Crime Plus Music

August 8, 2016
Fusilli’s music-themed anthology rocks with superb solos from a number of big-name mystery writers and others who deserve to be better known. Highlights include Peter Blauner’s “The Last Temptation of Frankie Lymon,” a poignant portrait of the ill-fated doo-wop singer, and Val McDermid’s clever saga, “The Long Black Veil,” based loosely on the ballad of the same name. Struggling musicians are the norm, as dramatically shown by Craig Johnson’s “Unbalanced,” in which his series hero, an unnamed Walt Longmire, picks up a young woman hitchhiker packing a gun and a guitar. Sleazy impresario Johnny O creates and manages a girl-group trio in Naomi Rand’s powerful “The Misfits.” Alison Gaylin spins a revenge yarn with a neat twist in “All Ages,” which features a pair of starstruck 16-year-old girls. Strong wordplay adds to the enjoyment of David Corbitt’s “Are You with Me, Doctor Wu?,” in which a drugged-out rocker gets a second chance. This splendid compilation is marred only by the lack of even brief contributor bios.

September 1, 2016

In this collection, 20 renowned crime and mystery writers have been recruited to contribute music-themed noir stories. Val McDermid shines with the twisted tale "Long Black Veil"; after Jeff walks in on his cousin, Billy Jean, having sex with his wife, Ruth, he frames Billy Jean for the murder of a young man who had raped her after a concert years earlier. Craig Johnson's "Unbalanced" hits the mark when Longmire picks up a hitchhiker whose sordid past is revealed by songs played on Longmire's truck radio. Willy Vlautin evokes the dreary side of life on the road in "A Bus Ticket to Phoenix," in which a band member pilfers gear from his bandmates and sells the stolen goods in order to pay for hookers he meets at concert stops. VERDICT Edited by crime novelist (Billboard Man) and Wall Street Journal rock and pop critic Fusilli, this superb sampling will be appreciated by fans of Akashic Books "Noir" series.--Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Themed anthologies can be a lot of fun as writers interpret the editorial imperative, but they can also be unevensome writers riff more gracefully than others. This group of music-themed short stories features a strong lineup of talent with a few notable headliners (Val McDermid, Peter Robinson, Craig Johnson), but, like any concert with well-loved artists, some of the most exciting work can still come from the opening acts. Mark Haskell Smith's 1968 Pelham Blue SG Jr. uses first-person plural to hilarious effect; Willy Vlautin's A Bus Ticket to Phoenix offers a raw view of life in a touring backup band; and Galadrielle Allman (daughter of Duane Allman) channels an Alice Cooper song title thoughtfully and memorably in Only Women Bleed. There are some misses along with the hits, and a few pieces of perfectly fine album filler. But music-loving crime-fiction fans won't mind picking the needle up and dropping it down after the next cut from time to time. Crime plus Music equals a solid purchase.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)