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

THE DARK MAESTRO is Brendan Slocumb’s third novel. Slocumb, himself a musician, continues his practice of having an unlikely musician blossom when afforded opportunities and support, and his knowledge of the life of a musician is an asset.

In this title, we are introduced to Curtis, a disadvantaged Black boy who discovers his love of the cello when offered an instrument and lessons through a grant. He is a prodigy and is quickly noticed. Zippy, his father, is a drug-dealer, and Larissa is the mother figure; Curtis’s success and public attention are not always welcome, as Zippy wants to stay under the radar.

The story is narrated in installments by our three main characters. It isn’t long before our characters run into serious trouble, and a majority of the book is them trying to get by when constrained by the slow-moving arc of justice.

The book’s cover is clever and hints at the superhero Curtis invents: The Dark Maestro, who, through the power of his music, takes on villain after villain, moving ever closer to an uncertain end.

I found this one to be more violent than I expected and it required a fair suspension of disbelief, but I was still entertained enough to want to know how the story would conclude, even if not on the same level of Slocumb’s previous titles. I was also intrigued by the video comic series, wishing I could have seen that come to life.

(Thank you to Doubleday Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

I am a huge Slocumb fan so I was extremely excited to receive this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the story. As with Slocumb’s previous novels, the characters were so richly developed. I loved getting to know them.
I didn’t love the whole comic book thing and I thought it went a little too far, BUT I get that Slocumb is an avid fan so good for him.

Looking forward to his next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Doubleday, for the eARC of this book for reading and review.
I know this is the author's 3rd novel, and had heard good things about the first, so I was excited to read this book.

The book started out well! The story of a young cello prodigy who comes from a disadvantaged background. Curtis is blessed with a caring music teacher and music seems to be a way out of the drug-dealing life of his father Zippy, and his father's girlfriend, Larrissa. But ultimately, Zippy's way of life puts them all in danger and they all must enter into the witness protection program to live. What Curtis does to cope with this sudden life change is how the Dark Maestro is born.

The pacing in this book is off-putting. The storyline started interesting, and held my attention. When the storyline takes a shift, the story was not as interesting, and it drags a lot. Additionally the story becomes over the top, so far from possible, to the point I was irritated and I was no longer enjoying my reading experience. There are times when too much is written, and others when there is a jump in events, gaps in explanations. Very choppy. The ending felt like a cop out.

I think with some scene changes, and edits to the ending, this book would be better as an older YA book.

a low 3.5 Stars overall.

I loved his other 2 books but this one was just a bit too unbelievable and over the top for me. It also felt a bit too choppy at times in writing & the plot. The last quarter of the book was almost ridiculous. I really wanted to like it more. I did enjoy the comic book piece and the family coming together to produce it but overall the plot, writing just didn’t work for me.

I want to thank Net Galley for an advance readers copy of this novel.

This is not a light fluffy story about a supremely gifted cellist. He came from a dark beginning and while having been given the ability to transform his life despite his situation, other events transpire to completely derail his life. Forced into hiding and without the ability to perform, his life's dream, his only true peace, he must learn to survive without it. Not at all the story I was expecting but all in all a satisfying story about relationships, faith, trust and redemption.

Brendan Slocumb’s The Dark Maestro is a genre-blending thriller that harmonizes the precision of classical music with the pulse of a high-stakes crime saga.

Curtis Wilson, a gifted cellist from Southeast Washington, D.C., rises from humble beginnings to perform with the New York Philharmonic. His ascent is abruptly halted when his father, Zippy, a low-level drug dealer, turns state's witness against his criminal associates. The family enters the witness protection program, severing Curtis from his musical career.As law enforcement struggles to apprehend the cartel, Curtis, Zippy, and Larissa—Zippy's girlfriend and Curtis's surrogate mother—take matters into their own hands, using their unique skills to confront the criminals threatening their lives.

Slocumb masterfully weaves themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and resilience into a narrative that is both thrilling and poignant.The novel explores the complexities of family dynamics and the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their loved ones. The integration of Curtis's musical talent adds depth to the story, highlighting how art can serve as both a refuge and a weapon. For me, it was The Dark Maestro's intricate plotting and compelling characters that made this such a special read.

The Dark Maestro is a testament to Brendan Slocumb's storytelling prowess. It offers a unique fusion of music, crime, and family drama, resulting in a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. For readers seeking a novel that challenges genre conventions while delivering a compelling story, The Dark Maestro is an exceptional choice.

Most of the main characters in this novel are the down-on-their-luck types with like-able personalities. From the beginning when a child cello protege grows up with a good intentioned, low-level criminal father and his big-hearted, save-the-world girlfriend, the plot moves forward swiftly. All too soon, the narrative changes to involve the protective custody marshals, an inept group of FBI, and really bad rich guys involved in multi-country crimes. In the midst of this, a super hero online comic book is born.

I really have mixed feelings about this story. I loved the way the author tells a story and enjoyed the music parts a lot. Even the “good” guys vs bad guys portion was entertaining. It was simply difficult for me to grasp why a grown man needed an alter superhero identity to feel good? important? whole? But then, I’ve never caught the comic book bug.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC to read and review.

I loved Slocumb's debut, was mid about his second, and was excited to see where I'd land with this one.

It started off strong - I was totally invested in how this was going to all pan out. But once Curtis and his friends figured they could find the kingpin that even the FBI couldn't track down, my interest started to wane.

I do love how Slocumb has found his niche with his music and instrument knowledge. It's fascinating how he has been able to take this little corner of the world and write such interesting books. I hope his next book is better for me.

This is a tale of two books. The beginning grabbed my attention and kept me turning the pages. Curtis is a cello prodigy; a virtuoso with a brilliant future. His talent has allowed him to escape the rough neighborhood where he grew up and finds him playing with the elite New York Philharmonic. Curtis’s story should be a tale of success and endless opportunities if not for his father, Zippy, whose low level drug dealing lands him in the crosshairs of an international criminal cartel.

And this is where the book lost some of its momentum for me. Curtis and Zippy, along with Larissa, Zippy’s girlfriend, enter the witness protection program. There’s a steep price —Curtis is forced to abandon his burgeoning career and still they are not safe.

While much of the second half of the book seems implausible, Slocumb’s talent for crafting characters who come alive on the page kept me reading. He is a gifted writer and his narratives are propulsive and compelling. I just wish this one didn’t require as much head scratching for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.