Dashboard Elvis is Dead: The epic, extraordinary new novel from one of Scotland's most exceptional novelists

by David F. Ross

A failed writer connects the murder of an American journalist, a drowned 80s musician and a Scottish politician's resignation, in a heart-wrenching novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary times.

'A dazzling, time-hopping patchwork of pop and politics, sewn together with wit and compassion' Kirstin Innes

'This amiable and ambitious transatlantic extravaganza is a busy social tapestry pegged to real-life events in Scotland and the US … Ross's affection for his characters shines through. There's so much going on here that value for money is pretty much all but guaranteed' Daily Mail

'A mesmerising road trip through the America of Kerouac, Warhol and Reagan. Dashboard Elvis may be dead, but this book is full of vibrant, authentic, colourful life' Stuart Cosgrove

**David F. Ross was shortlisted for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year in the Scottish Book Awards**

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Renowned photo-journalist Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, in the wake of the failed Scottish independence referendum, and it's clear that she's searching for someone.

Is it Anna Mason, who will go on to lead the country as First Minister? Jamie Hewitt, guitarist from eighties one-hit wonders The Hyptones? Or is it Rabbit – Jude's estranged foster sister, now a world-famous artist?

Three apparently unconnected people, who share a devastating secret, whose lives were forever changed by one traumatic night in Phoenix, forty years earlier.

Taking us back to a school shooting in her Texas hometown, and a 1980s road trip across the American West – to San Francisco and on to New York – Jude's search ends in Glasgow, and a final, shocking event that only one person can fully explain…

An extraordinary, gritty and tender novel about fate and destiny, regret and absolution – and a road trip that changes everything…

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'Few do raw, authentic, almost palpably believable characters better than David F. Ross' The Times

'A masterclass in transatlantic intertwining storytelling from one of Scotland's finest writers' Derek Steel, Razur Cuts

'A rich and rewarding novel that takes in the culture and social history of both Scotland and the USA, beautifully weaving stories together over decades … devastating' Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae

'An ambitious, sweeping novel … Taut and gritty, Dashboard Elvis Is Dead interrogates truth, and pulses with life' Donna McLean

'An irresistible story of chances taken and missed, and of last-ditch hopes of red

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2022

About the author

David F. Ross is a Scottish author, best known for the Disco Days trilogy of novels.

He resides in Kilmarnock with his wife and their two children.

Reviews

[Michelle Gough · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about this book? - YES!

I discovered Orenda Books when I signed up for a subscription and boy has it delivered. With an eclectic mix of unconventional authors, I always look forward to receiving something new and totally dazzling. And this one is a zinger

This is my first David F Ross and I was utterly captivated.

Is it historic or contemporary? An American road trip story or a tale about intersections? A political insight or pop culture review? Fiction or non-fiction?
YES!

The story, split into four parts, reads like both a human interest story and a memoir. With vibes of McCarthy, Kerouac and Palahniuk, it’s like an immersive experience with such vibrant characters and almost poetic prose. A story that takes you to the USA and Glasgow, alongside a series of real life people and events. Each part set out in a slightly different style, if this were a movie you’d see sprinkles of Coen Brothers all over it.

This book has heart and soul, it’s both witty and gritty, smart and real.

I felt somewhat sentimental about the physical book itself, When I wasn’t in it, I was carrying it round with me, like my own precious Dashboard Elvis

Not since I was a child have I read a book more than once, but I can’t wait to pick this up and completely submerge myself in it again in years to come

[Kelly Van Damme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just… wow. Who would have thought a book with a title referring to an Elvis doll could have my head and heart spinning?! Although, come to think of it, after Danny Garvey, I should have at least considered the possibility.

To put it mildly, I found Dashboard Elvis is Dead quite the reading experience. Spanning continents and decades while telling the story of only a few people, it felt simultaneously intimate and epic. An ambitious book with an expansive scope for sure, but David F. Ross pulled it off and Dashboard Elvis is an absolute pleasure to read and a perfect slice of bookish escapism.

Some of the best fiction is fiction that makes you wonder whether or not you’re actually reading fiction, and that is exactly what Dashboard Elvis did to me. By involving the characters in real world events and thanks to the authentic, realistic manner in which they are portrayed, I felt like I was reading about real people, emphasised by the fact that the author is also a character in this book (albeit referred to as a “prick” as well as “another monumental cunt” 😳😬). I really do love it when authors write themselves into their own books.

It’s incredibly difficult to describe how this book made me feel, the range of emotions I went through and how much it made me ponder life in general as well as the impact seemingly rather meaningless events or decisions might have on the rest of your life.

This quote sums it up perfectly:

"Of how ordinary people – strangers – exist in extraordinary times, until random acts and coincidental occurrences throw them together, and the direction of their lives are forever altered and entwined."

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is a stunning piece of historical and contemporary fiction. Nothing I can say can do it justice, just read it and you’ll know what I mean.

"There’s no truth, only perspective…"

And from my perspective, Dashboard Elvis is Dead is one to add to your shelves ASAP. Highly recommended.

Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a totally unique premise and is very cleverly developed.

Told from the first person of mainly Jamie Hewitt, a failed musician and Jude Montgomery, a renowned photo-journalist it gives you a unique perspective on their inner thoughts and reasoning for their actions.

The story starts almost at the end, before jumping back in time, giving the background scenarios that lead up to this point.

It took me a while to connect the jumps in time, for Jude you get taken further back, to her childhood, and develop a much better understanding of what makes her who she becomes. Whereas, for Jamie, the jumps vary from the band striving for a break, then further back before the band forms.

Several times I was left wondering how it would all connect, but it does, although I didn’t anticipate the way in which it happens. The book had a clever knack of me never really knowing where the story was going, whilst enjoying reading to find out.

There is a real harshness to the story, from the characters reflections upon themselves to the realistic views of the conditions and the coincidences that influence the turns of our lives.
The author himself also featured in the book, not altogether favourably either.

An intriguing, well-crafted read.

[Blair H. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wide-ranging tale, told from several different angles. I found it very engaging, and warmed particularly to the main character - despite her foibles, or perhaps because of them. There were many other great character portraits too. A shame, therefore, that her end was so coldly presented, and that the tale turned out not to be a tale at all, but fictional journalism, without the conclusion that was the implied return for my emotional investment in reading this novel. Disappointed. I was heading towards a 5-star recommendation until the final chapter. I’ve enjoyed his other books.

[Lauren Gilmour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Daisy Jones and the Six were from Glasgow and I think this is kind of what you would end up with.

I didn't really know what to expect from this David F Ross novel before reading. It seemed implausible to me that the four people mentioned in the blurb *could* be connected, but Ross does this quite convincingly.

We first meet Jude Montgomery in Glasgow in October 2014, where she is documenting a nation coming to terms with the consequences of a decision made just weeks previously.

Being Scottish, I remember that feeling of uncertainty at the time. Ross has put it across well. It's very clear to see where his loyalties lie at any rate.

We're then catapulted back to Humble, Texas when we see Jude's impoverished beginnings with a mother who didn't know how to love her and her well meaning stepfather. It's such a contrast to Glasgow, but is it really?

This is where my first issue with the novel rears its head. I'm not sure what business a white Scottish man has to be writing from the perspective of a young, mixed race girl from Texas. Or just casually dropping the n-word into prose because he can. I genuinely have serious issues with that, but Jude's character drew me in, so I was invested.

Anyway, I think it would be fair to say that I wasn't expecting to be taken on a meandering journey across the USA, from Humble, Texas to New York via San Francisco, it packed a real punch.

And there couldn't have been two more different stories intertwined with each other.

Ross also does dark humour extremely well. Who could forget the scene where Chic snorts the ashes of Anna's brother, thinking it was cocaine?

Most of the characters in this book make seemingly inconsequential choices that impact another character in some devastating and life changing ways and it's an overriding theme of the book.

But the character I don't think we've learned enough about was Nicola Stur- sorry, Anna Mason. How in the name of god did daughter of a gangster Anna Mason become first minister of Scotland?

There have in the past been some low level politicians in Scotland with some questionable links to organised crime, but it is ultimately the cream that rises to the top. In the past twenty years, the backgrounds of people who have made it to Scotland's highest office have been disappointingly boring.

I think a book, a sequel if you will, examining Anna Mason's rise to the top is needed after this.

These characters will stay in your head, rent free. It's pure escapism. The plot is compelling. And sure, it raises with me some questions. How much would an American with tenuous links to Scotland really know about the day to day cultural and political life here? Why do the things we don't do, matter as much as we do do? And why doesn't the writer know which court a murder trial takes place in? (It's the High Court, not the Sheriff court).

I am not sure it was necessary for Ross to insert a character with his exact name into the novel. It didn't really add anything for me in all honesty. It was superfluous and a little self indulgent. The story was compelling enough to write itself.

When writing about the political realities of Scotland at the time, I'm also not sure I'd have used the real names of people like Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown.

I mean for Christ sake, I'm trying to enjoy this mad tale of a band from Dennistoun that has a once in a lifetime opportunity to tour the US in the back of a former mortuary ambulance, while a budding photographer goes on the run with a Bonnie and Clyde style couple, trying to make her way in the world. I don't really want the likes of Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown, two people I write about regularly in my day job, rearing their ugly heads to bring me back down to earth.

So what was it Ross wanted to write here? Was it a state of the nation novel about Scotland as it attempts to come to terms with the political reality of a decision that was made ten years ago, or was it a glamorous rock n roll biopic in the vein of Daisy Jones and the Six or Almost Famous? I just think Ross was maybe at cross purposes with this and I found the pro-independence slant a little tedious, particularly as someone who's not all that sympathetic to the cause.

With all that being said, this book is a strong four out of five. For all intents and purposes, I enjoyed it. It'll stay with me for a while, I was invested in the characters and thought about them while I wasn't reading the book and I want to go and read more of Ross's work. These are all things I feel which contribute to being a "good" book.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two years ago, I read and reviewed David F Ross's previous novel; There's Only One Danny Garvey. That book has become one of my all-time favourites, I think about it often, I recommend it all of the time. For me, it is the perfect novel.

Here we are, two years on and I approached Dashboard Elvis is Dead with a mixture of feelings; anticipation and a little bit of trepidation. Could he do it again? Could anything touch me as much as Danny Garvey's story? I should have known better than to worry, for here is one of Scotland's greatest living authors and another magnificent story filled with complex and often infuriating characters, set against the most deprived of backgrounds and taking the reader on a road trip that spans years and continents. It is a joy, another masterpiece, another book to add to my all-time favourites.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is the story of three people, loosely connected, yet their lives are entwined together for ever.

The book opens as Jude Montgomery, known worldwide for her amazing photography, sits in a backstreet Glasgow cafe. This is Jude's first visit to Scotland and she's there for multiple reasons; she wants to discover more about the Scottish man who was her father, and she's desperate to speak with her foster-sister Rabbit. She wants to make amends.

Ross takes us back to Jude's early life, as she left home, in her teens and travelled for days across Texas, and wider America. We learn how the camera that she bought with money stolen from a guy on a bus becomes her most cherished possession, and how the plastic dashboard figurine of Elvis also becomes so very important in her life.

Meanwhile, Jamie Hewitt and his band the Hyptones arrive in the US. A bunch of guys from Glasgow who've had one hit and are determined to break through in the States. Travelling with them is AnnafuckenBelle Mason; girlfriend of Jamie, and whose dodgy businessman father is bankrolling the band.

This is an epic story, it's very difficult to believe just how much is packed into the 340 pages, when I turned the final page, I felt as though I'd read a book of 1000 pages at least, there's so much in there, so much to digest, to contemplate, and to discuss.

I think it's fair to say that I could talk about this book for hours, and it's a novel that I will be thrusting in people's hands, so that I can talk about it with them afterwards.

Expect Scotland and America, but don't expect 'shortbread biscuit tin' scenes, with bagpipes and tartan. Don't expect the glamour and glitz of the US that we are sold by the media. Be prepared for the gritty realism of deprivation, drugs, violence, poor parenting and lots of swearing. Be prepared to have your heart shattered by events, and be prepared for a book that will shake you to the core.

Magnificent, glorious and often emotionally challenging. With a rawness and sensitivity that is so visceral. This is another extraordinary novel from David F Ross.

[Katie Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It covers decades, continents and a wide cast of brilliant characters, all with seemingly impossible depth. Ross has an intoxicating way of drawing the reader into a scene with sharp dialogue, vivid descriptions and sideways views of the world.

The characters have you hanging on their every word and the way they interlink is wickedly clever. The tone is a perfect mix of humour and tragedy. I've never read quite such an astute and affecting exploration of how childhood traumas can scar us and shape every relationship of our adult lives.

I won't say anything about the narrative devices for fear of spoiling things, other than that they work so very well.

If you want a book that combines brilliant writing with loads of action against a backdrop of well-known real events, Dashboard Elvis is Dead is a great pick. There are plenty of questionable choices and underhandedness from the characters to debate, making this a great choice for a book club.

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this from Orenda Books and I can't wait to see it out in the world.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful mash up of fact and fiction? Three separate life's and what ,they have in common if anything?

[Craig Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful book spanning decades and countries. Engaging characters- a trait that Ross has mastered - and a sweeping story that is never short of captivating.

[Ceri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 3rd David F. Ross novel I’ve read so far and unfortunately I felt this was his weakest.

Whilst I enjoyed 85% of the book I felt that the last 50 or so pages were rushed and ultimately really disliked the ending.

I do enjoy when novels make you forget entirely that you’re reading about fictional characters. The author placed his characters at strategic world events (Princess Diana passing, 9/11, Scottish independence referendum) and I genuinely believed that they were there and involved.

I really enjoyed the characters, although something about Jude just didn’t click for me, but I felt that the author did them dirty at the end.

Will still read more from the author as overall it was a very enjoyable novel!

[Mary Picken · Rating 5 out of 5]

David F Ross is an extraordinary writer. He keeps getting better and after the stunning and much praised There’s Only One Danny Garvey I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for us.

The opening doesn’t offer too much of a clue to the sweeping epic to come. In fact, I thought it was a bit of a slow burn as I was reading until I learned to relax into Ross’s immersive prose and let this story carry me away.

In the 1980’s Jamie Hewitt is a Glaswegian musician and together with his pals Reef, Bingo, and Chic, they have formed the Hypetones, a band that is on the cusp of making something of themselves, largely aided by Annabelle Mason, daughter of the local gangland boss. Jamie is the lead singer and he is ill-equipped to handle the pressures of any kind of performance based career.

David Ross excels at this kind of character; a young working class lad who has dreams and aspirations but who lacks the mental stamina to drive himself forward. His decision making is poor; he’s the kind of young man who feels that bad things happen to him and when they do, he finds himself powerless to deal with them and runs away from the consequences faster than his legs can carry him.

Jude Montgomery is an American photo journalist from Texas. Brought up in a trailer park, her life has forever been tainted by two dramatic events in her life; a school shooting and an almost fatal mistake she made as a young woman. Taken in to a warm and loving house, she makes a terrible decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Although the mistake that she made compelled her to leave her place of love and safety, she owns that mistake so heavily that it is a weight that she carries with her wherever she goes. For all that she has a vivacity and a love of life that is captivating

Jude and Jamie’s lives will briefly intersect while the Hypetones is on a disastrous tour of the States, but it is a fleeting moment in what becomes an epic tale of the times. Ross’s book moves from the micro to the macro through fantastic characterisation and vivid dialogue that brings these moments and his characters to life in an explosive, evocative and authentic storyline.

David Ross creates a multiple timeline story, following Jude’s traumatic early life and charting the development of her love of photography that would become her career. We follow her quest to find the Scottish father she never knew and feel her desperate need to atone for the hurt she has caused. She has real guts and a self-awareness that grows as she makes her way through the world –shaking events that shape America as much as they shape her.

It is easy to like Jude and as you follow her life you become really invested in her quests. Jamie, on the other hand, starts off as a troubled and confused young man who you can’t help but like. But the more you understand what he has done and failed to take responsibility for, the more you see him retreat from ownership of his ills, the less he comes across as a sympathetic character. As the Hypetones begin their tour of the States, it becomes very clear that he does not have the emotional maturity or strength of character to handle it and as a result this tour is destined to fail. Ross paints a vivid and compelling portrait of all these characters and we follow their paths as the decades go by.

Ross combines these very personal stories and weaves them seamlessly into a bigger picture as each of these people intersects with some of the most memorable historic moments and people of our recent past in both Scotland the USA. He brings it all to life with detailed and remarkable observation and a grit that makes his dialogue sparkle with authenticity. These moments impact on our characters in different ways and none more so than on Jude whose photo journalism becomes a filter to look back on. She is the catalyst for much of the action in this story – the connection for everything.As a reader you are invested in these characters and there’s a strong emotional core that drives you on. You can see so clearly how the formative years of these striking and beautifully observed characters inform their decisions in later life and why things implode and impact the way they do.

This story culminates in Scotland during the Independence Referendum as Jude travels in search of her foster sister Rabbit, now an internationally recognised artist. Her journey brings everything to a head until the whole devastating truth is finally revealed.

Verdict: This is a massively perceptive and glorious novel. I was profoundly shocked as much as I was captivated by its scope and intensity. Ross’s novel is forceful and authoritative; it is a book that takes the personal journeys of his characters and brings them into blazing, colourful, life. The conclusion is so savage it took my breath away. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. David F. Ross is unquestionably a writer at the top of his powers and this book is a must read for me.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dashboard Elvis is Dead by David F. Ross will publish 8th December with Orenda Books and is described as ‘an extraordinary, gritty and tender novel about fate and destiny, regret and absolution – and a road trip that changes everything…’

Some reviews are more challenging to write than others, and this is one. In January 2021, I read and reviewed There’s Only One Danny Garvey by David F. Ross. At the time, I wrote that it was a book ‘that punches you in the gut and leaves you in no doubt that you have read something raw, something authentic, something very remarkable’. When I heard that Orenda Books were going to publish Dashboard Elvis is Dead, I got very excited. There are writers who tick every single box and, for me, David F. Ross is one of them.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead takes the reader on the most extraordinary journey from Glasgow to the US, crossing periods of time from the 1980s onwards. The intricacy of the storyline is astounding. The attention to detail is mind-blowing. The narrative and dialogue are remarkable.

Jude Montgomery has established herself as an acclaimed photo-journalist in the States. On a visit to Scotland she recalls her own past, from her early years in Texas to where she finds herself now. Jude Montgomery had a very tough childhood, one she was only too happy to leave behind as soon as she could. Her adventures took her on a road trip in the 80s across the American West, traversing borders and embarking on a multitude of experiences which left her permanently scarred. In 2014 she makes a decision to travel to Glasgow in search of a truth. But what is it?

In the 1980s James Hewitt was the lead guitarist of The Hyptones, a Glaswegian band that had dreams and potential. Unfortunately their career was short-lived and they fell victim to being a one-hit-wonder after James, and his fellow band mates, fell foul to numerous difficulties. They did manage a brief tour in the US but then it all came to a very sudden end. What was the real truth behind The Hyptones demise?

Anna Mason is a Scottish politician with the drive and ambition to become First Minister. But Anna Mason has her own story to tell, her own secrets to keep. When Jude Montgomery comes knocking on her door, Anna Mason wants nothing to do with her. Some memories do not need to be resurrected and Anna Mason wants her past to remain exactly there, in the past. But why?

Rabbit is a world-renowned artist with a base in Glasgow. Jude Montgomery is her foster sister. An event happened many years ago that put more than a physical border between the two sisters. Rabbit does not want anything more to do with Jude. They are connected through a shared history but Rabbit has distanced herself from her roots. What happened to cause this division between Jude and Rabbit?

Anna Mason, James Hewitt and Rabbit are three individuals with no apparent connection to each other yet there are invisible threads forever binding them. Jude Montgomery might just be the missing piece in this complex jigsaw. What is it that Jude knows that could possibly connect all three?

In this epic novel, David F. Ross delves into humanity and what it means to be alive, to feel, to exist, whether it be through good times or bad. He turns a seemingly complex tale into an addictive and very vivid experience that leaves the reader in complete shock. The characters are all depicted in the most outstanding fashion, with a gritty dialogue and a wealth of visual descriptions creating a totally immersive experience.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is powerful, dynamic and forceful. It is a unique read, overwhelmingly intense and, at times, brutal. It is an exceptional novel from an exceptional writer, quite simply breath-taking.

[David Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm grateful to Karen at Orenda Books for sending me a copy of Dashboard Elvis is Dead to consider for review and to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the book's blogtour.

In Dashboard Elvis is Dead, David F Ross hacks into the secret history of the early 1980s music industry, giving us an inside account of the rise and spectacular fall of The Hyptones, a band of young Glaswegian hopefuls for who everything goes wrong on a fateful tour of the US.

A tour which is a downfall for Ross too, because David F Ross appears in the book as the failed writer who documented the band's experiences and was badly burned by doing so. (So fact, fiction and identity are blurred form the start with real musicians, actors and artists appearing with and - one suspects, sometimes without - approval throughout the book).

Thirty years later, in the wake of the Scottish independence referendum, Ross picks up with Jude Montgomery, a revered photo journalist, who's arrived in Glasgow. What they seem to have in common is a love for, and a fascination with, the Hyptones and their one hit, An Independent State of Mind, which has become an anthem for the Yes campaign.

It will take the rest of the story to explain how everyone's paths cross, and especially how Jude, who was running away from her Texas trailer park home when she came across The Hyptones the first time, fared in between. That story is an amazing saga of growth and suffering, of finding identity and seeking redemption, that frankly could have driven a whole sequence of novels. I loved Jude's honesty and her self-analysis. I loved Ross's evocation of the racially divided, tense Texan town from which Jude starts. I ,loved the portraits of 1980s San Francisco, of gentrifying New York later in the decade and in the 90s. Most of all I loved Jude. She is a well realised and sympathetic character who just has an awful habit of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Generally driven by good intentions, Jude makes mistakes, burns bridges as if she had shares in the ferry company, and generally leaves a trail of damaged and more or less resentful (or, in one case, dead) friends, mentors, exes and employers across the USA. Nevertheless, she perseveres, and through this story she's visibly growing, exploring her own identity and, in a somewhat twisted way, trying to make amends. (Ultimately it's down to her that An Independent State of Mind isn't wholly forgotten).

I wouldn't say the same of Jamie, a tragic figure who is the other focus of Dashboard Elvis. Jamie is at the centre of The Hyptones, and he's the one who takes the fall when things go wrong. At his core he believes I think that he deserves that - the band has its own secret history - but really that isn't fair. Everyone deserves a chance, or a second chance, but ultimately Jamie's guilt robs him of that, leading him mon a destructive path that only reinforces the guilt.

In describing the trajectory of the band, Ross brings the same sensibility to the lives and aspirations of young working class Scots in the 70s and 80s as he did in his Disco Days trilogy and in There's Only One Danny Garvey. Their voices ring true, lighting up the pages of the book in expressive Scots, albeit slightly indignant, as though being exhibited in a novel wasn't how they expected to spend the evening. (The exception is Jamie's girlfriend, the enigmatic AFB, 'Anna F*****g Belle' who in contrast uses standard English, a slight marker of class or privilege that prefigures her role in the later parts of the book).

There's an interesting contrast between the lives of Jude, who did manage to "get out" but, as her story makes clear, had to sacrifice a lot along the way, and the band members who as I've alluded to above, are basically on a downward slope throughout the book. Especially Jamie. Like Jude, Jamie makes many bad decisions and ends up with lots of regrets. But he's less in a position to try and put things right. The parallels and differences between Jamie and Jude are fascinating, posing a whole series of what if questions revolving around gender, racial identity and social setting. Both deserve a way out. Jude gets one, Jamie doesn't, a fate he shares with most of his bandmates.

This is eventually portrayed in a brilliant piece of non-writing. After sections dealing with the two fairly evenly, eventually Ross sort of has Jamie just... fade away, again contrasting with Jude whose climactic scenes are vivid and consequential. While Jamie's location and eventual fate are key plot points, we don't actually see them, and this building absence of a character is an eloquent way to express what he's become in the lives of those who knew him and those who don't. His absence is almost a more pointed depiction of him than his presence could be.

Oh I could go on praising this book but really, if you don't want to read it by now then what's the point of you? Just take my advice and read Dashboard Elvis is Dead. It's so many things. A very funny book. A sharp examination of young lives, of origins, identity and the complications of living, ageing and "growing up". A bit of a satire on dependence and independence. And a complex, engaging story set where music, crime, social aspiration, lust and politics overlap and mutate.

Just pure brilliance.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not go where I was expecting. Not at all. Turns out that this is a very good thing. With yet another thought provoking, challenging and, sometimes, emotional story, David F. Ross takes readers on yet another journey, a literal one in the case of his protagonists, giving us a glimpse of an alternative version of some not all that distant history, and introducing us to characters who linger in the mound long after the final page is turned. 

This is meta fiction, but perhaps not as you would expect it. With the action centred largely around two characters, Journalist, Jude Montgomery, and former musician, Jamie Hewitt, although the author does make an appearance or two in the story, in far less than flattering terms as it turns out too. Ironically, or perhaps not David F. Ross plays a pivotal role in what comes to pass, and not just because, as author, he is pulling the strings that make his characters dance. He is a part of what comes to pass, the tragic inevitability that you can feel building from the very first page.

This is a multi-timeline story, one which follows Jude as she navigates teenage years, a difficult relationship with family, both blood and not, and as she experiences losses, the like of which would completely stop a lesser person. I liked Jude. There is a spirit about her, but also an acceptance of the part she has played in her own fate, but also an acknowledgement that she has been dealt a fairly rough hand to begin with. Jude is on a kind of quest - to learn more about her family, about the father she lost before she was even born, and it is a quest that sees her cross paths with many people who will shape the person she is to become. 

I felt a kind of empathy for her at times, a frustration with her at others, but the author has created her in such a way that you cannot help but be invested in her. That you want to see something good come from what is, when all is said and done, a pretty awful start in life. It is not that she lacks love, not entirely, but that which she experiences is either conditional or short lived. It makes for a truly emotional experience, reading her story, and whilst some parts I could read with a kind of detachment, other scenes I really felt the emotional tug, the slam of impact that the author no doubt intended. Past experience has proven he is a master manipulator when it comes to the old emotions.

As for Jamie, he was a very different and, initially, sympathetic character. He is thrown into a tour of America that he is not mentally or emotionally prepared for, and from the very beginning it has disaster written all over it. Although Jamie’s story is key to the very heart of the story, the more we learn about him, the harder it is to feel a true level of sympathy for him. Decisions are made, actions taken, that will change the course of history, nit entirely for the better, but not before he leaves one legacy - a song which will come to inform Jude’s future in quite surprising ways. Their paths do cross, their lives intertwined, but not as you may have been expecting.

The story is littered with all manner of characters, some more colourful and memorable than others, but all of whom shape the story and what will come to pass. From Jamie’s band mates, Reef, Bingo, and Chic, his former girlfriend, Annabelle, and their manager, Kenny, through to the people who appear in Jude’s life, AJ, Rabbit, Matt, Brandy and the wonderful Hennessey, each one is perfectly portrayed, their lives painted in vibrant, and sometimes worrying, detail, that you will feel as though you know them. The author excels at creating those unique, unforgettable personalities, ones that dominate your thoughts and make it impossible to escape from the impact of the story, and improbable that you’d want to. 

There are moments of real poignancy. The story is set over a number of years but brings us very close to events that we all remember far too well. Emotional events which changed our futures, and also lead to significant impact in Jude’s life. With the most present moments set around the time of the Scottish Independence Referendum and the Commonwealth Games, it leads us towards a conclusion which is as devastating as it is believable, and a moment in which the spotlight falls directly onto the author. 

This is a very unique story, with very distinct voices, but one which I think could divide readers due to the style of the narrative. Not so much the movement about in time, but because of the lack of punctuation to denote speech, which I know some people see as a gimmick and don’t like. It does take a bit of time to get into the rhythm of the story, but the time is very well spent and if, like me, you really enjoy a fresh approach, a memorable, emotional and astutely observed work of function, you will very likely love this book too.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let us begin with a rainy Glasgow in 2014, reeling from the aftermath of the failed bid for Scottish independence, where American photo-journalist Jude Montgomery is searching for something, or is it someone? The answer to this mystery lies way ahead in the story, and David F. Ross leads us ever so slowly to the truth via a long and twisted path that throws absolutely everything at you in shades of gritty realism (from both sides of the Atlantic), road trip adventure, coming of age tale, band biopic, and gut-punching trip down memory lane.

The story unfurls unconventionally, with a fabulous kick of existentialism, starting towards the end and then looking backwards across time with two central threads - one following the life of Jude Montgomery; and the other, the sad history of The Hyptones and how their dramatic failure to launch affected the lives of the band members. At first, it is hard to see how these threads relate to each other, until a violent episode one night in Phoenix, during the band's first tour of America, connects them in a way that leads to massive ripples through time. Deliciously, Ross also breaks the fourth wall by inserting himself into the story in the cleverest of ways with an anecdote that brings in Jamie Hewitt and the tale of The Hyptones - and ties into the cracking ending that broke my heart to pieces.

It is hard to sum this book up in a brief review, because there is just so much wonderful stuff packed into these pages. Ross delves into an exploration of the American psyche through Jude's story, spanning both coasts and small-town USA, touching on events that highlight the massive contradictions that characterise America, particularly gun culture, racism, and twisted notions of freedom. Her tale is threaded with themes of family, both birth and found, identity, guilt, and searching for meaning. This plays against other side of the tale, with a mixed bag of characters who make up The Hyptones and their associates, in a storyline full of equal parts dark Scottish humour and tragedy that impressively echoes many of the same themes, despite the marked difference in tone.

I love how Ross floods all parts of this book with references to songs, popular and musical culture, celebrity spotlights, and the historical events that have shaped generations. For someone my age, how Ross portrays the 80s is key to connecting with what he does in these pages, progressing onwards through the 90s and beyond in a manner that takes you right back the the time and place he sets his characters against - until you come full circle once again to the fateful culmination of each and every thread in 2014. It is genius.

Imagine, if you will, a little bit of On the Road, a splash of Natural Born Killers, a twist of Trainspotting, and perhaps a touch of a more edgy Spinal Tap, distilled into a heady concoction from Ross' imagination that begs to be swallowed whole. It might be hard to get your head around at first, but then blossoms into something absolutely stunning, and vividly cinematic. If there is such a thing as the great Scottish-American novel then this is it!

Reading this book has been an experience, and I absolutely loved it. This is my first book by David F. Ross, but it will certainly not be my last.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Dashboard Elvis is Dead, by David F. Ross, we mainly follow two characters - American photo-journalist Jude Montgomery and Scottish one-time Next Big Thing Jamie Hewitt - from the early 1980s up to the aftermath of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

The pair only meet once, in 1983 at Jamie’s band The Hyptones’ only “proper” gig in America, but it’s a disastrous night that changes the trajectories of the rest of their lives, so neither of them can ever forget it. Jude retains an attachment to the otherwise-forgotten band, and this is one of the reasons she travels to Glasgow in 2014.

Jude goes from being a traumatised teenage runaway from Texas to a promising student in California before forging her career in New York (accumulating additional trauma along the way). Jamie, meanwhile, ends up in London, laid low by his gambling addiction and unshakeable connection with Glasgow’s most notorious family.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead absolutely blew me away. It’s quite a long book, but I got through it pretty quickly as I found myself reading it at every opportunity I had, and gulping down chapter after chapter uninterrupted. I’m definitely going to have to add Ross’ other books to my (slightly out-of-control) TBR list.

The story is super-engaging for a few reasons. One is that the two main characters are written in such a way that I developed feelings for them really early on. While Jude is more likeable of the pair, I could nonetheless see where the dour Jamie was coming from, and as a result, still wanted things to turn out okay for him.

Connected to that, this book really put me through the emotional wringer - from being elated when things looked to be going well for Jude; to shocked by the out-of-the-blue events (not only on that fateful night) that suddenly changed things for various characters; to heartbroken by the ways Jude and Jamie’s upbringings, misfortunes they (rightly or wrongly) carried the can for, and secrets other characters hid from them, prevented them from experiencing full and happy lives.

On the whole, this is a sad story, but it didn’t feel that way the whole time I was reading it. There is dark humour, triumph over adversity, and portrayals of characters developing as musicians and artists (something I particularly love to see in a book).

Like Orenda stablemate Will Carver, Ross uses his characters as mouthpieces for interesting, relateable, and profound thoughts and ideas. However, he also goes one step further by unapologetically inserting a fictionalised version of himself into the book in the form of a music journalist. As you might expect given this device, consideration of the nature of “truth” and the uses of made-up stories are recurring themes throughout the novel.

This, alongside the author’s well-captured, evocative descriptions of Glasgow and New York in the 1980s; creation of a full set of lyrics for the Hyptones’ one smash record, ‘Independent State of Mind’ (which, in my mind’s ear, sounded like something by The Twilight Sad or - more fittingly for the time period - The Jesus and Mary Chain); and use of real events (Jude’s 9/11 experience was particularly affecting) makes this story feel incredibly real. Even though I knew Anna Mason took up the role held by Nicola Sturgeon in real life, I may still have Googled the band name and author’s bio, just in case…

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is immersive and evocative, and made me feel all the emotions.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say never judge a book by its cover - well, I do that all the time :) And this one stood out for me. Piqued my interest. But it wasn't that that drew me to the book. Nor was it the blurb, although that also piqued my aforementioned interest. No, for me, as with quite a few books, it was the title that really sucked me in... I do love me a weird/interesting title. Dashboard Elvis is Dead - well, if that doesn't get your reading juices going...?!
We start at the end when Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, just after the failed Scottish independence referendum. She is looking for something or someone. Actually she is looking for quite a few people as we will eventually find out when the book returns full circle towards the end.
We then go back in time to meet Jude as a young woman, confused about her heritage and her place in the world, knowing for certain only that it isn't at home with her Mum and Step-Father.
We also meet a young Jamie Hewitt as he and his band start a, hopefully, breakout tour of America.
These two threads collide in Phoenix and that's all I am saying about that. In fact, go in as blind as you can and witness all the, often, gory details first hand. I will say just one more thing, to quote the wonderful Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) in Lock, Stock - "it's been emotional"
I loved this book. It was funny and heart-wrenching - often on the same page, in the same scene. It took me through highs and lows. I screamed at the characters. I shouted "no" a lot. And I cried. If I could have read behind a pillow, I would have. It was horrid as I could see what was going to happen and, as a lowly reader, I was powerless to stop it. All the feels...
And the author also plays himself a little cameo in it too... And insults himself to boot - bonkers but was kinda cool too! He also includes a lot of history along the way which, being of a certain age, allowed me more ammunition to connect to the story being told.
It's only 300 odd pages but without any waffle or padding, the author manages to pack a lot into those pages. It's dark and gritty and doesn't pull its punches. It's raw but also sensitive. It's awesome... And I'm off to check out the author's back catalogue cos, on the back of what I just read, I feel I am missing out on something...

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed previous books by David F Ross the only thing I could pretty much guarantee with Dashboard Elvis is Dead is that I would be taken on one hell of an emotional ride, and I wasn’t wrong. Set in the States and Scotland and over different timelines we follow the lives and fortunes of Jude Montgomery and Jamie Hewitt whose paths cross in one moment, but they experience dramatically different fortunes.
I won’t lie, at first, I did struggle a bit following what was going on and just how the two different stories would come together but the very realistic characters with all their flaws out on the page got under my skin and I became invested in their lives, willing them to make good and get what they wanted from their experiences. For Jude this did mostly happen as she navigated the hand she was dealt, some self-inflicted, some not. Some of her choices had repercussions and not just for herself. By her own admission she was a bit of a loner and tended to push people away but there were still some such as Rabbit and Hennessey that would pepper her life to the end.
Jamie Hewitt could have had it all, but the choices he made early on saw him drop out of the limelight and put him on a downward spiral. It was clear that there was something that he couldn’t shake, that was eating him up and when the secret is revealed we also find out that as is often the case someone else knew and had in part used it to their advantage. If anything, this knowledge makes his story more heartbreaking.
The book is peppered with real life events and people, adding another dimension to their life stories and make them just that little bit more real and relatable. From the tragic events of 9/11 to Scottish referendum, it will evoke memories of that time for everyone. There are some moments where my dark and twisted humour kicked in, especially one moment involving the snorting of ashes that made me love this book even though there is ultimately no truly happy ending but then again if there had been I am not sure that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did.

[Fran McBookface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Dashboard Elvis in one more or less one sitting and I was breathless by the end. It’s such a great story and a great cast of characters with so much packed in, it left me feeling I’d been on a bit of a journey myself!

Set in part against the backdrop of the 2014 Scottish independence vote, the book is an exploration of what independence looks like to different people, survival in dark times and the loss of dreams both personal and as a nation.

I’ve only recently read There's Only One Danny Garvey and as in that book Dashboard Elvis is scattered with unique analogies, wry humour and memorable incidents - the accidental snorting of cremated remains spring to mind.

This book though, covers a wider scope both in time and geography and David Ross has pulled that clever trick of a story that is both wide and epic but also small and intimate. I didn’t know where it was going to go with three such different character threads but I thought it was so well worked and paced and certainly kept me reading to find out how they connected.

I felt David caught the mood of referendum Scotland perfectly - the hope, the desolation and the debate that never dies all vividly brought to life.

David writes great characters. Not just the central characters but also the bit part players. He just gets it so right - I’m thinking of that older Glasgow wummin in the cafe (who crops up again later in the story) - I’ve met that wummin so many times. This incredible talent just helps to put you right there in the story.

Enjoyed the melding of fact and fiction with The Hyptones meeting many greats such as Madonna and Seymour Stein (which I initially thought was a made up name!) and the appearance of the author himself.

A brilliant witty, compassionate and authentic read that I’ll definitely be recommending

[B.S. Casey]

A visceral, evocative mystery surrounding something as mundane as a little dashboard doll and making it anything but mundane. Ross undeniably has a strangely compelling writing style, almost intoxicating at points - he crafts unique observations about life, about the way it shapes, scars and soothes us as we move through it.

The story moves forward almost like a diary, Jude letting us into her thoughts as she casts her mind back into her past, showing us her work, her notes as a journalist, talking about the yesteryears with a painfully bittersweet nostalgia that was so vivid it was almost suffocating in its' intensity. The stylising was visually intriguing, with phonetic speech (and a lack of punctuation) which for me helped create a more descriptive, fully formed world but I know may put some readers off.

This hard-hitting tale links into real-world events, blurring the lines between real and fake, between reality and imagination in the most spectacular way. This entire story is set firmly in the grey and the gritty parts of life that even a spotlight can't get rid of.

Wickedly deceptive, funny and dark, this is one of those books that you just need to read and decide for yourself.

Note: There were parts of this book that even though I believe the author wrote to portray the racism and segregation that was rampant both in the 80's and today, there is language in this book that is likely to make readers uncomfortable and potentially cause upset. Personally, I didn't feel this was required for the story and could have been omitted but as a Caucasian person that's not for me to decide so I'll leave that up to you, reader.

[Sue Purbrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully-written story, peopled with unforgettable characters, takes readers from the early 80s to the present in a sweeping epic of poverty, failure, ambition, regret, compulsion and escape. All this against a backdrop of the significant events shaping the US and Scotland at the time, the music and the shifting political landscape.
American-born Jude transcends her traumatic childhood to become a renowned photographer. Anna is a rising political star of the Scottish National Party, involved in the YES referendum. She also has links to the mafia and a failed 80s band. Jamie, the band’s guitarist, nurses a dark secret as the band embarks on its make-or-break first tour of America.
Having grown up in the States, Jude is inexorably drawn to Glasgow. She’s on a mission to find out about her Scottish dad, and about Jamie, who seems to have disappeared into anonymity following the traumatic break-up of the band. She was always obsessed with their biggest hit, which became the theme tune to her life. She also wants to address some past regrets by meeting her foster sister.
I found the ways in which the lives of all these characters interact, the trajectory of their stories and the sheer extent of this read unexpected, beautiful, shocking and compelling.
Dashboard Elvis is Dead challenged me. At times I wondered if it wasn’t actually non-fiction I was reading. It also thrilled and hooked me, and brought back so many memories of what made the world go round during that time. A tremendous read!

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dashboard Elvis is Dead by David F Ross is just as intriguing as the title!
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion
Dashboard Elvis spans decades from the 1980s to the 2000s following the life of Jude Montgomery. Jude is the main character, and her perspective is the one that dominates the story with a brief perspective from Jamie Hewitt a guitarist whose one song burnt brightly and then the band crashed. But Jude remains an enigmatic character whose behaviour seems strange and forms strong attachments with very little basis. But like a complicated onion, each chapter slowly reveals a little more about Jude and why she is the way she is until the final reveal at the end that makes sense of the whole story and how these characters and events are all connected. And like peeling an onion you may feel a little tearful.
The book features some historical events as seen through Jude’s eye and the impact of this on her life including 9/11 and the Scottish referendum. The description of 9/11 was harrowing and had an emotional resonance I wasn’t quite expecting.
I did struggle with a few initial chapters from Jaime’s view with its very authentic language but I’m glad I stuck with the book.
This is a book about loss and grief, but thriving in any way you can- even though Jude can be a difficult character to understand, I couldn’t help but root for her as she overcame obstacles and struggled to form meaningful relationships.

[Monika Armet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book predominantly follows Jude Montgomery, a mixed race American renowned photographer.

Jude is originally from Texas and the book tells her story, starting with her somewhat unhappy childhood, living with her alcoholic mother and Hispanic step father.

On Jude’s 16th birthday, there is a mass shooting at her school. She then decides to leave her hometown and goes on a road trip across America, which spins off a series of tragic events.

I don’t want to say any more of the plot – it’s an extraordinary story. It’s like life itself, upbeat in places, turning dark the next.

I was amazed at Jude’s life. How one person can sustain so much tragedy and yet keep on going. What a remarkable character she was.

This book raises some important issues of belonging in the world. Jude was desperate to seek her Scottish roots and atone for past misdeeds.

Another issue this book focuses on is race. Jude was mixed-race and she felt like she didn’t belong in the ‘white’ or ‘black’ category.

Then, addiction, the violence, America’s gun law, and Scottish knife crime. This book certainly packs a punch!

It’s unlike anything I’ve read before. It will stay with me for a long time.

Many thanks to Orenda Books for my e-ARC and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for my spot on the tour.

[Pam Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

 I can honestly say that I found this to be quite a challenging read. In part, this was because direct speech was not punctuated. However, once I put that to one side, I had to admire the author's original writing style and distinctive authorial voice. It is quite a gritty read, which moves through the decades and weaves together different storylines which seem to be brought together at the end. 

One of the aspects I enjoyed the most was being able to recognise certain actual events which had a profound effect on everyone. Starting just after the Scottish Referendum in 2014, this gave it a contemporary feel and made you think that this could all happen. The novel was taking place in our world. You are taken to some down to earth places, with drugs, gun crime, poverty, racism all in the mix. Jude is living with a massive guilt which she is trying to escape from. As you follow her journey, you can't begin to see how it is going to end up. The end is devastating (no spoilers) and you can't help but sit back and admire such meticulous and detailed work.

In short: gritty, elusive, challenging.

[sammstormborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead introduces folks to two central figures: Jude, a photojournalist and Jamie, a failed musician. While initially separate, their respective stories briefly coalesce before bifurcating once more through successive jumps between the 1970s all the way to the 2010s.

Ok, I’m going to admit my own ignorance and possible naivety, but as I read, I genuinely questioned whether Ross was writing a biography about Jude and weaving it together with fact and fiction or if it was entirely fictitious with the barest elements of truth sprinkled in.

And, I think that’s the genius behind it all. Ross writes a story compelling, detailed, and raw enough to make you fully believe in its supposed authenticity.

There is a large cast of characters (especially for a 340p book), but Ross delivers them to us with incredible depth. And, the jumps between characters and time, while could be slightly jarring and confusing at first, only strengthens Ross’s narrative. It underlines human experience and perception: truth and time are not linear. And neither do we have enough of either.

TLDR: It's a great read

[Stephen Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

David F Ross continues to impress with his sixth book. While music is always prevalent in Ross’s books, and the dynamics of chaotic Glaswegian bands, this was unusual territory for the author as he splices the novel into the great Glasgow dream (records, success, tv appearances, etc) with the story of a young black woman Judithea Montgomery, escaping the gun-toting racist underbelly of middle-America.

Somehow, Ross interweaves the two tales into a tragic, hilarious, harrowing and fascinating novel which demonstrates more than most of his readers would expect from a firmly-Scottish based author.

Just when the light creeps in the cracks of the door, Ross’s expertise at turning a situation even darker boards up the fragments of hope in his reader.

Few authors hit the mark every time the way which David F. Ross is managing over the last decade. It also opens the way for the world to step in and become part of his crepuscular mind. Dashboard Elvis Is Dead is full of fascinating characters and plots which will leave you hankering for more of his novels. Please do read ‘There’s only one Danny Garvey’ if the notion should grab you.

[Kieran Lee-Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

More to say than I will fit it this review but this book truly is one of a kind. What starts as a split narrative about two people, from very different worlds, eventually evolves into an ambitious story, sprawling decades about the pitfalls of the human condition, great regrets and loves and how ultimately, in the end, there is only perspective - your perspective, and the ones you chose to believe.

What I will say, this book really does take a while to get going, for the first 80 pages or so, it can feel as though you’re being lead down a road you can’t see the end of, but once the climax of “part 1” is reached, it really all does feel worth it. Everything that follows from here, will have you gripped. Trust the story, and trust Ross, because they know what they’re doing. The beautiful melancholy that echoes through this novel, will touch you with how painfully familiar it feels. Like a deep buried emotion that you are being reminded of, rather than feeling for the first time.

The story, and it’s ultimate effect on you, is truly unique and will be hard-pressed to be found anywhere else.

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of writing was interesting in that it focused on two main people and kept alternating between them. As well as that there was the odd chapter about the author. You certainly had to keep your wits about you and a couple of times I had to go back and check things, but overall it was an emotional and cleverly intertwined story.

I enjoyed the fact that the two main characters were speaking to you as the reader. That was interesting and cleverly done.

The chapters weren't overly long which meant that you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. Each chapter had a title and was split further by spaces in between paragraphs and dates.

The characters were excellent. They had so many things happen to them which made them interesting. I loved the connections that they all had, however loose!

The settings were excellent. I enjoyed travelling around and experiencing the past. The story was mainly focused on the characters so the background was only lightly described, but together it made for an interesting story.

Overall an interesting book.

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most stories are about finding something, the truth, the characters personality, or an aspect of an event and as we do, rationalising it.

This book is about characters who are inextricably connected however loosely, but there’s so much to learn. Not just for us. They are finding and understanding their past to explain their present, however painful that may be.

I loved this book as it drew me in with the story immediately, hanging by the tenuous but extremely strong spiderweb like threads woven by David F Ross.

I enjoy books that I start wondering how on earth this can possibly be anything other than totally random stories, yet they are like interwoven fabrics that are loosely connected here or there but so taut at the edges that I feel something could snap. I felt emotional reading this book. The fear of characters, hunger or sadness of others, and yet throughout they held together and held me enthralled. Wow, what an incredible story.

With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[3PCats · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim due to the title (I love Elvis). Turned it over and read that it took place in the 80s (my childhood) and included a road trip across the American West (my dream)… As an American expat living in the U.K., the Glasgow angle intrigued me too. Sold!

I was so invested in these characters. I cried when Jude lost Hennessy. The end broke me. I really wanted Jude and Jamie to have their happy ending. I knew it wasn’t logical but I just hoped they’d end up together. Then I had a word with myself: Come on—what were you expecting? A wedding cake with dashboard Elvis on top? Of course not, life isn’t like that. But still…

When I closed the book I sat there wondering how to rate it. I decided on four stars purely because the ending upset me so much. I sat there some more. And I thought I can’t remember the last time a work of fiction has made me feel so THERE—so present, so engaged, so moved. So haunted. So I gave it the five stars it deserves. I am definitely going to read more of David F Ross’ work, but I need my heart to heal a little first.