
Ten by Pearl Jam
Album Watch
Ten is the debut studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through...
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Heartless by Pallbearer
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Pallbearer's third album, 'Heartless', is an inspired collection of monumental rock music. The band...
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Ronnie Wood: Artist
Ronnie Wood and Richard Havers
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Ronnie Wood is one of the foremost rock guitarists in the world, but his artistic talents extend...

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Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone by The Walkmen
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Containing three former members of much-lamented New York buzz band Jonathan Fire Eater, who...

The Edge of the World
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Shay Maloney is living his dream—on tour with his pirate/folk-rock band. But you can’t know...
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The Armageddon Rag
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin comes the ultimate novel of...

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Dead Girl Walking in Books
Nov 12, 2019
Parlabane has been a victim of the Leveson enquiry into press standard and phone hacking. Hung out to dry as a scapegoat to save the real guilty parties (not that he would be above a little phone hacking but more that he would never get caught doing it) he has fallen out of the bottom of journalism and is seriously considering what else he can do.
Enter Mairi, the sister of a childhood friend who manages a band. The band are very much the 'next big thing' and following a successful European tour are now heading to the United States. The only problem is that their lead singer and songwriter has gone missing. Mairi needs her found and figures Jack's investigative skills are what is needed.
The narrative more-or-less alternates between following Parlabane as he tries to work out where the singer is and the private blog/diary of the band's new violinist, parachuted into the band and feeling very much out of her depth. The Parlabane thread contains its fair share of action and humour in equal measures. The diary entries seem very authentic in their descriptions of the closed and self-regarding world of a rock music tour.
The plot is not complex but compelling as both strands come together at the end. The reveal is hardly devastating or a huge twist but is entirely satsifying and in keeping with the work. As usual with Brookmyre there are inside jokes and nifty throw away band and song references littered throughout. It is also easy to read with short snappy chapters making it hard to put down without wanting to read just another one.
In in all I thought this was a great book from Brookmyre and it was so good to see Parlabane back in action.