British author Unsworth (The Not Knowing
) delivers a gripping thriller inspired by the good old days of in-your-face post-punk rock. Bad boy singer Vincent Smith of a New Wave group patterned after the Sex Pistols disappears in 1981, at the peak of Blood Truth's fame, after his wife of six months, Sylvana, lead singer of Mood Violet, overdoses in Paris. More than 20 years later, journalist Eddie Bracknell lands a deal to write a bio of Vince, but ferreting out the truth about the rocker's mad love for Sylvana and his iconic group, whose members disliked “the New Wave goddess,” becomes a fierce trip down a memory lane mosh pit squirming with vipers, liars and tricksters. The tension builds as Unsworth switches from the past to the present, bringing to dramatic life the players in this twisted tragedy. The shocking scoop on what really happened between the doomed couple finds Eddie discovering that raising the dead can come with a hefty price tag. (Feb.)
