𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
—𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

꧁༺𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒪𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓉𝓊𝓇ℯ ༻꧂

𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫
(kəm-pō-zər)
noun
𝐀 person who writes music—as a professional occupation.
The term traditionally indicates composers of Western classical music or those melodists who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also proficient performers of music.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬
(jēn-yəs)
noun
Someone who is exceptionally intelligent or creative—whether generally or in some other particular respect.

According to its description in 𝘞𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢, 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴 is "a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabilities of competitors."

So, this leads me to ask the following:

𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝙃𝙀 𝐀 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐔𝐒? 𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝙉𝙊𝙏? 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

Frederic Delaney, considered by countless people as one of the most revered composers of the twentieth century, never mentioned any of those inspirations for his acclaimed operas, and there was a good reason for it: he plagiarized nearly all of them. Now, some people would disagree; they would even fight—or worse, 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭—to defend the honor of the late Frederic Delaney, especially if it meant maintaining their livelihood: for the works of Frederic Delaney have made tens of millions of dollars, all of which are lain upon a snobbish foundation of sand daring the rain to descend, and the floods to come, and the winds to blow and beat upon it.

Frederic Delaney the Great is a god as far as those who benefit from his estate and namesake are concerned. And he WAS a genius, so say the masses. But some beg to differ. And these would include our two starring leads, who will team up to uncover the truth. However, it may cost the relentless meddlers their lives.

Dear reader? Shall we?

꧁༺ 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓞𝓷𝓮 ༻꧂
THE PRESENT

B̶U̶R̶N̶I̶N̶G̶ 𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐙𝐄𝐀𝐋.

Professor Kevin Bernard Hendricks, or "Bern," is a well-respected musicologist and professor at Columbia University. It's perfectly alright to admire someone for their work, but Bern's obsession with the late composer Frederic Delaney and the Foundation named in his honor borders on false idolatry. While it is unnecessary, Bern feels indebted to the Delaney Foundation. And why is that? Well, it is because Bern, a native of Milwaukee, grew up poor, living below the poverty line until Frederic Delaney or, rather, the Delaney 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 saved him and gave Bern a shot at redemption. Yes, the poor, Black kid from the 'hood made good.
Thanks to the instruments donated by the Delaney Foundation, Bern learned to read and play music and studied the art of composition, mastering the craft with practice. The Delaney Foundation believed in Bern when no one else did. While most of his friends from the old neighborhood were either dead or in prison, Bern was ushered through an open door of opportunity and guided down the corridor leading to success and a better life. And it's all thanks to the Delaney Foundation. Therefore, Bern is always eager to please and appease where it concerns anyone—or anything—bearing the name Delaney. Bern would abandon his mother on her deathbed if it meant his assistance could keep the Delaneys in existence.

Indeed, Bern, conditioned to a fault, will always be Johnny-on-the-spot for the Delaney family. No one knows this better than Mallory Delaney Roberts, the great-niece of Frederic Delaney and one of the last of his surviving descendants. Mallory Delaney Roberts is the Executive Director of the Delaney Foundation, situated in midtown Manhattan, only steps from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. So when she contacts Bern to inform him about some (highly) sensitive documents that pertain to the estate of Bern's idol, Frederic Delaney, the professor is intrigued.
Not inclined to discuss the matter over the phone, Mallory insists that Bern visit the Delaney Foundation (all expenses paid) to discuss her findings in person. And Bern, so emotionally subdued in his passion for everything Frederic Delaney, rather than discerning the seriousness in Mallory's tone, asks if she's found a lost piece of music. Without waiting for an answer, the giddy Bern convinces himself that the Foundation has finally found one of Frederic Delaney's most prized, albeit lost, compositions: 𝘙𝘌𝘋. Mallory doesn't answer; she only insists on seeing Bern as soon as possible and that Bern sign a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement. And what Mallory Delaney Roberts wants, that she gets.
With his leave of absence arranged by the Delaney Foundation, Bern hauls it to New York – as this could be it, the biggest score of his life. Bern will be the most celebrated musicologist alive if this is what he thinks it is!

But will it be? And will Bern be ready for what awaits him?

Way too trusting, Bern. Perhaps he should have read the NDA before signing it, Bern.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐄-𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐗.

Bern, good ol' Bern, is ecstatic about the task at hand: restoring one of the great Frederic Delaney's lost masterpieces. Bern was even content to sign the nondisclosure agreement that the Delaney Foundation insisted on before starting the coveted project. But once he delves into the century-old documents, the dependable professor soon realizes his need for an assistant. Sure, Mallory Delaney Roberts could have provided Bern with a gofer with one snap of her expertly manicured fingers, but Bern has a preference.

Enter Eboni Washington, a free-spirited computer security specialist, pizza fanatic, and native of the Boogie-Down Bronx. Bern and the awesomely intelligent Eboni go back to when the two attended Columbia together, Eboni then writing code for operas. She is the first person Bern thinks of when considering a comrade to work with him on the Delaney project. But one thing Bern knows for sure: Eboni Washington, a maverick entrepreneur with her own computer security systems company, won't come aboard cheap. The Delaney Foundation will have to pay top dollar for her services—whether Mallory Delaney Roberts, a woman Eboni can't stand, likes it or not. Because where Bern won't dare offend, the blunt Eboni will. She does not bite her tongue, Eboni Washington, nor does she conform well, Eboni Washington. The belle of the Boogie-Down Bronx 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 her business. And she is always one step ahead of her foes. No one, not even Mallory 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘺 Roberts, is a match for Eboni Washington. And now that she and Bern are back together, conjoined as a double team, let the team work on the lost Frederic Delaney masterpiece, 𝘙𝘌𝘋, begin.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐨𝐑-𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇.

It isn't easy trying to piece together the puzzle of a one-hundred-year-old mystery, but that is the dilemma in which Bern and Eboni find themselves while trying to decipher the hidden meanings in Frederic Delaney's fascinating Doodles. And the enigma grows more perturbing when Bern's sharp eye catches something every other eye missed: the word 𝘑𝘢𝘙 written in a neat little corner of the sheet music.

Deeming the detail interesting enough to research, Bern and his dynamic partner, Eboni, hunt down any clues that might give them insight into what the 𝘑𝘢𝘙 means. They search and search, and then BAM! Thanks to Eboni's inability to fail at her job, she and Bern soon learn that the 𝘑𝘢𝘙 is 𝘑𝘰𝘙. The writing on the one-hundred-year-old document was fuzzy, and they mistook the 𝘰 for an 𝘢. Now Bern and Eboni must find out what the letters mean. And to do that, they must travel to Oxford, North Carolina.

𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐊, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃.

It wasn't until Bern and Eboni, while in Bern's office hacking into the Delaney Foundation's computer system, saw the archives and hit pay dirt.

Bern and Eboni saw her pretty face in the photos first. She was seated off to the side, but she was still visible. The celebratory atmosphere in the photograph (from 1920) betrayed the world fame of the man who had been named Frederic Delaney: the trip to Europe aboard the Queen Mary booked for the entire Delaney Party, the food and drinks, the smiles, the applause, and the cheers—all frozen in time. The guest list of eight names included hers: Josephine Reed, or 𝘑𝘰𝘙, Frederic Delaney's mysterious Dark Lady.

Josephine Reed. Now Bern and Eboni had a name—and a face.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐊 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖.

After researching Josephine Reed further and unearthing her family tree, Bern and Eboni jet it south to Oxford, North Carolina, the mysterious woman's birthplace – because it is there that the Reed descendants still dwell.

Bern and Eboni can track down the Reed clan from the information they obtained about Howard Reed, the brother of Josephine. The two soon meet Earlene Hill, a lovable woman and the daughter of Howard Reed, and her two daughters Myrtis and Sandra—along with some other Reed family members—and before long, another missing piece of the puzzle turns up: an old steamer trunk, dusty and hidden in the basement of Earlene's quaint home. When they spot Josephine's painted white initials on the trunk's lid, Bern and Eboni, especially Bern, can't open the one-hundred-year-old luggage piece fast enough. Hearts race as Bern struggles to pry the lock loose. And when he finally breaks it open, they find a treasure trove: the Compendium of the late Josephine Reed. It's all there: her doodles, her manuscripts, her notations, her melodies—ALL of it; hundreds upon hundreds of pages, illustrated with masterpieces. Bern can barely believe it. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩?

Eboni and the Reed-Hill family form an instant bond. And after Bern offers to pay the family—a nice sum of money—for the trunk, he and Eboni depart with it in tow. Of course, Earlene and her children agree to visit Eboni in New York, and hugs and cheek kisses get exchanged. Bern and Eboni now have proof that Frederic Delaney was nothing more than a fraud, a liar, and a thief. He was no musical genius at all. But Josephine Reed had been, although she had never received any honor or recognition for the magnificent musical works that 𝘴𝘩𝘦, and not 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘺, composed.

Bern and Eboni are relieved and happy; a couple of smart cookies, especially Eboni Michelle Washington. Until now, they have covered their tracks—to keep the Delaney Foundation off their trail. But they made a mistake when Eboni insisted on flying down to Oxford, North Carolina, on a plane owned by the Foundation.
The powers that be on its Board of Directors know about the trunk. But Bern and Eboni are oblivious to their knowledge. Here is where they get too cute—and trip.

꧁༺ 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓣𝔀𝓸 ༻꧂
THE PAST BEFORE THE PRESENT

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄.

The year was 1918. The city was New York. And Freddy Delaney was part of a jazz combo featuring Bobby, Red, and band leader Eli, who fostered resentment toward the outfit's only White member, Delaney. She would often frequent the smoky joint known as the Alibi Club and sit in the shadows, away from the stage, listening to the guys as they rehearsed their numbers and transcribed the sounds of the world around her. The offensive Eli liked to call her "Crazy Jo," but her name was Josephine. And she may have appeared quiet and childlike in her ways, but she was brilliant, jam-packed with mesmerizing musical ability. Josephine Reed may not have come across as the sharpest knife in the cutlery set, but the woman was amazingly clever. When Josephine Reed transcribed what 𝘴𝘩𝘦 wanted to hear, her melodies were remarkable, unlike anything anyone had ever heard.

No one understood her strange language; for example, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 (𝘵𝘩𝘦) 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯. To many, the phrase sounded crazy, but once Josephine translated it into chords, the music was beautiful to hear. The lady could compose a masterpiece just by hearing the sound of a car engine, feet on the pavement, a knock on a door, a shape, a color. Each sound or object, to her ears, was a chord. And she would compose what she heard in the sounds of life; her musical interpretations were nothing short of genius. Josephine knew music. And she recognized mistakes, even those that the White guy named Freddy continuously made during the rehearsal.

If it had been up to Eli, the marginally talented Freddy Delaney would've been a goner—out of the band because Eli didn't think that Freddy, who irked Eli with his sloppy piano playing during rehearsals, could cut it: Freddy, on the other hand, was desperate for the approval of his gifted Black bandmates, and he desperately wanted to be liked by them. Indeed, the Indiana native would have done anything to win their affection. But he couldn't get it right in the sets: he was always late, two bars behind on the change. Josephine pointed out as much. And when Eli asked her to show Freddy the ropes, Josephine, in her frazzled dress, sat down at the piano and played the tune perfectly: this was the beginning of life with Freddy and Josephine: 𝘈 𝘙𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵.

𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄(𝐃) 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 (𝐈𝐌)𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐘.

The White guy, Freddy, was so enthralled with her gift of music that he took her home to his studio apartment, a shabby spot but a place with four walls, nonetheless. In exchange for a floor pallet, meals, and a bathroom down the hall, Freddy wanted Josephine—a vulnerable but brilliant adult—to teach him how to flourish on the piano so that he would become a better musician. Because he, after all, had something to prove. Freddy Delaney was no songwriter; his boss, the nasty and racist Mr. Ditmars, let him know that in no uncertain terms. Freddy Delaney might be a musician, but his talent is mediocre at best: he pays his rent working as a song plugger for the music publishing entity of Ditmars & Ross.
Freddy Delaney. He couldn't get ahead if a strong wind blew along to push him forward. But he could always go home to Josephine. She would have a hot meal waiting along with the extraordinary music she'd written. They went on this way, and Freddy even got Josephine a job (filing and cleaning) at Ditmars & Ross—after practically begging on his knees: for Mr. Ditmars initially didn't want a "coon," a "monkey," working in his place of business. But Freddy's begging won out. And before long, one humiliation after another, an idea entered the mind of the desperate and self-loathing Freddy Delaney: take one of Josephine's songs to Mr. Ditmars and sell it—under the name of Freddy Delaney, of course. Because Freddy will never tell Ditmars that Josephine wrote the music, knowing full well that the White publisher would never pay for music written by a Black woman, ergo the sole authorship credit given to Delaney.

𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯, an instant hit, was the composition that started it all. By selling the works of Josephine Reed as his own, Frederick Delaney is well on his way. And while Mr. Ditmars might be skeptical—earlier likening the song plugger's songwriting to garbage and trash—he goes on paying Freddy for the exceptional music.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥? Mr. Ditmars figures Freddy just got lucky.

𝐈𝐋𝐋-𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒.

With time, Delaney's forename would transition through several alternate spellings: 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺, 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬, 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥, and 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤. Time, in cahoots with songs composed by the uncredited Josephine Reed, had also cleaned him up, put some money in his possession, escorted him to Bergdorf Goodman—a department store at which Frederic Delaney would otherwise have 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 been able to shop—and introduced him to fame: 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘦. Sure, Delaney contributed lyrics to the songs, but his lyrical content paled in comparison to the music written by Josephine. It was the 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 the people wanted to hear; the lyrics were just in the way. Nevertheless, adding them to the compositions soothed Frederic Delaney's guilty conscience.

Buying Josephine one new dress and one pair of new shoes also serves as a salve for the blisters resulting from the burning hot coals upon his head: Frederic Delaney is raking in tons of money with his new music publishing company built on the back of Josephine Reed's magnificent compositions. Delaney even takes Josephine along on a tour of Europe, telling her that he's doing it all for 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 and not only 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. But the man is a liar: Delaney takes the most for himself and gives only a token amount to Josephine. He lives the good life (at her expense) while Josephine is ignored, overlooked, and limited by her race in a biased, wicked, ungodly, and racist society. Josephine misses the old Freddy and longs to have things back to how they were—when the two lived in the run-down, one-room New York studio. What's worse is that Freddy keeps making her promises he never delivers on. There's always an excuse. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦.

The world praises Frederic Delaney as a musical genius, but a musical genius he is not. Frederic Delaney is, however, a double-minded man. And a double-minded man is unstable in ALL his ways.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 (𝐎𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐂) 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒.

The genius (the 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 genius) Josephine Reed was always inspired by the sounds and objects of life when composing what she wanted to hear in her musical works. But her biggest inspiration, the one that exploded into a phenomenon more exciting than all of its predecessors in her Compendium, came after 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥, no longer 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺 but 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥, took her to the Olympic games during their trip to France.
Motivated—and fascinated—by the design of the Olympic flag, Josephine began to transcribe. And the result was the masterwork, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘢. Five operas were composed to represent the rings on the Olympic flag: 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘌𝘕, 𝘉𝘓𝘜𝘌, 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒, 𝘠𝘌𝘓𝘓𝘖𝘞, and 𝘙𝘌𝘋—the latter which would come back to haunt the descendants of Frederic Delaney, as well as his fraudulent legacy, 100 years later.

Frederic Delaney, not surprisingly taking full credit for composing The Rings of Olympia with four of its internationally acclaimed operas, would stand alone as the most preeminent American composer of all time. He effortlessly rode the wave of a lie with 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘌𝘕, 𝘉𝘓𝘜𝘌, 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒, and 𝘠𝘌𝘓𝘓𝘖𝘞. But when it came to 𝘙𝘌𝘋, he got pitted. Frederic Delaney—whose reconstruction of the score was sloppy and amateurish—couldn't complete 𝘙𝘌𝘋 without Josephine Reed, the actual creator of the five operas. And when he sensed that his ill-gotten wealth, riches, fame, and the love of the world stood in the path of jeopardy, Frederic Delaney, who'd long ago sold his eternal soul, felt compelled to summon the serpent of old for one final favor — leading the way to destruction and agonizing regret.

꧁༺ 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮 ༻꧂
BACK TO THE PRESENT

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒.

In the words of the late, great Dr. Maya Angelou, 'When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.' An advisory of sorts reflecting simple wisdom, yes? Unfortunately, Bern Hendricks hadn't allowed such wisdom to be his guide at the outset. And regret now jeers at him as he stands before those he had once believed to be his friends and benefactors: the Board of Directors at the Delaney Foundation.
The bodily waste hits the fan when Mallory Delaney Roberts summons Bern to meet with Delaney Foundation Board members, including its chairman and Mallory's cousin, the octogenarian Kurt Delaney. Bern can sense the ugly spirit of racism buzzing like a wasp ready to sting: Kurt Delaney is on the cusp of calling the Black 𝘮𝘢𝘯 with the Ph.D. a 𝘣𝘰𝘺; Bern can detect it in the older man's tone. They know something; Bern can 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 it. The members of the board were discussing him—and Eboni—before his arrival. And his veins are already filling with ice-cold blood as his heart loses its rhythm. Finally, Kurt Delaney asks Dr. Hendricks: What was in the trunk? And then another blow: Tell us about Josephine Reed.

The spirit of fear hauls off and punches Bern in the head with all its might, leaving his mouth agape, albeit speechless, and his brains scrambled.
The professor will not answer their questions; he should play dumb, which he does—until they show him the photos on their big-screen monitor. The Board of Directors knows who Josephine Reed was. They also know the contents of the trunk Bern (and Eboni) bought from Josephine Reed's descendants. They want the trunk; 'It is the property of the Delaney Foundation!' Kurt Delaney scolds. He and his board are giving Bern (and his 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, Eboni) 24 hours to bring the trunk to the Foundation. But will Bern and his whip-smart gal pal, Eboni, hand over the precious steamer trunk with its incriminating evidence in favor of Josephine Reed but against Frederic Delaney? They wouldn't be on the run for their lives if they intended to do so, now would they?

The threat of danger waits—while grinning maliciously—at every turn. Is there 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 in the back pocket of the filthy-rich, powerful, ruthless, sinister, immoral, intimidating, and murderous Delaney Foundation? Dr. Bernard Hendricks and Eboni Washington are about to learn firsthand that hurting rich people by turning them into poor people is not an option for those on the hunt for their blood.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄.

The supporting players on the pages of this mind-blowing thriller weaved into historical fiction fall into sync beautifully with our top-billed cast members and are as worthy of applause as said starring leads – and the reader will be either pleased or displeased to make their acquaintance. Rounding out our talented ensemble is none other than the following:

• Jacques Simon co-stars as a fellow musicologist and ornery colleague of Bern Hendricks. Jacques Simon fosters the desire to be the alpha male in his and Bern's professional environment.

• Stanford Whitman is a crooked attorney, the chief in-house counsel at the Delaney Foundation, and a man the destroying angel can't eliminate fast enough.

• Mona Keltner stars as a hard-nosed reporter with professional ties to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴.

• Cliff Rich portrays Frederic Delaney's secretary. Cliff Rich is a bigoted racist who, despite his employer, Delaney, would spit in the face of Josephine Reed if he could.

• Brian Etting plays Frederic Delaney's arranger and yet another enemy-minded toward Josephine Reed—the real musical genius and the reason for his having a job in the first place.

• Samantha Bell stars as the granddaughter of a Ditmars & Ross founder and a blessing in disguise.

• Tom Pendleton plays his merciless part well as a member of the Delaney Foundation board. Like Stanford Whitman, Tom Pendleton is a man the destroying angel can't eliminate fast enough.

• Miles Turpin portrays a struggling pianist, a fellow song plugger at Ditmars & Ross—and a doomed man who knows too much.

• NYPD Officers Fields, Fry, and Dickson, along with their superior Detective Kirdahi, portray crooked cops on the take—and flunkies on the Delaney Foundation payroll. A disgrace to the badge, this quartet of numbskulls deserves to be dumped alive in a swamp teeming with ferocious crocodiles.

• Lauren Weber shines in her role as a cut-throat and no-nonsense attorney that it wouldn't be wise for anyone on an opposing legal team to trifle with.

The previously listed ensemble of bit-part and supporting players is never out of tune with our starring leads. And together as one, the castmates render flawless performances on the well-written pages of this tale.
꧁༺ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓞𝓾𝓽𝓻𝓸 ༻꧂

𝐌𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

An extraordinary work of fiction penned by the gifted Brendan Slocumb, 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 is an anger-inducing, perplexing, intelligent, complex, emotional, evocative, entertaining, revelational, thrilling, romantic, and thoroughly suspenseful high-speed time warp from past to present!

Blessed with a spirit reminiscent of John Grisham's timeless masterpiece, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘮, the high-octane 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴—a powerful historical fiction thriller spanning 100 years—is guaranteed to take hold of the reader, pull them to the edge of their seat, and keep them glued there from beginning to end. I found it quite challenging to put this book down and even more disheartening to complete it. But much like all good things, the story had to end. And in this case, on a heart-pounding note (pun intended). What a splendid read!

The writing style of Brendan Slocumb impressed me tremendously, as did his vast knowledge of classical music and the history of the genre. A musician himself, Slocumb, with 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴, has composed—in an allegro tempo—a fabulous tale of noteworthy intrigue. And I will never forget this literary script or any member of its cast. Trust, dear reader, that Brendan Slocumb's 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 is nothing if not worthy of my loftiest recommendation.

Five D-major-scale stars!


𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: It is a pleasure to thank the publishing teams of Knopf, Vintage, and Anchor, as well as NetGalley, for the advance review copy (ARC) of 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 for my reading enjoyment and honest review.

Analysis of 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 by Brendan Slocumb is courtesy of Literary Criticism by Cat Ellington for The Arts©.

©𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐤 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

I love the mystery and classical music mash-up that the author writes. The two seem completely separate, but they fit together perfectly! This was a great story!

Not as gripping as the first book, but still a solid read for fans of music and mystery! I'm really enjoying this author's inside perspective on the world of classical music.

an improvement in prose from slocumb's debut the violin conspiracy, which i am glad to report. otherwise a fairly run of the mill kind of book. sorry i can't be more detailed

Less a mystery than I expected. I had figured out most of the major plotlines fairly early in this well-written, dual-timeline thriller. I was most drawn in by Josephine Reed, a neurodivergent black woman with an amazing musical gift. The pre-phonograph world of music publishers who hired musicians to play their songs and sell the sheet music was fascinating as well. Recommended for historical fiction readers.

Brendan Slocumb, who wrote the book club favorite THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY, returns with another love letter to music wrapped around a compelling mystery that echoes through generations in SYMPHONY OF SECRETS.

Like most days that change your life forever, the day that music professor Bern Hendricks receives an email from the lauded Delaney Foundation is like any other, right down to his wrinkled shirt and being five minutes late to his own class. “I’m reaching out with a time-sensitive matter regarding Frederick Delaney,” writes Mallory Delaney Roberts, the great-niece of the most famous American composer of all time and Bern’s personal hero. “Please call the number below, no matter the hour, from a location where you can speak freely. Someone will always be monitoring this line.”

As one of the world’s foremost experts on the celebrated composer, Bern is not only familiar with the Delaney Foundation, he was one of their success stories when he received a French horn from them as a child and became enamored of classical music. A scholar of Frederick Delaney in particular, Bern suspects that he will be asked to authenticate some documentation. But nothing can prepare him for what Mallory reveals.

In 1920, the five-ringed Olympic flag debuted. Over the next 16 years, Delaney composed the Five Rings of Olympia, an ode to the rebirth of hope that accompanied the return of the global competition. Named after each of the five colors, the resulting works launched Delaney and opera into new realms of fame; never before had opera been so accessible, so exuberant, so popular with the masses. But when the time came to debut the final opera, Triumph of the Americas: The Red Ring of Olympia, Delaney announced that he had lost the only full copy of it. Rumors dominated the media as people accused Delaney of lying or being burned out or drugged up.

Ten years later, Delaney had finally rewritten RED from memory, only to see it viciously torn to shreds by critics who accused him of lazy repetition and hackneyed tunes. He died by suicide that night. Now Mallory claims that the Foundation has found the original RED, a work that not only could change how Delaney is studied, played and immortalized, but could launch Bern into worldwide acclaim as well. All he has to do is get RED performance-ready and create a brand-new score based on the manuscript. In six months.

Like any fan, Bern is bowled over by the request, but mostly by the opportunity to hold something so close to his idol. He quickly calls in his tech-savvy former acquaintance, Eboni, to help him survey and analyze the written work, which is riddled with Delaney’s famous handwritten marks and doodles. Like Bern, Eboni is a scholar of Delaney’s works. On top of that, she is an expert in spatial intelligence. This means she can detect and identify patterns, a skill that will come in handy when wading through hundreds of pages of doodles.

Right from the start, one doodle stands out: JaR. Delaney was eccentric, sure, but he was consistent. It isn’t until Bern and Eboni are granted access to the original rather than the photocopy that they can start to piece together that mysterious word, which they come to find out is actually JoR. It stands for Josephine Reed, a poor Black woman who worked as a servant at Delaney’s workplace. So why is her name there, and why do Bern and Eboni find her in almost every picture of Delaney taken at the height of his fame?

Alternating between 1920s Manhattan and the present day as Bern and Eboni launch their investigation into Delaney’s ties to Josephine, Slocumb weaves a generations-long mystery that reveals Josephine as a musical prodigy, an odd but bright young woman who taught Delaney not just how to play music but how to feel it, using vivid imagery to guide him: “The green with the star came in two beats after it should have.” “If you blur the white you’ll be late…. Don’t fight the falling knobs.” It soon becomes clear to Bern and Eboni that Delaney was not the genius they believed. He, like so many white musicians and composers, may have profited off the works and talents of a Black person --- worse yet, a Black woman.

Though their discovery is shocking and history-making, their work is being funded and even controlled by the one organization dead set on preserving Delaney’s legacy. Bern and Eboni have placed themselves in dangerous crosshairs. Weaving themes of legacy, cultural appropriation and the whitewashing of history, Slocumb ties these two plotlines together seamlessly, revealing a mystery that compels and educates.

Like many readers, I devoured THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY, and I still recommend it to friends today. But the Slocumb behind this book is even more assured, stylish and clever, and it thrusts him into a whole new stratosphere of writership. His mystery is riveting, his love of music is palpable, and his crystalline dialogue sings. The character work he engages here is authentic and raw, with individuals from both storylines seeming as real as you or me.

Though it may sound trite, I think the best description of Slocumb’s work would have to call upon the very music he writes about in his books. Sweeping, harmonic, and as kaleidoscopic and thrilling as, well, a symphony, SYMPHONY OF SECRETS is an unputdownable masterpiece.

While I knew this book was not based on a real person, I found myself checking twice to be sure it was not actually based on a real composer and incidents. It was so well written that it is hard to believe that the characters, both in current times and in the 1920s, were not real.

Based on a missing opera, a professor of music is asked to come and work on bringing the recently discovered final opera. As he begins to transcribe the music, he notices other things which lead him to researching the history behind the people. As he had been a scholar of the composer, Frederic Delaney, what he discovered troubled him. Working with a close friend and try computer nerd and expert, Eboni, they are able to learn the actual history of the real events …or the best they can reconstruct.

Written in a dual timeline, the chapters switch back and forth, not always with a clear distinction. Nice the reader realizes this book does not label the time period of each chapter,the reading goes smoother. The chapters from the 1920s give the actual history.

As I said, when you read this book, you are sure his composer is real as the researcher must be. One section does deal with police brutality which is disturbing as I want to believe things are getting better yet they are not…or maybe there is more corruption than we want to acknowledge.

I found it interesting that the author is from North Carolina and a portion of the story takes place in an area of the state.

With his background as a music educator and performer, Brendan Slocumb brings a unique authenticity to his storytelling that shines through in this novel.

Bern Hendricks, a musicology professor, is asked to authenticate a newly discovered piece by Frederick Delaney, a renowned 20th-century composer. Little does he know; this assignment will lead him down a rabbit hole of secrets and lies. With the help of a computer whiz, he uncovers evidence suggesting Delaney may have stolen his most famous work from a young Black composer named Josephine Reed. Determined to right this wrong, Bern finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful organization that will stop at nothing to protect their secret—even if it means resorting to murder.

The narrative skillfully alternates between the 1920s and 1930s and the present day, weaving together a tale of race, power, and the world of modern music. While some parts might seem improbable, the mystery remains fascinating, kept me hooked until the conclusion.

One highlight of the novel is Slocumb’s vivid portrayal of 1920s New York City. Slocumb’s attention to detail brings the era to life—the music scene, the food, and the cultural mix that defined the city. It’s particularly intriguing to learn that both Black and White audiences frequented many music venues—a testament to the complex history of race relations in America.

However, I have to dock a star for the author’s note, which left me with a sour taste. Despite this, Symphony of Secrets is a great read that music enthusiasts and mystery lovers alike will enjoy. So, if you’re ready for a journey through the world of music, power, and intrigue, give this one a go. Four stars from me.

Author Brendan Slocumb has found his writing niche. For over twenty years, he has been a public and private school music educator and has performed with several orchestras. So it was natural for him to have music be the backdrop of his two novels, The Violin Conspiracy, and Symphony of Secrets.

I would have given Symphony of Secrets 5 stars were it not for the author’s note. It rubbed me the wrong way. 4 stars.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a comp of this book. The opinions are my own.

“Josie, we’ve been over this. You know people won’t want your music if they knew you were colored” I don’t believe you, she thought, they love the music because it has all the colors.”

Brendan Slocumb is now officially an auto buy author for me. After reading The Violin Conspiracy earlier this year, I was so excited to read another brilliant book by him.

This book is written beautifully- I love the format so much. It is broken up into “acts” like an opera or a play would be, alternating between present day timeline from Bern’s POV, and the 1920’s where we get Freds POV and a little of Josephine. I love dual timeline books, especially when one timeline helps answer questions from the other. Amazing !!

I love feeling things when I read (don’t we all) and this book definitely gave me the feels. Joy when Josephine described how she heard the music, anticipation when Bern and Eboni started unraveling all the secrets, anger with the way poor Josephine was being used by a selfish white man- sooo many things! Happiness, sadness, anxiety, relief. . . this book was much more than a musical mystery. It was about honoring an amazing beautiful woman and fighting for what is right. I truly loved this book so much. I wish I could hear what Josephine heard.

Also- can I add how much I loved the badass female characters in this book. Josephine was so pure and intelligent and I love that he represented her autism in such a beautiful way. And EBONI! She was a force to be reckoned with and would not let anyone tell her otherwise. And who else is crazing NY pizza after this ? Just me?

I liked this book a lot. Classical music is always interesting to me, and I really enjoyed the story about the opera. This book was also well written and kept me interested for the whole thing.

As a violinist myself, I love the way Brendan Slocumb writes about the instrument and the value behind some of the best ever made. My love for the violin aside, this was a page-turner and I loved every minute reading it. Thank you for the advanced copy!

This is an another interesting music oriented novel by Brendan Slocumb. In addition to an intriguing storyline encompassing two time periods, Slocumb also covers race, autism and status that results in an unusual story of music and mystery.

Oh, what a wonderful book. Heartbreaking in the best way. Could not have cheered louder for Eboni and Bern and their refusal to go with the flow. This is not just a book of Black suffering but of Black fortitude and talent and power. I read this in one sitting but wish I could have portioned it out in measures and movements, just like the beautiful music.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions my own.

I loved "Symphony of Secrets" and found this to be the perfect slow burn mystery. While I predicted the connection between the Delaney Foundation and Josephine Reed early in the book, the way that Slocumb unraveled this story kept me engaged as a reader. Slocumb is a powerful storyteller and is able to weave in modern themes within his historical mysteries, which I believe widens the audience of readers who enjoy his books. This book includes themes of racism, power, and greed which Slocumb integrates flawlessly looking at how these issues impacted our society in the past and continue to be at play today all while sticking to his fictional story about a black musician.

I loved Slocumb's second foray into music mystery so much that I even surprised myself. Symphony of Secrets tells what starts out as a story of the discovery of a long lost opera and ends up being so much more. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the opera turns out not to have been written by the white guy long thought to have written and profited from it, but by a black woman, Josephine Reed, who never got any credit for it. Slocumb does an excellent job cycling back and forth between the POV of the present day and the past, making you care about both and carrying over the themes of greed and appropriation faced by both Josephine and Bern. Since I'm late writing this review I can say that I have recommended this book so much already to my patrons. A huge thank you to Knopf/Anchor and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book and didn't love this book and I think this was because I'm not that connected to music. I did like how the author wrote and followed their plot. The story and characters were very captivating. 3.5 on the verge of 4 stars.

The sophomore novel of one of my favorite books of last year. Brendan Slocumbs gives us another musical mystery with got two timelines to follow to unravel the story. I occasionally got bogged down in the
musical parts of the story and the slow pace. But overall I thought it was a fantastic mystery and truly enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

This is my second novel from Brendan Slocumb and he is quickly becoming a favorite author. The book started out slow but by the half way mark I was fully invested into the book.

Bern Hendricks was hired to look at some lost music that was found and had to determine if it belonged to a famous composer when he begins to notice that all might not be as it seems. This story was told so well that I had to look up if this composer really existed. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Riveting! I couldn't put this down. The author is masterful at marrying descriptions of music with a gripping plot. I wish this could be turned into a movie so I could hear the music.

I really liked the music story of this along with the mystery. The author provides such detail you feel like you are in that time period. I didn't enjoy this as much as his first novel but this was still a good read.