St. Barts Breakdown
A
Mick Sever Mystery
Don
Bruns
Oceanview Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-933515-12-0 (1933515120)
ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-12-0 (1933515120)
Publication Date: March 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis
(from
the publisher): Rock and roll journalist Mick Sever is back with a new
assignment: interview music legend Danny Murtz.
Murtz's walls are lined with platinum records, but his closet is full
of skeletons.
Known for producing an unbelievable string of hits, Murtz is also tied
to a string of disappearances. Seems a number of Murtz's romantic
conquests have vanished into thin air. After his latest incident, Murtz
conveniently retreats to his secluded St. Barts villa.
Before Mick can hop a plane to the island, he's nearly run down by a
speeding car. Coincidence? Maybe, but hitmaker Danny Murtz and near
misses go hand in hand.
After receiving anonymous threats, Murtz is convinced: someone wants to
bring him down. Even his longtime secretary Nancy, and
attorney/manager/cleaner-upper Harvey Schwartz are suspect. And that
meddlesome Mick Sever is digging too deep.
If Danny Murtz has his way, Mick will only need a one-way ticket to
paradise. Because if Mick isn't careful, his next column will be an
obituary - his obituary.
Sun, sand and a psychopath: it's a deadly mix.
Review:
Music journalist Mick Sever's latest assignment is to interview
legendary producer Danny Murtz at his Caribbean hideaway on Saint
Barthélemy in St.
Barts Breakdown, the fourth mystery in this series by Don
Bruns.
Danny Murtz hasn't been interviewed in 15 years, but has agreed to
participate in an A&E special on his life and music to be
filmed on St. Barts. The Chicago Tribune in Murtz' home town is also
doing a profile and the producer has agreed to be interviewed by Sever
at the same time. This isn't to say that Murtz hasn't been newsworthy;
firearm charges, abuse, resisting arrest, DWI, drunk and disorderly,
and assorted other pleasantries have kept Murtz on the cover of
tabloids for years. When Sever arrives on the tiny island, he quickly
finds himself immersed in a tangled network of the producer's
associates, friends, and enemies, at least one of whom seems to want
Sever dead. And he hasn't even been introduced to Murtz yet.
St. Barts Breakdown
is far more intrigue than mystery and is based in part on the
premise that there have never been any murders on Saint
Barthélemy. The multiple points of view keep the reader
fully informed as to what's happening at all times and for the most
part why. There's the mysterious, unnamed woman who seems to be
stalking Murtz, but even her activities don't really generate much
suspense.
Bruns takes a light, almost relaxed, approach to his narrative which
suits the characters and the setting in particular very well. There are
glimpses of humor. At one point Sever is in a nightclub and doesn't
know if the sofa bed is for sitting, reclining, or some other position
and is then referred to as an older man by the woman he's with - it's
really quite comical. And despite the rather large number of dead
bodies that remain on the
island when Sever leaves, none are classified as a murder, keeping St.
Barts' record intact. Finally, there's a nice ironic twist in the
concluding paragraph that brings closure to a certain plot point.
St. Barts Breakdown
is an entertaining, if somewhat predictable, addition to this series
and is possibly the best entry to date.
Special thanks to Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity for providing an ARC of St. Barts Breakdown for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Jamaica Blue
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), October 2002
ISBN-10: 0-312-30490-0 (0312304900)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-30490-4 (9780312304904)
Barbados Heat
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), November 2003
ISBN-10: 0-312-30492-7 (0312304927)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-30492-8 (9780312304928)
South Beach
Shakedown
Oceanview Publishing (Hardcover), September 2006
ISBN-10: 1-933515-02-3 (1933515023)
ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-02-1 (9781933515021)
St. Barts
Breakdown
Oceanview Publishing (Hardcover), March 2008
ISBN-10: 1-933515-12-0 (1933515120)
ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-12-0 (9781933515120)
Omnimystery keywords for St. Barts Breakdown
...
Location(s) referenced: Saint Barthélemy.