Hotel California
The Music and Murder Mystery Series
Edited by Don Bruns
ISBN 9781665023948
eISBN 9781665023931
ASIN B09MZYH51Q
This book is the first in a new series, the title of the series is The Music and Murder Mystery Series and they stories are written in line with music on an album. In this case the iconic Hotel California by the Eagles. I have been a fan of the album for as long as I can remember. It was one my father listed to often. And one I have been known to have cranked up over the last 40+ years. The songs in the original order on the 1976 album was:
Hotel California
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Wasted Time (Reprise)
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
The Last Resort
The stories in the order they appear in this anthology:
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Victim of Love
Pretty Maids All in a Row
Try and Love Again
The Last Resort
Hotel California
Other than the Wasted Time Reprise there is a story for each song on the original release. I picked this up for a couple of reasons, first just the concept was intriguing. Second as a huge fan of the Reacher stories and having just finished all of Andrew Grant’s 9 novels he published before starting to write the Reacher books with his brother lee Child, as Andrew Child. And third to see what the contributors would do with the stories. The contributors are:
Other than child I had not read anything by any of the other contributors prior to reading this collection. I now have several new authors on my watch and wishlist. This was a great collection. I have already recommended it to a few friends, some musicians and others that are mystery lovers. Some of the stories dray heavily from the lyrics of the songs, some not so much. The story named after the title track, Hotel California by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush draws the most heavily from the lyrics and to be honest was one of my favourite stories. I loved the twist at the end of The Last Resort. Victim of Love have some great creep factor. And the gothic Pretty Maids in a Row had excellent scare factor involved. I did love Andrew Grant’s offering which I believe is his first solo Jack Reacher Story.
Overall, there is not a bad offering in the book. Each piece was well worth the read. And the concept and how it was put together is intriguing. I love two things most about reading anthologies first stories from authors or series I love to flesh out the world, and second finding new authors. This one was excellent for both. I can easily recommend this volume.
Note: for all review of books by Andrew Child click here, for reviews of other Anthologies click here.
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