What if the greatest violin maker in history actually did have a secret formula? And, what if it were stumbled upon, more than 300 years later, by innocent guitar makers, who then became the target of someone who could not let that secret be revealed. Add to this volatile situation a second party who wants the secret made public.

The cascade of events takes our protagonists to London, Paris, Cremona, the island of Sardinia, Phoenix and Ottawa, as they dodge violence and try to uncover the mystery.

The Art and Antiquities Fraud division of MI6 becomes involved; Russian hackers are in the game; the most expensive stolen painting in the world also plays a cameo role in this fast-paced mystery/thriller.

For three centuries musical instrument makers and players have tried to reverse-engineer Stradivari violins. What was it that made them so exceptional, even among the other superb craftsmen of his era? Books and scientific papers have been written. But to this day there have only been theories. Until now…

William 'Grit' Laskin is an award winning guitar maker, an author, a recording musician, a founder of Borealis Records, a founder of the Canadian Folk Music Awards and a founder of the Association Of String Instrument Artisans. He is a recipient of the Order Of Canada, the Saidye Bronfman Award For Excellence and the Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement award. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, he lives in Toronto with his wife. He is currently writing his next novel.

Grit Larkin's profile page

"The Stradivari Formula is a well written mystery thriller/espionage novel by luthier (violin or Guitar maker) Grit Laskin. . . Engaging, very much action driven plot which features a well-known fictitious luthier tasked with repairing a Stradivarius guitar (yes, his studio apparently made some). It's a little bit of wish fulfillment, the author's a talented luthier himself, and why not? Although it's not derivative in any way, there's a definite "Da Vinci Code" vibe, with a medieval/renaissance mystery come down to the protagonists almost accidentally from the past, full of secret agents and ruthless bad guys.
"It's a fun romp, and very theatrical. It would make a good action movie. Being deeply personally knowledgeable about stringed instruments and the high-end world of luthiers and their customers has definitely helped with the verisimilitude. It's full of really interesting (otherwise hidden to regular people) facts and minutiae on guitars, wood, music, crafting processes, and musicians. . . Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition and home collections. Since it's from an indie publisher, it might not be on the general ALA radar lists. Worth the effort to acquire."