Jamaica Blue

Rating:
Summary: Sex, drugs, Reggae and suspense!
Review: Derrick Lyman, the leader of a Jamaican Reggae and Hip-hop group, Derrick Lyman and The Laments, is hailed as the new Bob Marley. A veteran rock journalist, Mick Sever, is invited by the group's manager to write about their rising fame and emergence as superstars. However, two women have been found murdered after their concerts. This arouses curiosity in Sever, who begins to ask questions about the murders. The trail leads to another murder after the band's appearance in Florida, and a dangerous investigation by the rock journalist-sleuth ensues. This is a solid debut by Mr. Bruns, who intricately weaves suspense within the backdrop of a music superstar culture. The author is a musician, songwriter, and advertising executive...

Rating:
Summary: Murder in the music biz
Review: Mick Sever is the most intriguing character to hit the whodunit genre in a long time. A freelance rock and roll journalist, Sever is brought to Jamaica to review the hottest Reggae band since the Wailers. The leader, Derrick Lyman, is a charismatic Rastafarian who mixes violent political lyrics with intense tunes and has a cult following. Unfortunately, young, attractive, female members of that following keep turning up dead after his concerts. Mick decides the real story is in the murders not the music and begins a pursuit of the guilty parties that puts him in as much jeopardy as the victims.

With his ex-wife Ginny along for support he draws ever closer to the truth, while deftly negotiating the seamy underbelly of the music industry. Bruns does this sort of thing far better than Kinky Friedman, Greg Kihn or others who have gone before. Mixing tidbits about real rock legends with fictional ones gives this first novel a sense of realism and urgency that keeps pages turning. The relationship between Sever and ex-wife is a highlight of the book-how many slueths work with an ex?

If you are into music at all, or if you just like a good mystery, this book will scratch your itch. Hopefully there is a sequel around the bend as Mick Sever deserves a long run.

Rating:
Summary: Debut author hits a home run!
Review: Mick Sever, a rock journalist and best selling author, is invited by a promoter to see the latest hot act-- a reggae/rap band led by an angry young man named Derrick Lyman. The band impresses Sever, however, there appears to be a problem. At two previous concerts, young women who attended the concert were later found murdered. The band travels to Miami where they will open the Brandy concert and, hopefully, get a lucrative recording contract.
Unfortunately, at a party on a boat, a young woman is not only found stabbed to death but one of the band's security guards is found holding the knife. When the guard is arrested, Sever feels the wrong man was arrested. He tries to prove that he is correct.
Amateur PI books can be a bit problematic. To be successful, they must be believable. Just as important, the characters have to be engaging enough to allow the reader to accept the necessary suspension of reality and overlook the fact that, say, a rock promoter as a PI is highly unlikely. Don Bruns succeeds in his first effort. Not only is Mick Sever a believable character, but, being a rock promoter allows him to reveal many interesting facets of the recording industry. Of course, Don Bruns, the author, can supply us with much of the information given that he is a songwriter, musician and ad executive. Mr. Bruns has done his homework well in creating this very, very good mystery by working well within the formulaic genre. He breaks no new ground. The novel is paced well and is kept to a reasonable length. Problems include weaknesses in the more minor characterizations. I never truly got a good feel for many of the suspects. However, Don Bruns deserves a lot of credit for hitting a homer his first time at bat.