This week on Under The Radar:

Nobody would have suspected that PopPop’s old, damaged fiddle would turn out to be a $10 million rare instrument. The coveted Stradivarius crafted by Italian masters ended up in America by way of the slave trade. That part of its history is intertwined with Rayquan Millian’s family to make the foundation of the story in “The Violin Conspiracy.” From the moment that violin is stolen from Ray, author Brendan Slocumb propels readers on a journey through classical music performances, American history, current racial tensions and dysfunctional family dynamics. “The Violin Conspiracy” is his first book and it’s our April selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.”

Brendan Slocumb is a violinist who has played in orchestras throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. And, the North Carolina native has taught public and private school education for more than twenty years.