Swing
If you like Big Band music and enjoy historical thrillers, you’ll have a lot of fun with this book. It includes a good mystery and is accompanied by a CD compilation from author/musician Rupert Holmes (remember the Piña Colada song?!). Additional clues to the mystery are embedded in the lyrics, but the reader will find plenty of clues within the text to solve the mystery.
Holmes creates interesting characters and well-developed, well-researched scenery. Set during San Francisco’s World’s Fair, the story is narrated by saxophone player Ray Sherwood. He highlights his musical and personal escapades but also copes with the death of a young daughter. Throughout the story, the reader sees flashbacks of their tender moments together. After her death, Sherwood continues his musical travels and finds himself in the Bay City in the middle of murder and intrigue.
Holmes does an excellent job elaborating on the lesser known 1939-1940 World’s Fair and its extravagant expositions. With his colorful and intricate descriptions, the reader will get a good idea of what the original exhibition looked like. The author develops a clever musical/murder adventure.
