Rock & Roll Homicide
A
Jason Duffy Mystery
R. J.
McDonnell
Killeena Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9814914-1-3 (0981491413)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9814914-1-7 (9780981491417)
Publication Date: June 2008
List Price: $25.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Just as the rock band Doberman’s Stub was
about
to reach stadium tour status, its leader was brutally murdered when his
headphones exploded during a recording session. The widow, who inherits
$5 million, is the San Diego
Police Department’s number one suspect. She hires Jason
Duffy, a
27-year-old PI in his first year of private practice, in spite of his
background as a former musician.
Jason learns that the victim was also a very skilled contract
negotiator, who was in the middle of an acrimonious renegotiation with
the record company at the time of his death. He also finds that the
record company has a very unhealthy tie to the Russian Mafia.
As an inexperienced detective, Jason does not yet have the contacts
within the police department to gather vital information. He is forced
to mend fences with his estranged father, an opinionated ex-SDPD
detective.
Review:
R. J. McDonnell introduces singer and guitarist turned private
investigator Jason Duffy in Rock
& Roll Homicide, an investigation set along the
sunny shores and towering cliffs of La Jolla, California.
Terry Tucker, the leader of an up and coming heavy metal rock and roll
band, has been viciously murdered. Someone had outfitted his new,
heavy-duty, headphones with blasting caps and explosives. When he
turned them on, his brains were blown out by the explosion.
Terry’s widow Chelsea is the sole beneficiary of his recently
purchased five million dollar insurance policy. The San Diego police
immediately tag her as the prime suspect in her husband's murder.
Rookie PI Jason finds himself with his first high-profile case when
Chelsea hires him to go out and find the real killer. Determined to
succeed, he proceeds with the gusto of a tried and true professional.
First, he finds that Terry was renegotiating the band’s
current contract in order to make a better deal for himself, plus a
rider that allows him to arbitrarily remove one of the band members. He
was doing this without the knowledge of the band, through his lawyer
and, in a roundabout way, the Russian Mafia. Then, after a little
arm-twisting, Jason's father, a former San Diego detective, introduces
him to Walter Shamasky, a current detective with the department, who
decides to work with Jason. Together they make a list of suspects,
eliminating those who they know have alibis or have no obvious reason
to kill Terry. While pursuing leads, Duffy is shot at, his office is
broken into and his secretary bound and gagged, his computers stolen,
and a close friend and associate beaten badly and hospitalized. Not
exactly what he expected for his first real case as a private
investigator.
Filled with insider details of the entertainment industry, music and
mystery fans alike will be thrilled with Rock & Roll Homicide.
But even those readers simply looking for a fast-paced story with
likeable characters will appreciate the book. The dialog, in particular
that of the impatient widow Chelsea, is sharp and witty and plays well
off of the more laid-back Jason. Jason himself has issues with his
father who takes a very narrow view of who in the world he trusts. It's
an interesting relationship and its inclusion adds depth to the story.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Rock & Roll Homicide and to R. J. McDonnell for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Rock &
Roll Homicide
Killeena Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9814914-1-3 (0981491413)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9814914-1-7 (9780981491417)
Omnimystery keywords for Rock & Roll Homicide
...
Location(s) referenced: San Diego.
