The Dark Maestro
-
-
4.2 • 18 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
His cello made him famous. His father made him a target.
“In this perfectly crafted thriller, Slocumb acts as the master conductor, bringing together a twisty plot and gorgeously wrought characters.” —The Boston Globe
Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing up in the Southeast D.C. projects with a drug dealer for a father. But through determination and talent, and the loving support of his father’s girlfriend, Larissa, Curtis claws his way out of his challenging circumstances and rises to unimagined heights in the classical music world—even soloing with the New York Philharmonic.
And then, suddenly, his life disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state’s evidence, implicating his old bosses. Now the family—Curtis included—must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means Curtis must give up the very thing he loves the most: sharing his extraordinary music with the world. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement, Curtis, Zippy, and Larissa realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the criminals themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’s musical ability, to go after the people who want them dead. But will it be enough to save Curtis and his family?
A propulsive and moving story about sacrifice, loyalty, and the indomitable human spirit, The Dark Maestro is Brendan Slocumb at the height of his powers.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Dark Maestro feels like the classical-music/comic-book mashup story we didn’t know we needed. Growing up in the roughest part of Washington, D.C., Curtis is a gifted young cellist dreaming of classical-music stardom as a way out for him, his low-level criminal father, Zippy, and Zippy’s kindhearted, community-minded girlfriend, Larissa. When Zippy gets embroiled in a highly unethical scheme that lands the entire family in the witness protection program, it spells the end for everyone’s dreams. That is, until Curtis’ imaginary alter ego, cello-playing superhero the Dark Maestro, emerges to save the day. Author Brendan Slocumb (The Violin Conspiracy) has created three wonderfully well-rounded characters. Together, they make a touching, emotionally real family unit that gives depth to a plot that might seem outlandish in less capable hands. This is a fun, suspenseful roller-coaster rode with a payoff we didn’t see coming.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
Customer Reviews
Sins of the father
It is in fact the choices of your parents that can ruin their lives and yours. It’s difficult for adult children to recognize this because most are incapable of seeing their parents as ever being or doing wrong no matter how egregiously wrong the parents are. How much adult children allow the ricocheting consequences to derail their lives is yet another choice. You have to know it for yourself though….until you do.