What if Stradivari, the greatest violin maker in history, actually did have a secret formula for making his instruments so sweetly resonant? And what if that secret formula was discovered by two professional luthiers (guitar makers) who stumbled on it while they were handling an unrelated restoration? When the first part of the hidden formula comes to light, they become the target of groups determined to keep the secret quiet, while another group fights to steal the formula and use it for their creation of counterfeit "authentic" Stradivarius violins. Events take our protagonists from Toronto to museums and restorers in London, Paris, Sardinia, Arizona and Ottawa as they try to uncover the mystery of Stradivari's techniques and formula. When the Art and Antiquities Fraud Division of MI6 becomes involved, with Russian hackers and crime bosses-turned-collectors, the luthiers seem to be overwhelmed by far more than they can handle. 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? To this day there have only been theories... until now. " The Stradivari Formula is a superbly written, first-rate thriller with an original premise and the kind of detail that makes it seem real ... who knew a guitar could generate such heat? Kudos to Grit Laskin, and here's hoping it is only his first thriller." -- Ian Hamilton , bestselling author of the Ava Lee series "Guitar history, international intrigue, Laskin's enchanting thriller hits all the right notes." -- Robert Rotenburg , bestselling author of Downfall " 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." -- Nonstop Reader Grit Laskin is a guitar builder famous for highly decorated and personalized instruments he's made for contemporary musicians, for more than 40 years. He is also the author of The World of Musical Instrument Makers . He lives in Toronto.