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Maxx Maxwell Mysteries #1
Sweet Man Is Gone
Blues-singer Maxx Maxwell is smart, talented, and gorgeous--at least since she had her nose fixed, went blonde, and bought a push-up bra. So what if sheâ s living in a scruffy apartment in Hackensack, New Jersey, and the waitress job sheâ s taken to make ends meet is driving her crazy? Her band, Maxximum Blues, is really taking off, thanks to the talents of guitarist Jimmy Nashville, a heartbreakingly handsome guy whose life is complicated by an assortment of girlfriends.
But then Jimmy plunges to his death from the window of his ninth-floor apartment. His death intensifies tensions already simmering in the band, and Maxx fears her dream of making it as a singer might just as well be dead too. Besides, she has to admit that, though she was trying to resist his charm, she was as smitten with Jimmy as were the other women in his life.
When Jimmyâ s death is ruled suicide, Maxx resolves to go sleuthing on her own.
Cozy but cool, Sweet Man Is Gone features a quirky cast of characters that include a skeptical cop and an assortment of eccentric musicians. Maxxâ s quest, played out against a backdrop of blues and Manhattan bar bands, uncovers a surprising number of people who had reason to kill Jimmy, and it takes her deep into Jimmyâ s mysterious past.
The plot, with its surprising and dramatic climax, will keep readers guessing until the last few pages.
But then Jimmy plunges to his death from the window of his ninth-floor apartment. His death intensifies tensions already simmering in the band, and Maxx fears her dream of making it as a singer might just as well be dead too. Besides, she has to admit that, though she was trying to resist his charm, she was as smitten with Jimmy as were the other women in his life.
When Jimmyâ s death is ruled suicide, Maxx resolves to go sleuthing on her own.
Cozy but cool, Sweet Man Is Gone features a quirky cast of characters that include a skeptical cop and an assortment of eccentric musicians. Maxxâ s quest, played out against a backdrop of blues and Manhattan bar bands, uncovers a surprising number of people who had reason to kill Jimmy, and it takes her deep into Jimmyâ s mysterious past.
The plot, with its surprising and dramatic climax, will keep readers guessing until the last few pages.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
11 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Peggy Ehrhart
28 books493 followersPeggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature who now writes mysteries. Her publications include a prize-winning nonfiction book; she has also won awards for her short fiction. Her blues mystery series, featuring blues singer "Maxx" Maxwell, was inspired by her guitar-playing hobby. She currently writes the very cozy Knit & Nibble mystery series for Kensington Books, featuring amateur sleuth Pamela Paterson, founder and mainstay of the Knit and Nibble knitting club in charming Arborville, New Jersey.
Series:
* Maxx Maxwell Mysteries
* A Knit & Nibble Mysteries
Series:
* Maxx Maxwell Mysteries
* A Knit & Nibble Mysteries
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 7, 2020
Different kind of murder mystery
Story kept my interest and ably threw up multiple suspects with varying motives. The setting was nicely set up as well, the atmosphere satisfyingly smoky and fraught with all sorts of emotion.
I want to know more about Doretta!
Story kept my interest and ably threw up multiple suspects with varying motives. The setting was nicely set up as well, the atmosphere satisfyingly smoky and fraught with all sorts of emotion.
I want to know more about Doretta!
September 7, 2008
Music and murder is keeping Maxx Maxwell pretty busy of late. Maxx is trying to keep her blues band together but is having a run of bad luck.
First, her guitar player Jimmy Nashville plunges to his death from the window of his ninth-floor apartment. Jimmy’s death is ruled a suicide but there’s no way Maxx believes that his death is a suicide. Maxx pesters Detective Walter Stallings, the lead detective in Jimmy’s case, for the results of the autopsy and then swears the results cannot be accurate. She tells Stallings all of her suspicions but he isn’t convinced.
Next, Jimmy’s girl friend Monique supposedly commits suicide. Maxx is convinced it is murder but no one believes her. Maxx heads back to the police station but Stallings is more interested in the fact that he has just filled out his retirement papers.
Maxx is nothing if not persistent and soon her persistence pays off. The story is full of great characters and I enjoyed it very much.
First, her guitar player Jimmy Nashville plunges to his death from the window of his ninth-floor apartment. Jimmy’s death is ruled a suicide but there’s no way Maxx believes that his death is a suicide. Maxx pesters Detective Walter Stallings, the lead detective in Jimmy’s case, for the results of the autopsy and then swears the results cannot be accurate. She tells Stallings all of her suspicions but he isn’t convinced.
Next, Jimmy’s girl friend Monique supposedly commits suicide. Maxx is convinced it is murder but no one believes her. Maxx heads back to the police station but Stallings is more interested in the fact that he has just filled out his retirement papers.
Maxx is nothing if not persistent and soon her persistence pays off. The story is full of great characters and I enjoyed it very much.
July 15, 2010
If you love new mysteries with a twist, you'll enjoy Sweet Man is Gone. Elizabeth "Maxx" Maxwell is trying to get her blues band started before their first gig. But things fall apart, when their guitarist, Jimmy Nashville, was found died. From that moment on, things get hectic, when Stan, an ex-guitarist, gets in their way for a second chance, and trying to find a replacement guitarist gets hairy, when people are canceling out on them. There's tension in the bend, when Jimmy's girlfriend is found dead too. It's up to Maxx to find out who killed them, before she would sing her last blues tune.
February 16, 2009
Having just met the author at our Murder in the Magic City mystery conference in Birmingham, AL, I couldn't wait to read her first book. I really like her character Maxx Maxwell, a gal who is trying to keep her blues band together. When her favorite guitar player dies mysteriously, Maxx is determined to get answers. The plot kept me guessing. Keep writing, Peggy!
April 3, 2021
One of the best books I have ever read
I read this book ten years ago and loved it. I loved it so much it has called to me. I rarely reread books but decided to revisit this one. Ms Ehrhart's ability to capture a scene with minimal small details is breath taking. I highly recommend this book to anyone
I read this book ten years ago and loved it. I loved it so much it has called to me. I rarely reread books but decided to revisit this one. Ms Ehrhart's ability to capture a scene with minimal small details is breath taking. I highly recommend this book to anyone
September 26, 2008
Five stars for the portrayal of a blues band trying to make it. Three stars for a mystery that didn't live up to the atmosphere. Still, I'll be looking for Ms Ehrhart's next one.
July 16, 2009
Loved the book, but I really hate the cover...
August 2, 2015
fast moving & fun. Extra entertaining because I live pretty much in Maxx's neighborhood.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews