Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and holds a degree in music education (with concentrations in violin and viola) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more than twenty years he has been a public and private school music educator and has performed with orchestras throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
One of the Washington Post's Best Mysteries of the Year • An
NPR Best Book of the Year
“Brendan Slocumb’s first novel, The Violin Conspiracy, displayed
his deftness at crafting character-driven stories featuring amateur
sleuths with a deep reverence for music history — and everything to
lose. With his pitch-perfect follow-up, Symphony of Secrets, he
firmly establishes himself as a maestro of musical mystery. . . .
What makes the book sing is how it makes audible the chords that
echo between present and past, coming together to create a
consonant harmony. Slocumb dexterously interlaces the two
plotlines, using them to echo and refract issues that haven’t
disappeared over the years, only changed resonance. . . . Slocumb’s
writing is invigorating, and the detail in his character work makes
the main characters in both time periods easy to root for. The arc
of the story mirrors the sensation of listening to an unfamiliar
piece of classical music and thinking ‘This is nice’ as it starts,
then suddenly finding yourself rapt, then thrilled, then, by the
end of the journey, entirely astonished. Slocumb is a composer and
conductor, and those skills translate well to his mystery writing —
his mastery of pacing and tempo and his natural sense of when to
soothe the audience and when to jolt them out of their seats are on
full display. The novel’s examination of white supremacy as an
extractive force is clear and present without tripping up the
fast-paced and thrilling plotline.” —The New York Times
“As rich and suspenseful as The Violin Conspiracy. . . . Absorbing.
. . . A fast-paced detective adventure. . . . As [Slocumb]
alternates artfully between the 1920s historical narrative and the
present-day quest to unravel its mystery, he also parallels the
two, which symbolically serves to repair the past. . . . Amid the
heart-racing plot, Symphony of Secrets is ultimately an
affirmation. Music has historically been the country’s ethnically
richest art form, particularly embodied in the multicultural story
of jazz and in today’s cross-fertilization between popular genres.
That process has been marred when the powerful extract from the
powerless. Josephine Reed’s restoration speaks back to such
exploitation. Shaping her vast array of colors, ciphers and
traditions, she’s a seamstress of the torn national fabric.” —The
Washington Post
“Stirring. . . . A provocative follow to his much-lauded 2022
novel, The Violin Conspiracy, praised for its pitch-perfect dive
into the world of classical music and the struggles faced by Black
musicians who want to be included and respected for their talents.
. . . Compelling. . . . Slocumb writes an intriguing and vivid
story about social injustice, cultural appropriation and
‘whitewashing.’ . . . [The] thoughtful pacing carries an important
message about race and privilege and the lengths to which people in
power will go to manipulate history.” —The Star Tribune
"Music lovers will revel in Symphony of Secrets, a novel that is at
once a celebration of music and also a cautionary tale about
legacy, privilege, and creative genius." —Nita Prose, #1 New York
Times bestselling author of The Maid
"Absolutely brilliant! Once again, Slocumb’s consummate skills are
on vivid display as he gives us a fascinating page-turner that
slips back and forth in time and seamlessly blends a heart-pounding
thriller, a heartfelt look at family and quiet heroism, and a
searing exposé of issues stretching from deep in our country’s past
to the very present. The 'secret' of his title is apt indeed. And
as for the cast: nobody creates rich, fully formed characters like
Brendan Slocumb. Some books we finish and move on. This one will
stay with you long after you turn the final page.” —Jeffery Deaver,
New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Collector and Hunting
Time
"A twisty, mesmerizing mystery—Brendan Slocumb's writing is like
music itself, dancing elegantly from the page." —Danya Kukafka,
bestselling author of Notes On An Execution
"With Symphony of Secrets, Slocumb has woven an incredible thriller
about music, genius, history, and greed—and how easily innocent
passion can turn to dangerous, deadly obsession. You won’t be able
to put it down until the last note!" —Peng Shepherd, author of
The Cartographers
"Both a beautiful, joyful, celebration of music and the people who
love it, and a chilling portrait of how easily good slides into
evil—and echoes through the years. I loved this book." —Sara Gran,
author of The Book of the Most Precious Substance
“Brendan Slocumb’s Symphony of Secrets is a wonderfully compelling
page-turner that’s so authentic you’ll swear that Slocumb himself
was part of the 1920s Manhattan music scene. Slocumb's musical
background along with his unique characters and gorgeous prose
create a fascinating story of astonishing talent and extraordinary
deceit. I loved this book!” —Karen Dionne, #1 internationally
bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked
Sister
"Symphony of Secrets is more than just a mystery—it's an overture,
a mingling of the past and the present and the problems that still
plague America today. Brendan Slocumb is a master storyteller, a
conductor of the written word, and in his talented hands, this
symphony sings." —Eli Cranor, author of Don't Know Tough and
Ozark Dogs
“Music and history are strung together in a delicate harmony that
further solidifies Slocumb’s place as a must-read author.”
—BuzzFeed
“Slocumb’s popular debut, The Violin Conspiracy, turns out to
be his tuning up for Symphony of Secrets, which is even
better.” —Air Mail
“This is a superb novel that will appeal to any thriller fan, not
just readers with an ear for classical music. Sophomore novels
don’t get much better than this.” —Kirkus Reviews [starred
review]
"Thought-provoking. . . . Gripping chapters set in the 1920s
and 1930s vividly evoke Reed, Delaney, and the racial inequities
that fueled their relationship. . . . This exploration of the
ways race, power, and modern music intersect lands as a timely
page-turner." —Publishers Weekly
"Slocumb’s second novel (following The Violin Conspiracy) is
an improbable but fun mystery that will attract fans of
Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (a lot of readers, in other words).”
—Library Journal
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