Jamaica Blue [Hardcover]

Don Bruns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2002

When successful and charming rock journalist Mick Sever goes to Jamaica to see the 'next big thing', a reggae/rap band with a flare for hypnotic beats and violent lyrics, he finds that there's more than just sun, sand and music on the island of Jamaica. Danger, lies, sex and murder abound in the tropical paradise.

Led by front man Derrick Lyman, a talented and captivating performer with a radical political message, the band seems set for instant stardom. But then a young girl is savagely murdered at an afterparty celebrating the band's first American concert in Miami. Roland Johnson, the band's security guard is caught, with a knife in his hand at the crime scene. Roland is arrested and charged with murder. For all involved the case is closed - all except Mick Sever.

Sever, a relentless and charming sleuth, isn't convinced that the simple guard is the cold-blooded killer everyone thinks he is. Stories of other murders and violence that follow the band lead Sever to believe there is more to the story than meets the eye. Threatened by the band, the police, and dangerous unknown assailants, Sever with the help of his beautiful and intelligent ex-wife Ginny, is determined to learn the truth.

In the world of music, with double deals, beautiful women and sexy sounds, nothing is as it seems. Set against the exotic backdrops of Florida and Jamaica, this is an edgy, atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat mystery that will keep you guessing right up to the shocking ending.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Jamaica and Florida and steeped in the lore of rock and roll, pot, Rastafarianism and reggae rap, Bruns's first novel, alas, provides only moderate mystery entertainment. Mick Sever, a renowned rock critic and author of a bestselling book about a rock star's murder, agrees to do a piece on a new reggae group headed by the charismatic Derrick Layman (hailed as "the second coming of Bob Marley"), whose misogynistic lyrics advocate violence against women. Two young women have already been murdered after Derrick and the Laments concerts. When a third victim is stabbed to death, the alleged killer, Roland Jamison, one of Layman's security guards, is found standing over the body with a bloody knife. The police, understandably, arrest Jamison, but Sever, like Inspector Clouseau under similar obvious circumstances in A Shot in the Dark, doubts the man's guilt based on his bewildered expression. Bruns makes much of this and the authorities' unwillingness to accept it as evidence. There are few suspects but their complex relationships generate most of the narrative interest. There are two attempts to drive Sever off the road, a bashing or two and a fistfight, but otherwise little action and no suspense. Sever may not be a terribly compelling sleuth, but his extensive knowledge of the rock world helps redeem the story, as does a clever and logical solution to the crimes.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Mick Sever, an influential music critic and best-selling writer, first hears a hot, new Jamaican band called Derrick and the Laments, he's hooked despite the front man's violent political and racial rants. More than that, though, he's intrigued by the fact that three murders of young women have followed Derrick's recent concerts. The last killing occurred on a yacht in Miami during a post-concert party. Mick senses another best seller and begins investigating. Well-paced prose, unnerving, high-speed action, and lively subject matter merit this attention, especially from readers interested in music. A solid debut.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (October 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312304900
• ISBN-13: 978-0312304904
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,596,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Don Bruns is a novelist, advertising executive, musician, songwriter, cook and painter who has no idea what he wants to do when he grows up. He's the author of nine books and was editor of the mystery/music anthology A Merry Band Of Murderers.

Don's published novels cover two series. One, a Caribbean thriller collection and two, the Stuff series, a humorous look at two twenty-four year old guys in South Florida who start their own detective agency and end up neck - deep in trouble. Skip and James from the Stuff series have often been compared to grown up versions of the Hardy Boys.

Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach Shakedown, St. Barts Breakdown and Bahama Burnout make up the Caribbean books. The Stuff series consists of Stuff To Die For, Stuff Dreams Are Made Of, Stuff To Spy For, and Don't Sweat The Small Stuff- which came out in December 2010. Bruns is currently working on the fifth Stuff book, Too Much Stuff.

His two series have won numerous awards, and the latest "Stuff" series has won a starred review in Booklist.

"Will remind the reader of Tim Dorsey's cast of whacked-out characters but with the narrative voice and feel of Mark Twain's Huck Finn."

Traveling the Caribbean for his Mick Sever series, or hovering around Miami for his "Stuff" series, Bruns enjoys the writing life. You can find him at http://www.donbrunsbooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Jamica Blue, November 10, 2002

By 

Ken Dandrea "equipoise3" (Santa Rosa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jamaica Blue (Hardcover)

Kind of hokey. Really took a leap of faith to follow the story line. How many murders would it take to stop an actual concert and would a concert really be that important to ignore multiple murders.

Does get some points for the Ginny character. She seemed the most real.

Kind of tough going

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast Paced Read Though Somewhat Improbable Plot, July 19, 2008

By 

Michael L. Slavin "HardBopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jamaica Blue (Mass Market Paperback)

Free lance rock & roll critic and author Mick Sever is drawn into the world of reggae and Rastafarian culture. A charismatic singer who sings provocative lyrics is on the way to quick stardom. Sever had written a book on sex, drugs, rock and murder previously finds himself headed down a similar path as female concertgoers are murdered. He could well be a private investigator as well as writer. Surprisingly good read.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good feel for egotism of rock and roll, November 12, 2002

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jamaica Blue (Hardcover)

When an old friend asks him to check out a new band, rock and roll reviewer Mick Sever drops his book tour and heads for Jamaica. It looks like Sever's friend, promoter Bobby Vane has hit the jackpot. Derrick and the Laments is magical--and Sever writes a complimentary review. Surely the two murders that happened after the band's shows are just coincidence. But when a third woman is killed--and one of the band's roadies accused of the murder, Sever knows he's got to look more closely. He's sure he saw confusion, not guilt in the accused man's eyes.

Author Don Bruns writes convincingly about the music business and the power, money, drugs, and sex that surround it. His descriptions of the charismatic band leader Derrick ring true. JAMAICA BLUE is a well written first novel for Bruns. I would have liked to see more attention to potential red herrings, however. Although Sever identified several potential suspects early on, he never seemed to get around to investigating them--surely a top journalist would have tracked down these loose ends.

JAMAICA BLUE isn't a perfect novel but it marks a promising first mystery. I'll be looking for more novels by Don Bruns.