Publisher's Synopsis
The crime of murder is inherently terrifying, which makes these stories part horror fiction and part puzzle. You can feel the danger of murder looming in the background while also having the satisfaction of solving the crime in the foreground of the story. The reader knows that in the end, whether or not he or she is caught, the murderer will at least be identified.
Murder mysteries, even the bad ones, are fun. It's really easy to find a whole lot of badly written murder mystery novels that are still great reads because you're just dying to find out whodunnit. But finding those that actually stick with you long after reading them, the way an any good novel does, can be a bit more complicated. Here is one of them.
Who killed Johnny Rose? He was an over-the-hill Opry star with his best days behind him, or so it seems. Nashville Homicide Detective Jake Bender, who moonlights around town as a singer and songwriter, is assigned the case; nobody knows the country music scene as he does. As he looks into Rose's past, several suspects quickly emerge.
But when someone turns themself in and confesses to the murder, it isn't any of the people Jake suspects. At the same time, Jake must deal with his ex-wife, the Mayor of Nashville, who has her eye on being the next Governor of Tennessee. She wants the case solved quickly, no matter the consequences, and her involvement brings her right back into Jake's life.
What evolves is a wild ride around Music City involving characters from all walks of life. Welcome to "Hillbilly Hollywood."
