MURDER OFF MIKE: A Talk Radio Mystery

Politics, greed and murder combine with an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at contemporary talk radio in Krieg's superb debut, featuring fresh, smart and feisty sleuth Shauna J. Bogart. As the popular host of a radio talk show in Sacramento, Calif., Shauna J. deals daily with a cast of quirky characters, including Lenny from Rio and Ferretman Bob. Rudy from West Sacramento, a first-time caller with an odd accent ("Who does this guy think he is with the phony Iron Curtain accent? Boris Badenov?"), phones to report sinister goings-on in a building near the State Capitol where Shauna's mentor and co-worker Dr. Hipster lives, and Shauna has a colleague alert the cops. At the scene the police find Hipster with a bullet in his head and what appears to be a suicide note. Suspecting foul play, Shauna begins her own investigation, which will lead her into the discovery of long past events that put her, and those around her, in jeopardy. So vividly does the author describe the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and the streets and heat of the city in May, one can hear the music, feel the crowds. Peppered with apt references to popular culture ("Either the entire cast of La Cage aux Folles had set up camp in my bedroom, or Glory Lou was preparing for my makeover for the Jazz Band Ball"), this riveting mystery will leave readers eager for the sequel. (Apr.)

FYI:This title won the 2002 St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic contest for Best First Traditional Mystery.