Rock & Roll Homicide by R. J. McDonnell, a Mysterious Review.

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.

Acknowledgment: the author provided a copy of Rock & Roll Homicide for this review.

Rock & Roll Rip-Off
Killeena Publishing (Hardcover), April 2010
ISBN-13: 9780981491424; ISBN-10: 0981491421

Rock & Roll Homicide

A Jason Duffy Mystery by R. J. McDonnell