Rock and Roll Never Forgets: A JP Kinkaid Mystery (Hardcover)

by Deborah Grabien (Author)
Key Phrases: backstage door, guitar stand, Perry Dillon, New York, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–JP Kinkaid, a member of the legendary British rock band Blacklight, is unnerved when he learns that Perry Dillon, a tabloid biographer, is writing an exposé of the group. Kinkaid has a lot of secrets he would like to remain hidden: heroin addiction, deportation, and his struggle with multiple sclerosis. His fear only escalates when Dillon turns up dead in his dressing room and his life partner, Bree Godwin, is identified as the prime suspect in the investigation. As the mystery unravels, the novel provides a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional rock and roll, revealing the close bonds that are formed within it. As the story progresses, secrets are revealed as JP revisits his early days with Blacklight and Bree. The more that is revealed, the less trustworthy the characters are as their seemingly normal existence becomes shrouded in mystery and suspicion. The novel is reminiscent of Meg Cabots Size 12 Is Not Fat (HarperCollins, 2006). Grabiens novel is likely to appeal to casual readers as well as those with an affinity for rock and roll.–Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
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From Booklist
The author of the Haunted Ballad supernatural mystery series (New-Slain Knight, 2007) changes direction with this rock-’n’-roll mystery. When John “JP” Kinkaid, the bassist for Blacklight, a Rolling Stones–like rock band, learns that he must sit for an interview with a sleazy celebrity biographer, he’s not happy. There’s plenty of info that he would just as soon keep under wraps, including his 25-year estrangement from his heroin-addicted wife and his longtime relationship with his girlfriend, Bree, who is fiercely protective of their privacy. When the unscrupulous journalist is found murdered in JP’s dressing room, Bree soon becomes a “person of interest” to the NYPD. JP is desperate to clear her name, realizing he has always taken their relationship for granted. She is the one who has provided him with unending support over the years, helping him overcome his addictions to alcohol and drugs and deal with his diagnosis of MS. The straight-talking JP makes for an appealing narrator in this credibly plotted mystery, which is seasoned with plenty of interesting details on the machinations of an aging, enormously successful rock band. --Joanne Wilkinson

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312379994
• ISBN-13: 978-0312379995
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #731,350 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to beat, August 18, 2008

By	richardf8 "richardf8" (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

Rock and Roll Never Forgets may market itself as a murder mystery, but really this is a book about love and care and coping. The murder investigation provides the impetus for the revelation of the histories of some deeply developed characters, for the telling of a love story that opens in medias res, and bringing it to pleasing resolution. That said, with the murder investigation as the driving force, the story whips along, never getting bogged down in details - the reader is constantly enticed to turn the page. Grabien nails her settings - she not only knows what it is to be in the scene, she knows to what it is to live in the now, and with the disease of which she writes. It gives the book a literary timelessness. Grabien has crafted that rarest of gems, a murder mystery that you will want to reread even after you know who the murderer is.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big stage, intimate stakes, July 17, 2008

By	ita (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Ms. Grabien writes a book with a pounding rhythm without overshadowing the nuances of a delicate and intimate relationship. And that's before the mystery even shows up! It could easily stand on its own as a rock and roll love story, but why stop there if you have the talent to weave a gripping mystery with compelling characters in and around that?

And that's just what Ms. Grabien does, with her typically lyrical turn of phrase. Check [...] for a link to her video and a taste of the style, and check the top of the amazon page for links to inside the book to get a taste of the writing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hits the right note, July 8, 2008

By	Barbara Caridad Ferrer "A vivr con miedo es c... (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

For anyone who's fantasized about what being part of a big rock band is like, this is for you. For anyone who likes a good mystery, this is for you. For anyone who likes strong characters with vibrant voices, this is for you. And for anyone who likes a believable, long-term love story that only keeps growing, this is definitely for you.