Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Bird Lives
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Bill Moody
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth
Series: Evan Horne # 4
Walker, Jun 1999, $23.95, 256 pp.
He was feeling real good with his triumphant return as a jazz pianist after a year's absence. However, Evan Horne's elation is muted when he finds out that someone stabbed to death saxophone star Ty Rodman. Santa Monica police officer Danny Cooper asks Evan, who has been involved in previous investigations where murder and music mixed, to assist on this case.
Evan learns that someone wrote "BIRD LIVES" on the wall near the body. Evan informs Danny that refers to the jazz legend Charley "Bird" Parker. Could a purist have murdered the commercial Ty? As he assists the local police over the objections of his girlfriend, the FBI, and his own music career needs, a serial killer, who seems to know the score, murders other musicians.
Like the previous tales in this series, the fourth Bill Moody music- murder mystery is an entertaining opus that fans of jazz and amateur sleuth stories will enjoy. The story line is fun even though the musical aspects star over the who-done-it as Bill Moody plays homage to jazz. Evan remains a warm character, who continues to evolve. The support cast provides a California ensemble that adds orchestral overtones to a finely tuned novel. Bird definitely lives in the works of Mr. Moody.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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