As The Dark Maestro recounts the activities of the crime syndicate, some of the passages are difficult to read. But they are not gratuitous. Slocumb is building the scaffolding for the real story, about a father who seems to have every strike against him, yet wants to learn to be a good person ... While some readers might find the conclusion a bit dubious, haven’t artists always blurred the line between real life and imagination?
The twists of the story keep coming, and the thread of superhero comics and the Dark Maestro brings readers along on a journey that comic book fans will appreciate.
A virtuosic thriller ... An intricately plotted novel, paced perfectly by Slocumb, who keeps the book moving at a breakneck speed—but not at the expense of his beautifully drawn characters. Curtis, shy and sweet, is especially memorable; Slocumb paints a beautiful picture of the young man’s internal life. The final act of the book strains credulity, but who cares when you’re having so much fun? This novel should catapult Slocumb into the upper echelon of thriller authors.
Slocumb effectively incorporates issues of class and race into the well-paced story ... Though the narrative requires more than a little suspension of disbelief, it’s worth sticking around for the nerve-jangling climax. This is as stimulating as a well-played sonata.
