DARK MAESTRO by Brendan Slocumb

Reviewed by Tracey Devlyn

Set in the projects of Southeast Washington, D.C., DARK MAESTRO by Brendan Slocumb takes readers on a journey that’s as heartbreaking as it is triumphant.

At five years old, Curtis Wilson is handed a scratched-up cello—and something inside him catches fire. While his drug-dealing father runs business out of their roach-infested apartment, Curtis loses himself in late-night practice sessions, pulling beauty from chaos, note by aching note.

When the music can’t drown out the noise of poverty, Curtis escapes into the pages of a comic he’s drawn himself—becoming the Dark Maestro, a masked hero who fights back against the ugliness closing in around him.

Despite his profession, Curtis’s father, Zippy, is fiercely devoted to his son. Alongside Larissa, Zippy’s girlfriend and Curtis’s greatest advocate, the small makeshift family believes in the boy’s gift—and the life it might open up.

Curtis’s rising talent soon attracts a powerful benefactor. But with opportunity comes danger. When Zippy turns state’s witness, the family is forced into hiding—and Curtis must choose between his dreams and his survival.

Slocumb strikes every emotional chord in this gripping, music-infused thriller. DARK MAESTRO is a story of resilience, loyalty, and found family—a bold symphony about what we’re willing to sacrifice for those we love, and how far we’ll go to reclaim the music that makes us whole.

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USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn once dreamed of becoming the next Dian Fossey and exploring the wilds of Africa—until she met chemistry and calculus. With an enthusiasm for research that fuels the creative (and occasionally disturbing) plot twists her characters must navigate, it’s no surprise that her suspense-laden stories thrill readers and reveal the nefarious nature hiding behind her smile. Despite the emotional rollercoaster she delivers on the page, Tracey enjoys a laid-back, fleece-and-boots lifestyle with her husband and rescue dog in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit Tracey at TraceyDevlyn.com, @AuthorTraceyDevlyn on Facebook, @traceydevlyn on Bluesky, @traceydevlyn on Instagram, @traceydevlyn on Threads, and @traceydevlyn on X.