I'm reading and odd but interesting book

Gary Blanchard

beloved, local musician
called Rubber Soul, written by Greg Kihn. The Beatles figure as major characters, and it takes place in Liverpool and Baltimore, MD. Greg was born and raised in Baltimore about the same time as me, so I know all the places he references there. It is supposed to be a mystery, but I'm 61% through and, though there was a murder, there doesn't seem to be much detecting going on. I guess they don't write 'em like that anymore.
 
It's always been a shit genre, really, detective/mystery. The Holmes stories still hold up, but Agatha Christie was a popular hack, and it didn't get better.

Though, not mystery, we've got some terrific crime novelists; Richard Price, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos: great writers. It's a shame that we lost Elmore Leonard.

Though I do enjoy some of the better ones in the crime/horror/thriller genre, like Lauren Beukes.
 
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A shit genre, but my favorite. I have read the Nero Wolfe books multiple times, just because the characters are so good.
 
I googled to see if it was Greg Kihn the rock star. And it is. But you knew that. Found this song and always thought it Billy Idol. :facepalm:

 
He used to be a DJ here...and would have a regular summer concert. His son still teaches guitar I think. He's much better than his Dad but never got to be a 1 hit wonder
 
A shit genre, but my favorite. I have read the Nero Wolfe books multiple times, just because the characters are so good.

I feel the same way about the Nevada Barr/Anna Pigeon series. The murder mysteries themselves are just ok at best, but I love the character of Anna Pigeon.
 
So, this book is not really a mystery. If you wanted a genre, one might say thriller or suspense, except it moves way too slow to thrill or create suspense. Truth be told, I realize the only neat thing about it for me was the nostalgia of early 1960's Baltimore. The main (fictional) character keeps saying things that became Beatle song lyrics, which I found highly annoying. It seems Greg has written other books: I highly recommend that you listen to Jeopardy and the Breakup Song. :embarrassed:
 
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