Customer Reviews

Dark Side of the Morgue

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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. :)

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.

This is one story that mystery fans don't want to miss. Various references to rock and roll make it even more enjoyable for music lovers. But don't bother if you are not familiar with the music scene because this detective story gives you a whole lot more in addition to songs and melody. Dating back over 30 years, a ghost from the past, who could and could not be who, how Spike Berenger survives difficulties, bigger roles of his team members --- all these things would make you want to keep reading to the end. As in the first story in the series A HARD DAY'S DEATH, Berenger is not a superman. Although he is a private investigator, he shows weakness like anyone and he needs as much of other people's help in his job as his own effort. This normalness helps establish an ordinary figure that may be around you. Boring? Not at all! It gives you the sense of closeness to the guy unlike a super hero living in a different world, well beyond our reach. I hope to see more stories published.

This follow-up to A Hard Day's Death features all the action, suspense, and twists that Bensen is known for, while also adding a dash of humor.

Spike Berenger, a rock 'n' roll detective specializing in protecting musicians, is lured into a 30 year old mystery involving an unknown femme fatale who may or may not be long dead. It's a really fun ride, filled with many winks to both music and mystery fans, and the ending is a real shocker.

I hope Spike is around for a long, long times. Fans of Robert B. Parker and Robert Crais will love this series.

Noted author Raymond Benson (James Bond and others) gives us another supremely entertaining rock & roll thriller with private investigator Spike Berenger. This second installment (after "A Hard Day's Death") takes Spike and his partner/ex-girlfriend Suzanne to Chicago to investigate current day crimes that are connected to events that occurred over 30 years ago. Along the way he visits real clubs such as Schuba's, Martyr's, and Reggie's along with numerous Chicago settings. Naturally it is another page-turner (I finished it within 8 hours of buying it!) and it hurtles toward a wild climax at a concert at the Park West. As with many mysteries, there are always a few unexpected twists and turns at the end, and this book certainly takes a twisted turn! It is a great inexpensive gift for others, and is a "must" in particular for any fans of progressive rock since he name-checks everyone from Gentle Giant to Hatfield and the North! Highly recommended.

Oddly enough, I got this book because I'm excited about an upcoming book. Raymond Benson is one of six authors tapped to write for the newest venture from Hard Case Crime founder Charles Ardai: pulp adventure novels in the old style featuring a new character, Gabriel Hunt.

I've been highly anticipating this series since it was first announced because the other five authors (Ardai himself, David J. Schow, Christa Faust, James Reasoner, and Nicholas Kaufmann) have proven themselves to be quite skilled at fast-paced narratives. Benson is the only one I'd not read before, so when I saw that his second Spike Berenger novel, Dark Side of the Morgue was available, I leapt.

Part of the attraction came from the concept of a rock and roll P.I. Spike Berenger used to be in a progressive rock band called The Fixers, but they didn't last long (though they still have some devoted fans). Now Berenger and his partner Rudy Bishop run Rockin' Security, a service for the music industry. Berenger also has his private investigator's license because it sometimes helps with business. Suzanne Prescott, a former Goth devotee now into Transcendental Meditation (T.M.) and martial arts, is his investigation partner.

A blonde wearing sunglasses and a big, floppy hat has been killing members of Chicago's prog-rock scene (known locally as "Chicagoprog"), and Zach Garriott (guitarist and vocalist for the seminal bands North Side and Red Skyez, but gone solo since 1980) wants Berenger's help finding the suspect -- he's on the list. The trouble is, the main suspect is Sylvia Favero, and she's been dead since 1970.

Berenger, a little bored with his current caseload involving Iggy Pop's dogs and Debbie Harry's landlord, decides to take the case, partly because he's friends and former colleagues with many of the participants. Here, Benson's knowledge of the prog-rock industry serves him well (he wrote The Pocket Guide to Jethro Tull and is himself a composer and songwriter). After a long exposition introducing character relationships and band histories, Benson's feel for the high points brings authenticity to the story and never feels just like some guy trying to write a rock novel. (A Chicagoprog "family tree" at the front of the book is great for reference, and the table of contents is actually a "track listing" of song titles.)

Dark Side of the Morgue is funny, disturbing, and filled with deep knowledge of the music industry and abnormal psychology, all combined to make a really terrific read that I wanted to pick up whenever I had a free moment. It is assembled from P.I./thriller tropes we've seen many times before, but Benson has put them together in a way that feels fresh and original, and results in the reader responding to them as if they were brand new (a skill no doubt useful in his upcoming Gabriel Hunt novel, Hunt through Napoleon's Web).

Also speaking well of his skill at adventure, Benson is the author of six recent original novels featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond -- only the fourth author chosen to do so -- in addition to the first two Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell novels (written under the pseudonym "David Michaels") and other thrillers like Sweetie's Diamonds and the first Berenger "hit," A Hard Day's Death.

My only real complaint is that protagonist Spike Berenger is the least interesting person in the book. But Berenger's transparency allows the supporting characters to truly shine (for example, in how Prescott's T.M. skills actually figure into the plot instead of being just an interesting character quirk). Dark Side of the Morgue is an intelligent mystery with a twist as layer after layer of the story is slowly revealed to the reader's joyous satisfaction.

Benson obviously spent a great deal of time developing his musicians' relationships and histories, and the hard work pays off in an engrossing read that is as much for rock fans as it is for fans of conventional P.I. novels. Honestly, Dark Side of the Morgue is so good that if it's not nominated for both the Edgar and the Shamus awards, somebody's just not paying attention.

This book is another in that short list that leaves me listless, not directly due to reading it but due to the sleep I lost staying up much too late with it open and eighteen inches from my nose. It is a murder mystery with an exotic twist where the "bad guy" seems obvious but that is just another delusion associated with the story.
Musicians in lesser-known rock bands with ties to the Chicago area are being systematically killed and there is a common tie between all the victims. All had intimate dealings with a female aspiring musician that was the primary supplier of drugs and sex for the bands. In desperation, one of the obvious next targets contacts ex-musician Spike Berenger asking for his assistance. Since he left the active music business, Spike has become a private investigator and his company provides security for musicians and at their concerts.
Spike agrees to take the job and flies to Chicago with his business partner Suzanne and when they get there the story they hear is amazing. The common story among all the probable next targets is that the killer is a blonde-haired female wearing a floppy hippy-style hat of the late sixties. That description fits the groupie that vanished without a trace three decades earlier. At first, Spike and Suzanne are powerless to stop the killer, yet they know that there is an important point of fact that is being withheld by the next victims.
In this story, Benson demonstrates once again that he is a master storyteller, the presentation is crisp and the outlier elements of the plot are fundamental to the story rather than distractions. I opened this book in the early evening and did not put it down for over 200 pages. The identity of the killer gives new meaning to the phrase "bad guy."

Someone is methodically hunting the stalwarts of Chicago's progressive rock underground and killing them, execution style. So the mystery begins: you mean to say people still listen to prog rock? Now there's a whodunit worth investigating!

Raymond Benson provides an interesting PI in Spike Berenger: ex-military lawman, ex-rock star in waiting, now chief of a tour security firm. Like the best detectives, he's damaged goods incarnate. Benson is a veteran of James Bond and Tom Clancy franchises, as well as a musician and music journalist. Between the two, his immersion in crime and the music milieu is powerful without hitting readers over the head.

I admit being jaded with crime fiction. I'm the guy who names the guilty party fifteen minutes into an episode of CSI, and three times out of four I'm right. So it felt good when I thought I'd sewn up the story a hundred pages in, and found I was wrong. That means Benson is thinking hard enough to keep readers on our toes.

It's also good to see Benson break the crinkum crankum "rules" dominating the genre. No one saves the metaphorical puppy in Act II. The mystery doesn't tie itself up with a neat bow; our author expects readers to be smarter and harder-edged than that. I respect this.

The last two chapters disappoint. With the mystery concluded, we get a Jessica Fletcher denouement and a scene of our detective at home, displaying how his personal damage is still in force. This feels like falling off, like a whimper. These characters and this situation deserve better.

But most of the book is intense, nail-biting crime thriller. For fans of detective pulp, especially fans like me who've grown a shell over our hearts, this book reminds us why we read this fiction. It's smart and challenging without being pretentious. And it's heaping piles of double barrel fun.

Someone is killing Progressive Rock musicians in Chicago-one by one. Only thing is, the sole suspect is a ghost. Enter the intrepid ROCKIN' SECURITY team, summoned from NYC at the behest of a potential victim. Considering the fact that Chicago never had a Progressive Rock movement, this story is a bit of a stretch from Jump Street. Given that the dead musicians-and Spike Berenger, head of said ROCKIN' SECURITY- are all past the prime of life...the novel creaks along with a certain charm..and an equally certain annoyance factor.

i found the plot intriguing- the psychological deterioration of rock musicians is always so...However, the amount of information imparted-most of it fictitious-was done so, i thought, in a didactic fashion that hampered the characters' portrayal...i thought
Spike Berenger lacked a certain "charm" because he was too busy spouting "old history"....and he tried awfully hard to play a Tough Guy...

other than that, i thought it was an enjoyable book. i don't usually read Rock n Roll novels, which tend to be either overly sentimental or painfully HIP..this one skirted the pitfalls, but barely.. i read the entire book in order to find out how Mr Benson handled the ending..not bad. i have recommended this title to people who already like the Genre..no one has complained yet

i still can't figure, though, if this story is "....just another brick in the wall"...or not?