Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

 

First Line: Sixteen hours before his death, Frederic Delaney realized that he'd left his Hutchinson champagne stopper at home.

 

Bern Hendricks, one of the world's preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, has just received the call of a lifetime. Hendricks knows everything there is to know about the composer, so when Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation (and a direct descendant of the man himself), asks for Bern's help in authenticating a newly discovered piece that may be Delaney's famous lost opera, Bern jumps at the chance.

 

With the help of his tech-savvy friend Eboni Washington, Bern soon learns that the truth is far more complicated than history-- and the Delaney Foundation-- would have them believe. 

The two begin to uncover more and more clues that indicate Delaney may have had help in composing his most successful work. Bern and Eboni are caught in the crosshairs of a very powerful organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, but they are determined to move heaven and earth to right history's wrongs.

~

Author Brendan Slocumb's first book, The Violin Conspiracy, was one of my Best Reads last year, so I picked up Symphony of Secrets with a great deal of anticipation. Once again, Slocumb brought me into the world of music and made me feel each note. This book is not only a celebration of music, it also cautions readers about legacy, privilege, and creative genius.

For me, the strongest part of this book was the relationships between various characters and how those relationships changed over time. There's not just the relationship between Bern and Eboni as they work to uncover the truth about world-famous composer Frederick Delaney, there's the relationship between Bern himself and the composer. Bern is a man who has spent his life becoming an expert on Delaney and his music. As more and more facts are uncovered that Delaney did not compose his own music, Bern is no longer the slavish devotee. Now he is a disillusioned knight fighting to right a serious wrong, and if he is to survive, he must shed his naïveté in dealing with the Delaney Foundation.

Perhaps the most profound relationship in Symphony of Secrets is between Frederick Delaney and neurodivergent Josephine Reed, a poor Black woman who just happens to be a musical genius. Theirs is a most personal relationship that also shows how Blacks were treated in the music industry of the 1920s.

I found myself equally enjoying both time periods (present day and the 1920s) as the story unfolded, and I often felt myself working through all the legal and moral implications of what Bern and Eboni were uncovering as they dug up each new clue. Wow. What has Brendan Slocumb got up his sleeve next? I can't wait to find out.

 

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

ISBN: 9780593315446

Anchor Books © 2023

Hardcover, 448 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

Rock of Ages by Timothy Hallinan

 

First Line: The drum solo had gone on so long that it seemed to be taking place in geological time, and there was no indication that it was nearing an end.

 

Irwin Dressler, Hollywood's most dangerous geriatric mobster, has a problem. Four of his associates have put together a national tour of once-popular rock bands they own a piece of: concerts by those who were big shots in the 1960s and 1970s who are hoping for one last gasp of glory on this nostalgia tour. 

 

Dressler's problem? Those four associates of his are using the tour as a front to steal his money. This is something Dressler simply cannot allow. Who can he turn to? Junior Bender, Los Angeles burglar and off-the-books detective to the felonious, of course.

 

The timing couldn't be worse for Junior. He'll be spending the weekend with his teenage daughter, Rina, who's showing way too much interest in how Junior makes his living. Can Junior recover Dressler's money, prevent a murder, talk his daughter out of pursuing a life of crime, and somehow survive all that bad music?

 

One thing's for sure-- it's going to be an interesting weekend.

 

~

 

As a fan of cat burglars from Cary Grant's To Catch a Thief to Robert Wagner's It Takes a Thief, I've been a fan of the irreverent, irrepressible Junior Bender from book one (Crashed). In this latest installment, Rock of Ages puts readers right in the middle of a nostalgia rock and roll tour, complete with falling props, Super Trooper lighting, old groupies, and a very inquisitive teenage girl. The names of the bands are almost worth the price of admission alone, and this behind-the-scenes look at rock and roll is equal parts illuminating and hilarious. "The bands hated each other, some of them were rusty, some needed cue cards for their lyrics, and three guys had shown up in wheelchairs." Junior must navigate all this as well as slashed tires, threatening notes, inflated egos, and people willing to kill for a money-and-power grab.

 

I really enjoyed the time spent with Junior's daughter, Rina. She's one sharp cookie who has a mind (and a mouth) very similar to her father's. Junior's going to be sweating bullets over Rina in a year or two, mark my words. But Rock of Ages isn't just the Junior and Rina Show. Other characters shine as only Hallinan can make them. Lavender the old groupie. Cappy the manager who keeps everything running. Debbie, whom Junior calls when he needs backup. Irwin Dressler, the LA mobster of legend. I always love Hallinan's casts of characters.

 

As I said before, I've enjoyed this series from the very first book. I will follow Junior Bender wherever he leads me because I know I'm going to enjoy myself with a first-rate plot and an excellent cast of characters, and guess what? I always learn something, too. The history of Los Angeles, the movie industry, rock and roll... it's all up for grabs when Tim Hallinan shares an adventure with my favorite burglar. I'm already looking forward to the next one. Hurry up, Junior!   

Rock of Ages by Timothy Hallinan

eISBN: 9781641292191

Soho Press © 2022

eBook, 336 pages

 

Private Investigator, #8 Junior Bender mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Second Floor of MIM, Part One

It's well past time that I took you back to continue exploring the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona. We began with some of the treasures on the first floor, and now I want to continue on to the second floor with the Geographic Galleries which feature music from over 200 countries around the world. The problem is, there is so much on the second floor that I'm going to have to split this into two posts. So this post will feature items from Africa, Asia, Latin America-- everywhere but the United States and Europe, the galleries on the other side of the floor.

Denis and I found ourselves referring to our Guest Guide maps available at Guest Service on the first floor and then texting each other our locations so we could find each other. I still have the map, and I'm referring to it now. Headphones are available for self-guided tours. Just get close to an item, the machine will be activated, and you'll be told about it.

It was extremely difficult for me to choose which photos to include, but no more delay. Let's get started!

As you can see with this exhibit on Singapore, musical instruments, costumes, and other items are included as well as videos in order for visitors to see and hear it all in action.

I loved this shadow puppet theater from Java. The first time I ever saw one was in the movie, The Year of Living Dangerously. I think one of the Harry Potter movies used the same sort of art.

India. With my love of textiles, I was thrilled to see all the costumes on display.

Look at the fabulous craftsmanship on this 'Ūd, a plucked lute, from Israel!

These are vessel flutes from the Bamileke peoples of Africa.

Pardon me while I drool over this cotton dragon robe from northern Vietnam. Look at that silk embroidery!

This is Masi bark cloth from Fiji. Made from mulberry bark fiber, the geometric designs and motifs are applied with stencils.

From Australia, a bark painting and mandapul (didjeridu).

A Danzaq costume from the Quechua people of Peru. Beautiful workmanship on the costume, but why are my eyes drawn to the shoes?

A Terno Yucateco worn by Mexican folkloric dancers from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

Steel Dan from the Lesser Antilles.

In the hallway before I crossed into the U.S./Europe Galleries, I fell in love with this Tree of Life which illustrates the pervasive role of music in Mexican life. This tree was created especially for MIM by the artist Adrián Luis González in 2010. This quintessential Mexican art form dates from the 1940s when potters began to create elaborate ceramic tree sculptures to illustrate biblical tales. Eventually, these same artisans broadened their scope to include the human birth-to-death life cycle as well as family histories and other interesting stories. I want one!

Tree of Life, detail.

Tree of Life, detail.

I'm going to end the tour here before you overdose on photos. Next time, I'll conclude our visit to the Musical Instrument Museum by checking out the U.S. and Europe Galleries on the second floor.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at a tiny bit of what there is at this fabulous museum!

Our First Visit to the Musical Instrument Museum

This summer, my slowly improving leg health meant that Denis and I got out and about more. But when it's well over 100°F. in the shade, we opted for checking out indoor venues. A few weeks ago, we acted on a recommendation given to me by author Jenn McKinlay many moons ago and visited the Musical Instrument Museum.

What a fabulous place!

Denis and I spent so much time there and took so many photos that it's taken me a while to sort through everything. Today's post will give you an overview of the museum's purpose as well as a look at some of the exhibits that you will find on the first floor. As much time as we spent on the first floor, we really lost our minds of the second floor, and that's going to take more than one future post to give you an idea of what this incredible place is like. Let's get started!

 

From the museum website. I fell in love with the architecture and the landscaping, both perfectly suited to the surrounding desert.

From the website: "MIM [Musical Instrument Museum] began with a vision to create a musical instrument museum that would be truly global. Realizing most musical museums featured historic, primarily Western classical instruments, MIM’s founder Bob Ulrich (then CEO of Target Corporation) was inspired to develop a new kind of museum that would focus on the kind of instruments played every day by people worldwide." 

The Musical Instrument Museum is one of the top tourist destinations in the Phoenix metro area and is rated among the top fifteen museums in the country. Why it took so long for Denis and I to visit, I will never know.

MIM is a Phoenix Point of Pride.

The museum is filled with quiet spots looking out at nature. This one also looks out on the outside eating area next to the cafe.

An Electraglide guitar made in the Highlands of Scotland. Not all of the instruments are as "normal" looking as this one, however.

I'm still trying to imagine a pigeon that would put up with having this on its tail.

A lute made from an armadillo shell?!?

A pair of setoes (arched harps) from the Ngbaka people in the Ubangi River Region in Africa. Each instrument's body and sound in this male and female pair stand as metaphors for human/spiritual embodiment and "voice."

One of the museum's conservation areas.

The entrance to the Artist Gallery. I loved the different types of marble used in the floor.

Have you ever heard John Denver sing "This Old Guitar"? This is the guitar.

The "Plum Blossom" robe worn by Rockmore at the 1994 New York Film Festival screening of Steven M. Martin's film "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey."

I loved the detail on the robe and was thrilled to find out that the museum held more than musical instruments. You know me and textiles...

Just the beginning of a large exhibit on Elvis. Natch!

Another cool and quiet spot for a little contemplation.

A large kempul (gong) from Indonesia.

There is a large Experience Gallery on the first floor filled with all sorts of musical instruments that you can play. I actually checked something off my bucket list here. I've always wanted to bang a gong, and I gave this kempul a couple of good whacks. One: that beater (mallet) is a lot heavier than I expected. Two: I want one here at Casa Kittling... ooooh, Denis!

The museum shop is also on the first floor, and it's filled with goodies. I bought two things on this, our first visit.

 

The pack of Dia de los Muertos-themed playing cards will go on my offrenda at the end of the month. Growing up, my mother and I would go to my grandparents' house for Saturday dinner and an hour or two of playing various card games before adjourning to watch my grampa's favorite, "The Lawrence Welk Show."

The basket is made from telephone wire. It all started as a recycling project in South Africa but has now turned into a thriving cottage industry for talented Zulu weavers living in rural areas. How thriving? Over 700 families are supported by weaving these baskets. I know I'll be getting more. I love them!

 

A pair of atingtings (slit drums) from Vanuatu outside the museum.

If you liked the first floor, you're going to love the second floor! I hope you'll be joining me on my next visit to the Musical Instrument Museum.

My Favorite Movie Composers

This week, I've compiled a list that may surprise you. Not only are there no books, I don't think I've ever told you that I once had a large collection of movie soundtracks. 

I think my first real introduction to the music composed for film and television was when I was a small child, wide awake in bed at night, listening to whatever my ears could pick up from the television while Mom had a little down time. I couldn't hear the dialogue; what I could hear was the music, and I remember liking Nelson Riddle's theme to The Untouchables and Henry Mancini's music for Peter Gunn. There were others, but being a kid, I didn't think much about it... until I was in college.

When Mom was asked what teenage Cathy spent her money on, music was number one. (Movie tickets was second.) After all, I worked in a library and had access to thousands of free books. When I went to college, I quickly learned that (1) I preferred writing papers and studying in the wee hours of the morning, and (2) music without lyrics was the best study aid. This is when my love of movie soundtracks really blossomed, and when I watched old Errol Flynn swashbucklers, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's music made me passionate about this genre. How many of your favorite movies wouldn't be quite as good as they are without the music that helps tell the story? Quite a few, I imagine.

If you don't think music is important to a movie, I won't tell you about Dimitri Tiomkin who composed the music for Gary Cooper's High Noon. Preview audiences didn't much like the film so it was shelved. Tiomkin liked the music he created-- especially the theme song Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling-- so he released the song as a single, and it became a big hit. Due to that song, High Noon was taken out of the vault and went on to win four Academy Awards (including Best Song and Best Music). Yes, music can be important.

Classical music and movie soundtracks fueled many hours at my desk, and they fired my imagination. Without further fanfare, I'm going to share my favorite movie composers. In the captions below each graphic, I'll have links to bios of each composer as well as links to Youtube where you'll be able to listen to some of the music if you like.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Captain Blood.

Max Steiner. His music for A Summer Place made it a better movie than it really was.

Bernard Herrmann. Perfect music to get nervous by, like The Twilight Zone.

Henry Mancini. What a fantastic body of work! The Thorn Birds.

John Barry. So hard to choose. All those James Bond films... or how about The Lion in Winter?

Maurice Jarre. How about the barn building scene from Witness?

Ennio Morricone. I heard the opening bars of music to The Untouchables and knew I was going to like the movie!

Marvin Hamlisch. He made me buy all the Scott Joplin music I could find, and the theme to Sophie's Choice made me cry.

John Williams. The theme music to Jaws still makes the hair stand on the back of my neck.

Hans Zimmer. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

I'm having a difficult time tearing myself away from Youtube in order to finish this post. I'd forgotten how powerfully this music can affect me. I've been rocking out with my headphones on, totally oblivious to the world around me. You might have smiled when you came to Morricone's entry and read that the second I heard the opening bars of The Untouchables theme, I knew I was going to like the movie. It does sound a bit balmy, but music can do that to me. I had the exact same thing happen when I first heard the theme to the series I'll end this trip down Memory Lane on--

Ramin Djawadi. Game of Thrones.

The only thing I want to know is... am I the only one who feels this strongly about movie soundtracks?

The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas

First Line: "What does it mean when someone calls you swine?" Simon Horowitz asked suddenly, as his father's black Mercedes-Benz rolled to a stop at the top of a blind alley off the Friedrichstrasse.

Simon is about to find out exactly what that means, as his world rapidly descends into nightmare. Instead of learning to play his father's priceless and beloved 1742 Guarneri del Gesú violin, he and other members of his family are sent to Dachau, and the precious violin finds its way into other hands.

In the present day, a fourteen-year-old violin prodigy has a chance to make a name for himself on the world stage, and renowned conductor Rafael Gomez wants to help young Daniel Horowitz realize the dream. When Daniel rebels and refuses to play, Gomez is determined to do whatever it takes to make the boy play again. When the conductor learns that Daniel's family once owned an incredible violin, he thinks he has the answer: the story of what happened to the Horowitz family and their Guarneri del Gesú violin.

Although I've never been a real fan of the violin, I do enjoy stories about a house or an object that has survived through the centuries passing through various owners. The Keeper of Secrets is a welcome addition to this literary tradition.

The cast of characters is an interesting one. Simon Horowitz and his family react too slowly for most to survive the Holocaust. Simon has the character, the intelligence and the strength of will to do so, and he must use all of that in order to walk out of the infamous concentration camp known as Dachau. Daniel Horowitz, who has a once-in-a-lifetime talent, wants to be an ordinary boy who plays baseball with his friends. Daniel's mother is a woman who insists everything be sacrificed to Daniel's talent. The boy's father is a man who's torn between wanting his son to have a normal childhood and wanting his son to use his gift to its full potential. Rafael Gomez  is a man whose love of music has ruled his life, and he wants Daniel to be a sort of gift to the profession he loves.

All these characters blend together very well within the author's framework. Germany in the 1930s came to life as I read; the burgeoning power of the Nazis, the people who saw what was happening and got out, those who refused to see and stayed. Two elements in particular impressed me. One was the inclusion of various German characters who helped those being persecuted in whatever ways they could. The second was the fact that the chapters of the book involving Simon's internment in Dachau were horrible without being graphic. Thomas didn't candy coat anything, but she didn't feel the need to bury readers in the details of all the atrocities.

Perhaps music was the most profound element of The Keeper of Secrets, and I'm not just talking about learning the business aspects behind world-class orchestras. I've never read another book that made me feel even the tiniest bit like a gifted musician would feel as he played, what a piece of music can tell him, and how different instruments playing the same piece of music can sound differently. Somehow Thomas managed to convey all that and more.

The power of good characterization, of a good story, and of music combined to make Julie Thomas's book a virtuoso performance.

The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas

ISBN: 9780062240309

William Morrow © 2013

Paperback, 384 pages

Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers program