I love old records: there’s a romance to thinking about who originally owned them, where they were listened to, what life soundtrack they defined. My connection to the music industry is tenuous at best. I’ve been in recording studios, helped load equipment in and out of gigs—roadie duty?—designed liner notes, and even performed as a backup singer in a pick-up band of coworkers from the retailer where I worked. (We had two gigs.) I also like when humor is used in mysteries to offset the darkness of murder and define a character—how he or she will get through the challenge. I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!
I love reading mysteries where I also get to go a little deeper into a character’s interests or passions (especially when I share that interest but only at the most surface level).
I’ve dug through my share of old records, and I was intrigued by the idea that an old record could contain clues to a mystery. Plus, I loved the author’s voice.
He is a record collector - a connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the "Vinyl Detective" and some people take this more literally than others. Like the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording on behalf of an extremely wealthy, yet shadowy, client. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all...
Another favorite trope of mine is reading about how characters run their small business.
This series has sisters who own a record shop (what fun!) and is cozy. The town and family elements made it easy to immerse myself in the book’s world.
In the real world, it seems like record store owners are mostly male, so the idea of sisters taking over this one made it unique.
First in a new series by Olivia Blacke, Vinyl Resting Place follows three sisters who discover that opening a family business can be murder.
"A charming cozy for a new generation of mystery readers . . . Vinyl Resting Place is a delight!" –Elle Cosimano, USA Today bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
"Vinyl Resting Place is bolstered by the sisters' genuine bond, colorful personalities, and not-so-gentle conflicts. It's a winning combination." -New York Times Book Review
When Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie put all their beans in one basket to open Sip & Spin…
Menopause unlocked a previously unknown superpower for Liv Wilde – psychic visions during hot flashes. While her visions rarely have life and death consequences, for the first time Liv sees a dead body in a premonition. When she comes face-to-face with the man…
I’m a fan of characters who have messy lives that need fixing, and that’s Dahlia “Doll” Devine (lead singer of a country band).
Instead of the record side of the industry, this one gives us the grimy dive bar version with a house all-girl band. I easily pictured being up there on stage with Dahlia (drums, maybe? tambourine?). There’s a strong character growth arc, too, which was satisfying.
From award-winning author Lori Rader-Day, Wreck Your Heart is an engaging, “wisecracking and wonderful” crime novel with a big heart, about a country and midwestern singer out to catch her big break before family―or murder―wrecks everything.
Dahlia “Doll” Devine had the kind of hardscrabble beginning that could launch a thousand broken-hearted country songs, but now she’s the star of her own stage at McPhee’s Tavern. As part of Chicago’s―yes, Chicago’s―country music scene, Dahlia is an up-and-coming singer in spangles and boots of classic country tunes. Up and coming, that is, until her boyfriend Joey up and went, taking the rent…
It’s a parody of Noel and Liam Gallagher, who famously have a somewhat troubled sibling relationship (putting it mildly), running around London to solve a murder. I’m not the most well-versed Oasis fan, but I know enough about them to have gotten a kick out of this.
It was a fast read, and I finished it in about a day. I don’t mind cursing in a humorous mystery, and frankly, I don’t think you could do this story justice without the F-bombs.
"If you wish cozy mysteries had more f-bombs, this series is for you. I definitely recommend it-no maybe about it." Andrew Shaffer, New York Times bestselling author of HOPE NEVER DIES: AN OBAMA BIDEN MYSTERY
Noel & Liam Reunited? Definitely... Maybe.
Prayers have been answered. Hell has frozen over. The Gallagher brothers have finally gotten back together. Only it's not to play music - it's to solve a murder. Recently, the club of celebrities-turned-sleuths has exploded with names like Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II and Taylor Swift appearing on the list. Liam and Noel add a touch of rock n'…
Menopause unlocked a previously unknown superpower for Liv Wilde – psychic visions during hot flashes. While her visions rarely have life and death consequences, for the first time Liv sees a dead body in a premonition. When she comes face-to-face with the man…
I enjoyed the character of Junior Bender in the first book in this series, and I loved this one even more.
Junior is one of those wrong-side-turned-right-side-of-the-law characters, and sometimes it’s fun to ride shotgun with a character who gets his hands dirty. Rounding out the music industry connection is an old record producer who had some sketchy business dealings back in the sixties.
I confess, just the mention of the sixties for the backstory was enough for me (I love experiencing that era through different stories), and with an already-loved protagonist, I was all in.
JUNIOR BENDER UNTANGLES ONE OF THE WEIRDEST MYSTERIES IN TINSELTOWN
LA burglar Junior Bender has (unfortunately) developed a reputation as a competent private investigator for crooks. The unfortunate part about this is that regardless of whether he solves the crime or not, someone dangerous is going to be unhappy with him, either his suspect or his employer.
Now Junior is being bullied into proving aging music industry mogul Vinnie DiGaudio is innocent of the murder of a nasty tabloid journalist he'd threatened to kill a couple times. It doesn’t help that the dead journalist’s widow is one pretty lady, and…
Mid-century modern interior decorator Madison Night’s latest job should be a dream: transforming a 1950s house into a retro recording studio. The client is a music producer who’s both a friend of Madison’s ex and the ex of one of her friends.
But when one of the producer’s clients, a pop singer on the verge of stardom, is found dead outside his home, the job turns deadly. As Madison balances soundproofing with suspects, evidence points squarely at her client. With motives piling up faster than records in a jukebox, Madison must uncover who silenced the singer before the microphone drops on murder.
