Join Books.org — it's free

Detective Fiction, Crimes - Fiction, Arts & Entertainment - Fiction, Occupations - Fiction
St. Barts Breakdown by Don Bruns β€” book cover

St. Barts Breakdown

by Don Bruns
Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Log in to track your reading progress.

Overview

Rock and roll journalist Mick Sever is back with a new assignment: interview music legend Danny Murtz. Murtzs walls are lined with platinum records, but his closet is full of skeletons. Known for producing an unbelievable string of hits, Murtz is also tied to a string of disappearances. Seems a number of Murtzs romantic conquests have vanished into thin air. After his latest incident, Murtz conveniently retreats to his secluded St. Bart villa. Before Mick can hop a plane to the island, hes nearly run down by a speeding car. Coincidence? Maybe, but hitmaker Danny Murtz and near misses go hand in hand. After receiving anonymous threats, Murtz is convinced: someone wants to bring him down. Even his longtime secretary Nancy, and attorney/manager/cleaner-upper Harvey Schwartz are suspect. And that meddlesome Mick Sever is digging too deep. If Danny Murtz has his way, Mick will only need a one-way ticket to paradise. Because if Mick isnt careful, his next column will be an obituary - his obituary. Sun, sand and a psychopath: its a deadly mix.

Synopsis

Rock and roll journalist Mick Sever is back with a new assignment: interview music legend Danny Murtz.

Murtz's walls are lined with platinum records, but his closet is full of skeletons.

Known for producing an unbelievable string of hits, Murtz is also tied to a string of disappearances. Seems a number of Murtz's romantic conquests have vanished into thin air. After his latest incident, Murtz conveniently retreats to his secluded St. Bart villa.

Before Mick can hop a plane to the island, he's nearly run down by a speeding car. Coincidence? Maybe, but hitmaker Danny Murtz and near misses go hand in hand.

After receiving anonymous threats, Murtz is convinced: someone wants to bring him down. Even his longtime secretary Nancy, and attorney/manager/cleaner-upper Harvey Schwartz are suspect. And that meddlesome Mick Sever is digging too deep.

If Danny Murtz has his way, Mick will only need a one-way ticket to paradise. Because if Mick isn't careful, his next column will be an obituary - his obituary.

Sun, sand and a psychopath: it's a deadly mix.

Publishers Weekly

In Bruns's mildly diverting fourth mystery to feature rock journalist Mick Sever (after 2006's South Beach Shakedown), Sever flies to a Caribbean island known as a haven for the rich and famous to interview Danny Murtz, a highly successful rock music producer who in his day turned out hit singles employing a unique orchestral sound. (Murtz will remind many of the real-life Phil Spector.) Murtz's lawyer and all-around fixer insists Murtz proceed with the interview while the lawyer tries to cover up the most recent death of a young woman with whom the producer was involved. Murtz, whose always erratic behavior has become dangerously more so, decides he can take care of his own problems, including a nosy journalist. Full of one-dimensional characters and implausible situations, this slight novel offers no insight into the world of rock from either the point-of-view of a journalist or a producer. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

About the Author, Don Bruns

Don Burns is a songwriter, musician, and advertising executive. He and his family live in Ohio and frequent Florida and the Caribbean. This is his first book.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly

In Bruns's mildly diverting fourth mystery to feature rock journalist Mick Sever (after 2006's South Beach Shakedown), Sever flies to a Caribbean island known as a haven for the rich and famous to interview Danny Murtz, a highly successful rock music producer who in his day turned out hit singles employing a unique orchestral sound. (Murtz will remind many of the real-life Phil Spector.) Murtz's lawyer and all-around fixer insists Murtz proceed with the interview while the lawyer tries to cover up the most recent death of a young woman with whom the producer was involved. Murtz, whose always erratic behavior has become dangerously more so, decides he can take care of his own problems, including a nosy journalist. Full of one-dimensional characters and implausible situations, this slight novel offers no insight into the world of rock from either the point-of-view of a journalist or a producer. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Library Journal

Rock music journalist Mick Sever (Jamaica Blue) goes to St. Bart to interview big-time music producer Danny Murtz but finds that something is very wrong with Murtz and his entourage. Plenty of action in short chapters keeps this one moving.


β€”Jo Ann Vicarel

Kirkus Reviews

A rock 'n' roll reporter seeks a killer interview with a rock 'n' roll producer and almost gets it, but not in a nice way. The Chicago Tribune has suddenly decided that Danny Murtz could be the stuff of major headlines. He's always loomed large in the music industry, with the gold and platinum discs to prove it. But that's not why the Trib's Jeff Bloomfield has illustrious rock 'n' roll journalist Mick Sever (Barbados Heat, 2003, etc.) sitting in his office. Bloomfield's concerned with a pair of pretty women connected for a time to Murtz and then inexplicably disconnected from everyone. Now Bloomfield smells blood, and if Mick's interview can make some sort of case, there's a big bonus in it for him. Mick signs on and flies to St. Bart, that tiny bit of fat-cat paradise in the Caribbean, where the "Howard Hughes of the music industry" is currently avoiding the madding crowd, except of course for the young, toothsome, impressionable portion of it. While Mick waits for the great man to see him, the atmosphere is changed by his brush with death. Maybe it's an accident. But two accidents? Clearly there's a killer out there with a secret he doesn't want to share with Mick. An interesting background can't redeem derivative characters, lifeless dialogue and a story line that wants to rock but mostly falls short.

Book Details

Published
March 1, 2009
Publisher
Oceanview Publishing
Pages
280
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781933515687

More by Don Bruns

Similar books