Dark Side of the Morgue [Mass Market Paperback]

Raymond Benson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2009

Shamus Award Nominee for Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel of 2009 by the Private Eye Writers of America!

"Benson is a top-class thriller craftsman who knows showbiz and music like the back of his hand. An unbeatable combination." -- Lee Child

“Spike Berenger is so real that I even tried looking him up in my
address book in order to give him a call! Best rock read you will
ever find!”
--Rick Wakeman of YES

From Raymond Benson, author of sixteen novels, including
six James Bond 007 novels, comes this second original mystery/thriller
set in the world of rock ‘n’ roll.

Spike Berenger is back in another “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hit” by award
winning, internationally best-selling author Raymond Benson!

Musicians in progressive rock bands in Chicago are being murdered—
one by one. The local police have no clues, but several of the
musicians who fear they’re next on the hit list claim that the killer
is a ghost from the past—a woman who was reported missing and
presumed dead for over thirty years! The Rockin’ Security team is
called into action. Spike and his partner, Suzanne, travel to Chicago
to investigate the case, only to find that no one wants to talk. As Spike
digs deeper, he begins to unearth a lode of deadly secrets involving
sex, psychedelic drugs, and, of course, rock ‘n’ roll. And it isn’t long
before the private detective becomes a pawn in a very dangerous game.

“A terrific page-turner by one of the best thriller writers in the
business!’
--David Morrell, author of FIRST BLOOD

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books; Original edition (March 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843961988
• ISBN-13: 978-0843961980
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,188,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As of January 2011, Raymond Benson is the author of twenty-four published books. These include six original JAMES BOND novels (now collected in the recent anthologies THE UNION TRILOGY and CHOICE OF WEAPONS), three 007 film novelizations, and the first two TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL novels (for the latter he used the pseudonym of "David Michaels"). With John Milius he penned HOMEFRONT: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM. He also wrote the novelizations of the popular videogames--METAL GEAR SOLID and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY. Raymond writes his own original suspense books as well--stand alone thrillers such as TORMENT, ARTIFACT OF EVIL, SWEETIE'S DIAMONDS, FACE BLIND, and EVIL HOURS, or his two "Spike Berenger Rock 'n' Roll Hits" featuring a music industry detective--A HARD DAY'S DEATH and DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE. Coming soon--Raymond's entry in the "Gabriel Hunt" adventures, HUNT THROUGH NAPOLEON'S WEB, and an original thriller, THE BLACK STILETTO. There's a lot more, so if you want the full story visit the author at his website... www.raymondbenson.com!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rock-n-roll thriller, March 9, 2009

By 

Christine M. Irvin (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Side of the Morgue (Mass Market Paperback)

If you love old-time Rock `N' Roll, and you love a good "who-dun-it," then I've got just the book for you. Raymond Benson, the official author of the James Bond novels from 1999-2003, has written the second book in the Spike Berenger Rock `N' Roll "Hits" series. "Dark Side of the Morgue" will keep you spell-bound from page one, as Spike, a former rock band member turned PI, travels to Chicago to solve the mystery of who's killing members of progressive rock bands in the city.

Not only does he write a good mystery, but Raymond Benson also packs his novel full of Rock `N' Roll trivia, dropping names and dates like a pro.

I haven't read the first Spike Berenger book, "A Hard Day's Death," but I look forward to doing so. If it's anything like this sequel, I'm sure I will enjoy it, too. 5 stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A treat for lovers of music and mystery, July 24, 2011

By 

Clytie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dark Side of the Morgue (Spike Berenger Rock 'n' Roll Hits) (Kindle Edition)

Benson's Spike Berenger books (this is the first of two, plus a short story) give you a fascinating insight into what it's really like to be a rock star or part of the biz. All the excitement and glamour is there, but also the real people underneath, with their risks and secrets. Spike played in a rock band way back when, and he knew all these guys before they became famous. So, underneath the superficial scandals of drugs, sex and rock'n'roll, what secrets do these people hide, even from Spike? Why are these secrets killing them?

This is a quality mystery, but what stays with me long after reading the book is the very real view of people who have been turned into a product, and the way music is interwoven into our lives. Berenger sub-heads each chapter with a song title and artist name, and the song is well-worth listening to while reading the chapter. It underpins not only what happens in that chapter, but it's part of who we are. If you're a music-lover like me, these books are like a box of the very best chocolates: you re-savour old favourites and discover new ones. Enjoy. :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Twists More than a Pretzel, May 18, 2011

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Side of the Morgue (Mass Market Paperback)

This book falls into several genres. It definitely has a solid mystery. It is also a thriller. This book also contains some aspects of a police procedural, even though the focus is on a private investigator. Regardless of which genre might apply, I thought this book was interesting and entertaining.

Private investigator Spike Berenger receives a call from Zach Garriott, a musician friend who plays in a progressive rock group in Chicago. Someone is killing Chicago musicians associated with several progressive rock bands. Spike agrees to go to Chicago to investigate the murders and to try to protect the remaining band members. All investigations take their twists and turns, and this one seems to have more than most.

Some musicians are uninterested in cooperating with Spike and his partner Suzanne Prescott. At least one is downright belligerent at times. At first, Spike thinks that the lack of cooperation is due to a musician's natural preference for independence and freedom. The more Spike investigates, the more he suspects that the surviving members of Chicago's progressive rock groups are hiding something.

Complicating Spike's investigation is the Chicago Police Department, which is uncooperative as a minimum, but is often hostile. When Spike makes a wrong move, he ends up in a jail cell. Just when the situations appears to be as bad as it can possibly be, Spike's ex-wife shows up, to Spike's surprise, and announces that she is going to marry her boyfriend. Spike's ex-wife was also surprised to see Spike, and she may have been even more surprised that her future spouse seemed to get along well with Spike.

Of course, much of what happens, as in real life, is extraneous and just gets in the way of the investigation, which is going poorly. Spike and Suzanne appear to be going nowhere when suddenly they get a lucky break. Actually, they get several lucky breaks (which you will have to learn about yourself), and the case seems on the verge of breaking wide open.

Just when things seem to be going the right direction, things fall apart almost completely. After having said that, you are on your own.

I liked this story a lot for several reasons.

First, the story was fast-paced. The story does start a little slowly, but it accelerates steadily as the story progresses and eventually you almost want the story to slow down so you can think about the barrage of events. Of course, there are no brakes on a thriller and you are along for the ridge.

Second, I love the character development. Some mystery novels are all about the mystery, which is fine, but our hero Spike has lots of mundane problems that get in the way of solving mysteries. Some readers might complain at the distractions, but guess what? Spike complains about the distractions too.

Third, I love progressive rock and classic rock and author Benson throws in numerous references to real progressive rock musicians and to classic rock music. The one musician I recall the best is a reference to John Lodge of The Moody Blues. Sure, the references border on kitsch, but they are fun if you are a fan. Author Benson also knows modern progressive rock, at least, those in the U.S.A. and the U.K., fairly well. He mentioned one of my favorite groups, Porcupine Tree, along with some others.

If you enjoy a fast-paced thriller with events that have a tinge of the unbelievable, such as James Bond novels or Steve Berry novels, then you will probably enjoy this book. If you are a fan of classic rock and progressive rock as well, then you are probably going to love this novel.

Side note 1: On the back cover of the book, there is a humorous quote from progressive rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who I have always regarded as a highly intelligent and accomplished musician. Rick seemed to enjoy the character of Spike Berenger.

Side note 2: Author Benson describes what he believes to be a non-existent form of progressive rock called "Chicagoprog." While Chicagoprog may not be a formally recognized sub-genre of progressive rock, there are progressive rock groups in Chicago and there are references to "Chicago prog" on the internet. I will also point out that the rock group "Chicago" had progressive music on some of their early albums, so progressive rock has lived in Chicago for a long time.

Enjoy!

My thanks to the author's representative for providing me with a review copy.