Dead Flowers

JP Kinkaid Chronicles #7

by Deborah Grabien

When the Fog City Geezers sign a recording contract with Fluorescent Records, band founder JP Kinkaid makes an unusual decision: to record a live show as their first CD. Climbing into a tour bus named Magic with the band and his wife, Bree, he's expecting no more than the usual glitches and problems that happen when any band hits the road. What he's not expecting is a sudden series of interpersonal crises. Every one of those crises is linked to Fluorescent's signing of longtime thorn in JP's side, the disruptive and unpleasant bassist, Bergen Sandoval. By the night of the label's CD release party at an exclusive Hollywood nightclub, tensions within the Fluorescent artist family have reached breaking point. When Bergen dies in the club's bathroom of an apparent coke overdose, Blacklight security chief and retired homicide detective Patrick Ormand suspects the white powder contains more than just cocaine - and things suddenly look bad for one member of the band family.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

277 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2012

About the author

Deborah Grabien is a world traveller, retired medieval historian, and lifelong rocker chick. Her short fiction, reviews, and essays can be seen in many diverse venues.

Reviews

[GraceAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reflective Kinkaid: his own Fog City Geezers, a lot more trouble with JP’s multiple sclerosis and longtime bandmates’ bad times, some most excellent music and the minutiae of recording a live album, and an old and unloved acquaintance. He and Bree, his wife, get over and through some rough patches and have some understated but quite hot lovemaking.

[Brett Bydairk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry in the chronicles of J.P. Kinkaid, rock guitarist and MS sufferer.

[Melissa Riggs]

Let me start off by saying that I really do like this series...this is book #7 and I will be starting on #8 as soon as I finish writing this review. But-I've got to point out 2 things that have really bothered me in the last 2 books. First-its okay that the mystery part takes a backseat for the majority of the book, but the twists (leaving out important clues for the reader) and then "boom" here's the killer can be frustrating. Second-Bree. I want to like her-I liked her in the first few books...cheered her on, but now? She's been with JP for 30 years and multiple times in the past few books, she's upset over something that happened years ago. Get over it! That is all-thank you for letting me vent!

"When the Fog City Geezers sign a recording contract with Fluorescent Records, band founder JP Kinkaid makes an unusual decision: to record a live show as their first CD. Climbing into a tour bus named Magic with the band and his wife, Bree, he's expecting no more than the usual glitches and problems that happen when any band hits the road. What he's not expecting is a sudden series of interpersonal crises. Every one of those crises is linked to Fluorescent's signing of longtime thorn in JP's side, the disruptive and unpleasant bassist, Bergen Sandoval. By the night of the label's CD release party at an exclusive Hollywood nightclub, tensions within the Fluorescent artist family have reached breaking point. When Bergen dies in the club's bathroom of an apparent coke overdose, Blacklight security chief and retired homicide detective Patrick Ormand suspects the white powder contains more than just cocaine - and things suddenly look bad for one member of the band family."

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have made no secret that I like the way Deborah Grabien writes. With the ballad mysteries her synthesis of mystery, ghost, history and music stories hooked me. Then she went on to the JP Kinkaid books.... Rock and roll to die for. Usually I put on some Rolling Stones and settle in for a good read. My family knows to leave me alone until I close the book. Ironically for a book with a Stones song title, I am reading this one with an ear on the baseball game. Let's see how I enjoy it. My hopes are high.

Hopes were fulfilled. JP is touring with his other band, the Fog City Geezers ratherthan Blacklight. Never fear your favorites will be accounted for. The emotional and physical toll in the touring musician's life gets the spotlight as well as a suspicious death. More low key than some this somber book made me want totake a reading day off. Couldn't of course. But tempting.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy the JP Kinkaid Chronicles even though I sometimes get annoyed at the narrator's self-aggrandizement in the bedroom segments (a bit unbelievable given his constantly mentioned health problems). And I am not enough of a rock aficionado to "get" all the musical comments. I loved the author's other series based on Child ballads and a folk band resembling Steeleye Span or Fairport Convention; I'd say the Kinkaid band is more like the Rolling Stones except the Mick Jagger character never gets married. Still, the characters are interesting, the plots intriguing, and the settings take me to places I've never been. Recommended for mystery readers who don't mind some emotion from their sleuths.

[Glen U · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long live Rock & Roll! "Dead Flowers" is Grabien's 7th book in the J P Kincaid series. It is about an aging but still viable rock and roll band member who always finds himself in the middle of a murder. Granted, Grabien does go on a little too long about her protagonists MS episodes and it is also hard to believe that a Rolling Stones type band, The Blacklights, still produces rockin' music after 30+ years (meaning original, viable hits not rememberance tours) but if you are a lover of rock & roll, you will enjoy this series. As an aside, Grabien's Haunted Ballad series are an excellent read and a "star" above the J P Kincaid series.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy this series, but I realized with this one that they’re not great mysteries. The clues are not really well given, but I still enjoy them because of the ongoing character development. And, of course, I enjoy the background of the rock and roll music scene.