Rather a leisurely pace but the characters, banter, and music references kept my attention. Adam Parrall and wife Shawna make an interesting, likable pair. Former rock stars, now retired, they seem content to live quietly in the small town of Cordoba. Well matched in temperament and ambitions, they both may crave a bit more excitement after days of their rock'n'roll glory but, well, they're also happy. But, hmm, when the opportunity to perform again is thrust on them by circumstances, Shawna, in particular, has lingering doubts. Then the murder of Righteous Brothers tribute singer Barry Haddon happens as they wait to see his most recent appearance and Adam is the one to find the body. They're pulled into an unexpected role as amateur sleuths. Well, mostly Adam. He's the one to embrace to rush of being part of something new albeit Shawna finds herself pulled in via, no lie, her cooking class. Shawna needs to keep her day job as a realtor, I think. Not being a serious cook myself, I chuckled at her inept efforts, gotta admit.
Along the way, you'll meet family and friends of both our duo and the victim. Let's just say, they're an, uh, interesting, quirky bunch. Could one of them be a killer? Like Barry's wife? And, why do so many knives keep popping up? Who is their mysterious new neighbor? I don't want to give away more of the plot but will say it involves, let's see, prepping a house for sale, a robber the local press has dubbed the Blade Runner, lots of rock'n'roll mentions, even The Archies, Adam's odd award nomination, a rookie cop with untried theories, music promotion, nostalgia, and red herrings galore. Lots of quirky characters along with the importance of making life choices. And, more.
Bottom line, despite the slow pace, I enjoyed the book and will be looking for the next. I liked the characters, even some of the less likable ones had reasons to root for them, even the surly teenager who wanted to be a drummer. Wonder if Adam will regret offering drumming lessons? I'd also like to know more about the goings on in the maybe deceptively sedate Cordoba. Here's to both Adam's radio show and record shop doing a booming business and Shawna's realtor efforts being equally successful. Oh, that doesn't mean I don't want to virtually see them on stage again, even if Shawna reminds us that age means the back and legs aren't as ready to rock as her heart might be. Thanks #SevernHouse for the early introduction to this quirky but delightful pair of rock'n'roll amateur sleuths. It was fun to be in their shoes virtually for a bit.
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