Last year's The Violin Conspiracy was a thrill-ride that took reader's into the world of classical music, and what can happen when an inherited violin is discovered to be priceless. Author Brendan Slocumb has once again presented a mystery with classical music at its center in Symphony of Secrets. Moving between the present and the 1920s, readers will get to know the story or a struggling composer, and the secret that allowed him to find eventual success.
The Situation: Dr. Bern Hendricks has spent his academic career studying the life and music of Frederic Delaney, America's greatest composer who saw much success in the 1920s, before seemingly running out of steam, even unable to complete his masterpiece, Five Rings of Olympia, for over a decade. To say that Bern is devoted to Delaney's music would be an understatement. He is even one of many who has benefited from the kindness of The Delaney Foundation. Even so, he is surprised to receive an email from the executive director of the foundation, which leads to a request that he temporarily abandon his faculty position and immediately make his way to New York City to assist with an emergency assignment. It is an opportunity to continue working on the music of the man he admires, and possibly present a lost piece of history to the world.
The Problem: From the moment that Bern is asked to surrender his phone and sign a non-disclosure agreement, it is clear that what The Delaney Foundation is asking of him is serious business. If this assignment is what he and the foundation believes it is, it will mean that Delaney's Quintet will be successfully complete. But it is soon clear that Delaney had help composing the music he has received so much praise for. In 1920s New York, Frederic Delaney met Josephine Reed, a socially awkward, but clearly brilliant Black woman who heard music the way no one else did, certainly in a way Delaney could not. What Bern discovers would no doubt jeopardize the Delaney legacy, and the foundation knows it. Things go from mysterious, to tense, to downright hostile, but Bern and his friend Eboni remain intent on revealing the truth.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel that takes place in both modern-day and 1920s New York City. Bern Hendricks has been hired to get a piece of found music ready for the public, but the discovered hidden history behind the piece changes everything, or at least it would should the public find out. With each chapter focusing on the perspective of either Bern, Delaney, or Josephine Reed, the book moves back and forth between the two time periods, eventually revealing what exactly happened as Delaney was finally finding success as a musician. In the author's note, Slocumb mentions wanting to acknowledge the stories that, for a variety of reasons, are never told, or the voices that are never heard, much like Josephine Reed's. For her, racism certainly plays a role, as well as her being neurodivergent. Add in a struggling musician who is desperate to be seen as a genius, and Josephine's music may finally get the recognition it deserves, even though she may not.
My Verdict: Any book with multiple perspectives, especially one that jumps back and forth between time periods, plays the risk of having one story be much more engaging than the others, or of having one simply not be interesting at all. While I did find myself much more drawn to what was happening between Delaney and Josephine Reed in the 1920s, Bern's story was not without its own captivating and intriguing moments, especially as tensions escalate between him and The Delaney Foundation. At a little over 400 pages, the book manages to cover both Bern and Eboni's situation in the present-day, and the story of Josephine Reed and what happened between her and Delaney, without taking too long with any one point or event. The tension is held without being too much, and every little secret is revealed at a pace that mystery lovers will appreciate.
Favorite Moment: There were many moments when Josephine proved to be smarter, and more capable and clever than those around her ever realized.
Favorite Character: Josephine Reed is the kind of character we do not see often enough in literature, and I simply could not get enough of her. A neurodivergent Black woman in 1920s New York City, the odds were stacked against her, even if she was a brilliant musician. I could read a book, or even a whole series, just on her alone. And I must admit, I appreciated the character of Frederic Delaney as well, but in a different way and for different reasons. It felt like an honest portrayal of a desperate and fragile human being who has a hard time dealing with his own musical mediocrity.
Recommended Reading: On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark explores a different kind of mystery, set in Argentina, and also moves back and forth between the past and the present.
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