When the Music Turns into Mayhem: The Dark Maestro Hits a Sour Note

⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

I was really looking forward to The Dark Maestro. Brendan Slocumb’s first two books were fresh and original, blending music and mystery in a way that worked beautifully. But this one? It veers way off-key.

The plot centers on Curtis Wilson, a classical music prodigy whose career gets derailed when his dad—who happens to be a drug dealer—ticks off a ruthless cartel. The family goes into witness protection, but when law enforcement fails to deliver, Curtis and crew decide to take down the cartel themselves. Sure, why not?

The premise was already shaky, but then came the comic book storyline. It was supposed to be metaphorical or clever, I think—but instead, it was just plain insipid. It felt like a bad distraction from an already implausible plot. The idea that a cellist, his dad, and his dad’s girlfriend could do what the FBI couldn’t? That’s asking a lot.

Slocumb’s writing still has rhythm, and there are moments of insight about family and identity. But this genre mashup—part musical thriller, part crime saga, part…graphic novel?—never found its footing.

Here’s hoping the next one ditches the gimmicks and goes back to what Slocumb does best.

** Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay for a complimentary review copy. The opinions are my own.

Curtis Wilson is a successful cellist who is suddenly forced to disappear into the witness protection program due to his father’s activities. The first half of the book describes how Curtis developed his co-loves for the cello and comic books. About a quarter of the book describes life in the witness protection program. The end of the book describes how Curtis and his family plot to take down the evildoers themselves.

It’s that last part of the book that really lost me, because it is completely unbelievable. I also hated the ending. But that wasn’t my only problem with the book. I also thought the backstory went on too long - although Curtis was a charming kid.

My advice is that if you are new to this author, do not start here. I loved his two previous books. Where this author really shines is when his characters are caught up in the joy of making music. There is some of that in this book, but the plots of his other books are definitely better. 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Brendan Slocumb’s first two books, The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets were engaging turn-the-page books for me. His third book, The Dark Maestro, started out that way for me! From the first page, I could not read the pages fast enough! Zippy is playing the cello in a concert. When the concert ends, Zippy, his father, and his father’s girlfriend, Larissa, are whisked away and put in the witness protection program due to Zippy’s involvement with the mob. Unfortunately, this is where the book slows down for me. I found myself putting the book aside and picking it up. Too many side plots. I wish I had read the author’s notes as it explains what is going on in his life and gave him the idea for the last section of the book. I definitely will read the next book by Brendan Slocumb.

Take a musical prodigy from the DC projects, give him a full ride to Julliard, invite him to solo with the top orchestras in the country, and then strip it all away and place him in the witness protection program. That is what happens to Curtis when his father gets in over his head in illegal dealings and chooses to work with the FBI. How do you hide a well known black male cellist? How do you take away his dreams that he spent years of hard work and dedication to reach? This is such a fascinating and, at times, heartbreaking novel about a family in extraordinary circumstances. The story definitely took some twists i didn't expect, and I recommend you read the author's personal note at the end to understand some of the influences on the story. Once again, the author has taken classical music mainstream, and i can't wait to see what he writes next.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

I’ve really enjoyed Brendan Slocumb’s previous novels, The Violin Conspiracy and The Symphony of Secrets, so I was excited to dive into The Dark Maestro. While this one took a slightly different turn in tone and structure, I appreciated that Slocumb chose to try something new while still weaving in the musical themes that make his work stand out.

The plot kept me intrigued, and I loved way Slocumb weaves in the classical music world, which he always portrays with such authenticity. That said, I do think the story could’ve been a bit tighter. There were moments where the pacing slowed more than I’d hoped. Still, the rich detail, layered characters, and thoughtful themes made it worth the read.

Fans of his earlier work will enjoy seeing how he continues to evolve as a storyteller, while staying true to his musical roots.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[4.25 stars]

Slocumb was a podcast guest in 2023 for his sophomore novel, Symphony of Secrets. He is a talented musician in his own right and specializes in writing suspense set in the world of classical music. He's sort of like the TJ Newman of the classical music world. And, you DON'T have to be interested in classical music to love his books. He doesn't focus on the X's and O's of it...he writes more about how music makes the listener and the person playing the music FEEL. The publisher starts off with this, which I love: His cello made him famous. His father made him a target. Curtis Wilson is the son of Zippy, a mid-level drug dealer, living in the projects of the DC area. His dad's girlfriend, Larissa, is a mother figure to him and fosters his musical talent on the cello. Curtis' career in music has started to skyrocket when his Dad gets himself into some trouble with the law and the leaders of the drug cartel he works for, which turns the whole family's lives upside down. The Dark Maestro feels different from his previous two books - it's more character-driven (though the end does read more like a traditional thriller) and I felt deeply for these characters, even when they made mistakes. There are a couple very intriguing elements in the story that I'm not going to reveal because I loved discovering them on my own. But, both elements are drawn from Slocumb's real life. There is also a heart-warming element to this story with the father / son relationship between Zippy and Curtis and the mother figure relationship Curtis has with Larissa.

A new BS book is always cause for celebration in this house, and I raced through this right when it landed in my hands! I was totally sold from the moment I heard that it was going to be about a cellist (I’m pretty sure @isabelleisabookworm found this out literally years ago), and Curtis was such a fantastic character. I loved watching him grow from a precocious kid to a solid young man, and I was so nervous for him the entire way through his story. And Larissa and Zippy made their way into my heart as well with their love for Curtis. For me, the book didn’t quite live up to the heights of Slocumb’s previous two, with a lot of leaps in the story that made me raise an eyebrow or two. But it was still an engaging and solid read.

On the night of Curtis Wilson's greatest performance as a cello-playing prodigy, agents steal him away to place him into federal protection. Years earlier, his father Zippy, and Zippy's then-girlfriend Larissa figured out how to raise a child with so much talent while living in the less affluent areas of DC. Zippy made his career working for some dangerous people and ends up in a corner forcing him to cooperate with the feds. Zippy, Larissa, and Curtis are forced to begin new lives, but miss what was taken from them. As years go by, the trio realize that the only way out is to fight Zippy's former employers themselves.

Brendan Slocumb continues to corner the market on the music-themed thriller. This time a cello gets to take center stage, which I personally loved so much (and the audiobook gives a few nice snippets of the music). The book also lets Slocumb flex his comics knowledge through Curtis' character, which leads to a bunch of great references to superheroes that Slocumb makes thematically relevant. The book gets to play with a coming of age story, a look into the creative process of comics, and a little bit of a heist thriller, all wrapped up into a complex and engaging bow. The story is a little slower, but the book balances the story of its central trio and gives everyone development and stand-out moments. Fans of Slocumb's other books should enjoy this one, and those wanting a unique witness protection thriller that combines music and comics will love this. I have enjoyed everything Brendan Slocumb has put out and I can't wait to see what he tackles next.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for a copy of The Dark Maestro in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Dark Maestro. Very different than what I expected. This novel takes you the thru the entire life cycle of a young man’s younger years. This although is a bit long does help explain why he is so into music.
This book balances the two aspects of music and crime and the impact it has had on his life.
Family allegiances change and this changes this young man’s life forever.
Lots of twists and turns and this book is a bit long
Good read. 3.5 stars

The author's note at the end of this book explains where the basis of this story comes from. It's obviously a very personal one for him and the passion of that cpmes out in his writing. I liked The Violin Conspiracy, I loved Dark Maestro. Comic books, organ donors, blood banks, and drug dealers, all in one story.

This is an interesting book very unique outlook on how drug dealers are going to be diversifying there illegal activities. It’s not an intuitive jump from selling drugs to selling body parts. The book really showed how doing the right thing at times causes hardships in families. The end to get a little over the top but all in all it was a good book.

DNF at 25%. I loved Slocumb's first two books but this one isn't a match for me. Way too out there for me.

Brendan Slocumb is one of my all-time FAVORITE authors, thanks to his two previous novels The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets. His characters always feel so real and multi-dimensional, his stories are always so layered and include a ton of social commentary, and the way he incorporates classical music into the mystery/thriller genre is so unique and I love that I can feel his passion for music through the pages.

All of this is also true in The Dark Maestro, and as long as that's the case I can't see myself rating his books anything less than 3 stars. The plot of The Dark Maestro however definitely felt different from Slocumb's first two novels, and I struggled to feel as invested throughout the whole book. It's much more gritty and suspenseful, with focus on a black market crime, the witness protection program, and a comic book series created by the MC. While these themes didn't resonate with me personally, I totally respect why Slocumb wrote this story (supported by his author's note at the end, which I loved) and don't want to steer it away from potential readers. It just won't end up in my year-end favorites, sadly - but I will for sure be picking up his next book and whatever he chooses to write in the future!

Intriguing concept which was solidly executed, I did feel like it didn't really tie everything up at the end, and may have been more focused on comic book logistics then executing the final twist. Solid read overall, but missed the mark for me.

4.5 stars
I really loved this one! My only complaint, it’s a little long. But we’re taken through the entire story beginning with Curtis as a young child. SO much happens! This has everything: heartwarming family moments, murder, mystery, and heartbreak. What would you do if you suddenly had to go into witness protection? If you had a very public famous career you had to give up?
Curtis is one of few black cellists and he struggles to quit. If he’s in a public space playing, he can’t hide. There is no balance, he has to stop playing for everyone’s safety.

The Violin Conspiracy was everywhere a few years ago (and it was so good!) but I haven’t seen a lot about Slocumb’s next novels. I highly recommend this one! So much adventure. There was never a dull moment.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.

As much as I wanted to finish this, I got bogged down by the backstory. The premise was intriguing, the title fascinated me, and the wit/sec narrative was compelling. But I never made it that far.

I'd really like to return to this someday, but for now, I think the difficulty of hearing about Curtis' upbringing and his desire to perform music, knowing his true debut was eventually going to come to a crashing halt, is one of the reasons I stopped reading. I was approved for the ARC the day before the book was released, and I endeavored to finish it quickly, but as I continued, other books beckoned and I ultimately abandoned this one.

Unfortunately, after over a month of not touching the book, I think it's time to call TOD. But I do hope to return to it when I'm feeling more emotionally ready for a contemporary novel of this kind.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rating (currently): 3 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph on June 7, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/225f97d3-24d2-4563-a882-0c9a40aed7b1?redirect=true)

Exciting, suspenseful and page turning. I really enjoyed Curtis' journey to right wrongs that were done to him and his family.

Rating: 4 Stars

This was one of my most anticipated read of the year, and I'm glad I was able to get it so quickly. I read this on audio, narrated by the author as he usually does, and the audio was so dynamic and engaging.

I will say that it's hard not to compare this book to his previous ones, and this one felt a bit... lacking... in comparison. Still a good book, but it lost me a bit in the middle, and when it came back around, I had a bit of whiplash.

As usual of late, a disclosure that I've been struggling to get drawn into anything (the slump of all slumps), so I don't know that I'm being entirely fair to this novel. It really did take me to places I wasn't expecting, and I thought the ending was so wild and fun to listen to, so it was worth the finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this one!

I thoroughly enjoyed Brendan Slocumb's two previous books. As a "band kid" and wife of a band director, anything music-related is bound to resonate with me. I'm also from North Carolina, so the often familiar settings also just bring about a sense of nostalgia that I really enjoy. This book added in a superhero/comic aspect as well, which was an unexpected, but fun, combination.

Here's my breakdown:
Characters: 3.5/5

I enjoyed the characters in this book, but some of the POV characters felt a little less rich compared to Slocumb's previous books. I just didn't latch on to them the same way I had in the previous books.

Plot: 2.5/5

This was a little too much plot for such a short book. Too many pieces to fit together and not enough time spent making it feel "real." There is quite a bit of "suspension of disbelief" that I feel has to happen in order to buy into the suspense. On the other hand, if the characters had been built up a little more, I might have believed some of the investigative tactics working more than I did.

Storytelling: 4/5

I enjoy Slocumb's writing and his way of weaving in backstory. I have become accustomed to Slocumb's use of various timelines and character POVs to tell his story, but I felt the three POVs in this book were too many at some points and not enough in others. I think if the POVs were less structured in the way they switched back and forth between each other, that it may have added to the movement and pace of the story. The constant pattern of which POV to expect next took a bit of the anticipation out of the book.

Enjoyment: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

For a book involving music and musical references, this is fantastic! Even though I play winds instead of strings, the inclusion of specific pieces or emotions related to music and playing were spot on. For a book with a comic/superhero aspect, this could have been a benefitted from some panels or art work sprinkled amongst the pages. Descriptions of the scenes didn't allow me to picture one specific style or consistent theme amongst the panels discussed. I would have loved to have seen some examples to focus my mental creations later on. The mystery aspects of this book were not always believable, but the tone and vibes were great.

I love Slocumb's books, and I will continue to pick up everything he writes. "The Dark Maestro" is a fun addition to the books he has already published. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

This is the third book I've read from Brendan Slocumb and I don't think I'll ever get enough. My heart broke for Curtis ten times over throughout the course of this story. Slocumb is able to write about difficult topics with such originality and memorable characters. I connected with Larissa, felt deeply saddened for Zippy and his burdens, and have met so many Curtises throughout my life. This trio of characters sprang off the page and into my imagination with ease.

Although I found the ending a bit rushed and unrealistic, I think ultimately that feeling added to the classic comicbook charm. While I would have liked to get a bit more closure, sometimes that's just how life is, and it didn't keep me from overall enjoying the book.

Can't wait to see what comes from Slocumb next!

4/5 stars or 8/10