps listeners engaged and the story right on track. VERDICT Slocumb's music-themed thriller is a wild but touching ride that should appeal to comics fans as well as quirky-mystery lovers.--Beth Farrell
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A cello prodigy takes on merciless criminals. The latest classical music--themed thriller from Slocumb follows Curtis Wilson, who grows up in Washington, D.C., with Zippy, his drug-dealer father, and Larissa, Zippy's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Curtis loves two things: comic books and the cello, which he plays at a startlingly advanced level. Zippy gets busted for selling drugs and goes to prison while Curtis continues his ascent as a musical prodigy, earning a scholarship to Juilliard; when Zippy is released, he leaves behind his drug-dealing life--for an even sketchier, and more illegal, black-market scheme. Zippy gets busted again, this time by the FBI, and agrees to cooperate with the feds to bring down his bosses, but things go south, and the family enters the witness protection program, hoping to stay safe from Zippy's vengeful employers. Curtis chafes against his forced anonymity: "Music had been his way ofconnecting….How could he talk to people, how could he explain how he felt and make them like him, without music? It just didn't seem possible." Eventually, he realizes he'll need to take down the criminals himself, with the help of Zippy, Larissa, and a comic book character he originally created as a child. This is an intricately plotted novel, paced perfectly by Slocumb, who keeps the book moving at a breakneck speed--but not at the expense of his beautifully drawn characters. Curtis, shy and sweet, is especially memorable; Slocumb paints a beautiful picture of the young man's internal life. The final act of the book strains credulity, but who cares when you're having so much fun? This novel should catapult Slocumb into the upper echelon of thriller authors. A virtuosic thriller. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
