Killing Me Softly
The Comeback Trail Book 1
ISBN 9781915036261
eISBN 9781915036674
ASIN B09ZVBV5FK
I picked up the first volume in this series for a few reasons. First some author and publishing friends call me a ‘completionist’; in that when I find an author I love I try and read everything they have in print. Second I have been absolutely loving Hale’s Shakespeare Murders Series. Third I absolutely love the artwork. Including the album of songs inspired by the book that has limited availability. But I am getting ahead of myself. About the author on his site we are informed:
“Guy Hale lives in rural Worcestershire with his wife and son. He spent his early life avoiding serious employment as a professional golfer. He then spent several years trying to end it by racing motorcycles. Having failed, he then concentrated on business, which proved to be a safer and more suitable destination for his talents. He sold up and retired in 2018, and then started a record label in Texas. This led him to becoming a songwriter, and writing novels was a natural progression. He confesses to having a low boredom threshold.”
The description of this volume is:
“In the town of Blackjack, Nevada, washed-up singer Jimmy Wayne is down on his luck, playing covers to a limited and uninterested audience in a third-rate casino. One morning he awakens to find that everything has changed. Not only has he accidentally murdered Wendy, his girlfriend, but he's also written the best song he's ever produced. Is it the act of killing that helps him create his finest work? And if it is, should he go for a full album? Wrestling for his desire for success, his grasp of morality and haunted by his past mistakes, Jimmy starts searching for the most terrible people he has ever known.”
The dedication states:
“MIKE ZITO This book came out of a conversation Mike and I had in a restaurant in LA. The character of Jimmy Wayne is based on Mike … without the murdering … I think. As an aspiring musician, Mike had played venues like the Riviera and he told me that he had an idea about a down-on-his-luck singer who accidently kills someone and then discovers the ability to write a song whenever he kills. The idea blew my mind, and I asked him if I could turn it into a novel. The soundtrack that I wrote to go with the novel is performed by Mike and he arranged all the music. Mike is like a brother to me … his talent and generosity seem to have no bounds and I am forever grateful that we have got to work on so many great records and now the Jimmy Wayne saga together.”
The chapters in the work are:
1: Vacant Stare
2: The Song Cemetery
3: It’s the Singer and the Song
4: Newton’s Third Law
5: Well, Now You Know
6: The Female of the Species Is More Deadly Than the Male
7: An Offer You Can’t Refuse
8: Draw up a List of Scumbags
9: Just Like Buses
10: Exit Stage Left (Laughing)
11: Who’s Killing My Killers?
12: Immoral Guidance
13: Fancy A Threesome?
14: The Long Arm of the Law
15: Revenge Ain’t Always Sweet
16: Stairway to Hell
17: Laughing and Dying
18: Good Day to Be an Undertaker
19: Farewell to The Canyon Room
20: Goodbye Blackjack, Hello Vegas
The track list for the album is:
Vacant Stare
Safe
To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Hanging Around
Lonely Old Lady
Rage
Too Much
When The Day Is Done
Late Blossom
Stairway To Hell
Déjà vu
Cold Winds Blowing
I will say pay close attention to the chapter titles some are terribly clever. And play a key role in the story. This story follows Jimmy Wayne, almost a has-been, he was up the charts and just sort of never converted. The story begins when he wakes up from a bender and finds his girlfriend dead in his hotel room. He also finds a song in his own hand that is has really good lyrics. Soon he realizes if he kills he writes a song that will be a hit! But he soon starts questioning how badly he wants musical success, is the cost worth it? And even if he is killing bad people he starts questioning his own actions.
This book is dark, disturbing and yet also very humorous. The characters in this story are a strange mix. You have the antihero, a corrupt cop, a mob boss, the owner of a brothel, a biker gang, a drug dealer and in the middle of it all, bodies just keep dropping. The plot is deeply twisted and yet terribly fresh. The book leaves you desperate for the next instalment! I have ordered a copy for my father and recommended it to a few friends. But There are lots of friends that would just not get the humour. It is soft of a mash up of Dexter and Get Smart, with a musician in the leading role. And I cannot but help picture a younger Bruce Campbell in the leading role, And Helena Bonham Carter as Wendy. This is an excellent read, it was very fun, and very dark. I can easily recommend it but with the caveat it is not for all readers.
Books by Guy Hale
Comeback Trail Series:
1. Killing Me Softly (2022)
2. Blood on the Tracks (2022)
3. All The World's A Stage (2023)
…
Shakespeare Murders Series:
1. The Croaking Raven (2024)
2. All Our Yesterdays (2025)
3. Put Out the Light (2025)
4. Sleep No More (2025)
…
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