The bass player’s dead, and no one’s talking.
When a member of a local punk band turns up dead at an infamous night club, it looks like a clear-cut case of band envy. Boston reporter Ali Loukas isn’t so sure.
Something smells off and with the help of her boyfriend and homicide detective, Ryan McGuire, Ali dons combat boots and a leather mini-skirt and goes undercover to sniff out the real … McGuire, Ali dons combat boots and a leather mini-skirt and goes undercover to sniff out the real killer. If she survives the disgusting ladies’ room, she just might track down the culprit.
This raucous cozy mystery is full of rock stars, punk bars, and screaming yellow guitars. Grab Rage on the Stage today to dive right into the mosh pit!
Content Note: PG equivalent – No profanity, no sex, no graphic violence.
This book was previously titled Drowned at the Rat.
Other books by April Anderton
Dead Before Wed – Press Pass Mysteries – Book One
Coconut Crush – Press Pass Mysteries – Book Three
Murder Past Midnight – Press Pass Mysteries – Book Four
Bag of Bones at the Lakeside Mall – Book One of Mysteries at the Mall – A YA Spin-Off of the Press Pass Mysteries
more
The second book in the Press Pass Mysteries, Ali Loukas has come into her own as a reporter for Channel 7. In the midst of doing a story at The Rathskeller nightclub, she stumbles upon the murder of Vinny G, a member of a band slated to play there. And Ali, being who she is, can’t just walk away from this story, even though her sort of boyfriend, Detective Ryan McGuire, all but begs her to. Their budding romance is hit from all sides as Ali is determined to find out what happened to Vinny at the same time that Ryan is keeping valuable information about the investigation from her. The deeper Ali digs, the more secrets she uncovers, secrets people will kill to keep hidden.
Plot
Once again, Anderton tells a well-plotted tale with plenty of twists and red herrings to throw us off, but in the end, the truth has been staring us in the face the entire time. Where the first book had multiple points of view, this second one in the series is only from Ali’s, which makes it smoother. By not being privy to anything she is not, the mystery unfolds at the perfect pace. The humor is ramped up in this installment without ever veering into silliness. The romance is a solid subplot and believable, adding a nice counterbalance to the murder mystery.
Characters
The characters are where the story really shines. Ali Loukas, once again, is a likable protagonist who is easy to root for. Ryan is both her perfect foil and a swoonworthy book boyfriend. The rest of the cast of characters are ideal for the roles they’re scripted for and are far more than two-dimensional stereotypes.
Top things I Enjoyed About DROWNED AT THE RAT
1. 1997. From the fashion to the music references, this is a fun romp down memory lane.
2. Ali. She’s come into her own with style and wit. I love her even more than I did in the first book.
3. Ryan. He’s still a tough-as-nails cop who plays his cards close to the vest, but watching him soften toward Ali makes him all the more adorable.
4. The Rat. A retro 80s punk-styled nightclub in the late 90s is everything.
5. The Mystery. Once again, the author keeps us guessing.
Bottom Line
A fun fast read with delightful characters and plenty of heart and humor
Terrific story with great characters
A transitional period in Ali’s life is also a time of change in the Kenmore neighborhood. Once on the cutting edge of punk, the bands booking now are less market edge and more trouble and noise. A death at the once famous Rathskeller might spell the strong beginning of the end for the venue.
Ali is gaining more recognition at Channel 7, and on air. Sure beats a 1 am live radio broadcast.
As she digs into some story ideas, she sinks her teeth into an apparent real estate scheme in the neighborhood around the Rathskeller. They are one of the few holdouts blocking the development of the University or a hotel. So who is behind the investor group buying up the real estate? Is there a link to the death at the Rathskeller?
Ali has a lot of excitement ahead – possibly on more than one front as things start to get real with her homicide detective.
Great KU mystery read!
This book is part of ‘A Press Pass Mystery Series. Chanel 7 Reporter, Ali Loukas was walking home and happened to pass The Rat, a grungy nightclub that had seen better days, when people start flying out the back door screaming about a dead man. One of the camera man from the station came running by and she quickly gets him to film a segment. Ali’s boyfriend is a detective and she has helped the police before. When she gets to the news station she finds out they want her to cover the story. She begins to investigate but can she solve the case and still her romance with the detective going?
This is a great cozy mystery. The characters are amazing and well defined. The narrative is wonderful, filled with descriptions, clues surprise, romance and humorous situations. This book at its core is a murder mystery that takes the reader through many twists and turns that keep you wondering who-done-it until the end. The romantic storyline is also filled with complications providing another element to this story. I enjoy cozy mysteries and found this one great. I look forward to reading more of the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this fun book with wonderful characters and an interesting plot. Female reporters or in my case, mechanics are treated much better now than they were even 10 years ago. This book kept me reading to the end! A great read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this mystery. The characters were well written, the mystery was interested and had plenty of twists to satisfy me. This is a good book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ali Loukas has transitioned over from radio host into a television beat reporter. A news story falls into her lap on her way home from a night out when she spies people running from the infamous night club known as the Rat. Jumping into the action, she spots a camera man from her station (moonlighting) who tells her a dead body has been found in the ladies room. Upon further investigation, she discovers that Vinny G, the bass player from a local punk band, has been found dead with his head in the toilet. Much to her homicide detective boyfriend Ryan, Ali decides to get involved in the investigation. Will she find out the reason Vinny was killed and how? Or will she get herself knee deep in trouble and the next possible victim of this killer?
Filled with a bit of romance, lots of action and adventure, plus a well thought out mystery, this book has something for all mystery loving fans.