Murder Ballad Blues

This publisher certainly knows how to find and keep good authors. While this novel stands alone, it is part of a series and I can’t wait to read more! I felt like this book tied things up nicely at the ending - I liked that it felt like everything was resolved. The characters are engaging and the action well paced.

Intrigued by the publicity blurb I picked this to see what it would be like - and the answer is, well, different! If I can get the minor criticism of using the device of multiple first person narration out of the way, I can focus on the more positive aspects of the story. Others have commented on the difficulty of joining a series part way through; that didn’t seem a problem to me, although there were possibly unnecessary references from time to time to what must have been previous books in the series. The author has an easy way with words and storylines that make for easy reading. Characters, too, are pleasingly drawn, with recognisable human foibles.

The basic theme of the story was, perhaps, a stretch, but the author managed to keep it just about within the bounds of credibility. Less convincing was a British character who had clearly been Dick Van Dyke’s understudy for the Mary Poppins film - perhaps it wouldn’t provoke any dissonance with an American readership, but characters who seem to be a bag of cliches tied up in a loose suit aren’t the best fit.

Despite these mild annoyances I enjoyed the book very much and read it in a very short time - always a good sign. The running theme of Appalachian/bluegrass/blues music (apologies to American readers if I’ve really played fast and loose with music categories here) was a neat touch and added to the enjoyment.