Thursday, March 30, 2017

Descending Memphis (Tommy Rhodeen) by Robert Moss

Like SW Lauden, Robert Moss is a punk rocker turned crime novelist. That little fact peaked my interest immediately when I was asked to review Descending Memphis. The music scene involved in this tale isn't the 1980s punk rock when Robert Moss was actively playing. Instead we find ourselves in the rock 'n' roll of the Fifties. Tommy Rhodeen is a PI who recovers stolen property for his clients, a bit like Travis McGee (or the later Lucas Spero) and plays guitar. Two cool things for a private investigator character. But when Tommy gets hired not to track down stolen items but a missing teenage girl, his life gets complicated. To solve his case, Tommy must deal with crooked cops, politicians and thugs as well as the racism that existed during the time the story takes place. Yet Tommy not only solves the mystery, he gets in some recording studio time.
There is a nice historical fiction undertone to the story and Robert captures the era perfectly. Above all Descending Memphis is a solid hardboiled mystery with a cool protagonist. The prose is tight and easy to read and the pacing excellent. Guess there's still some punk rock roots bleeding through on the page. Nice one!

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