Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers

The music industry provides the backdrop for this effective crime novel from Levinson (Phony Tinsel). Rock and roll icon Nat Axelrod saw his career and life come crashing down as the result of a spurious rape conviction in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1989. Danny Manings, Nat’s manager, lost his wife to a drug overdose, and subsequently saw his own life spiral into an abyss of mediocrity. Nine years later, as Danny and Nat seek redemption in one form or another—in Nat’s case, an unlikely reunion with his star-crossed lover, Mae Jean Minter—their paths inevitably intersect, but not before they encounter a slew of dangerous music executives, scorned lovers, and even an alcoholic priest. Meanwhile, the talented and seductive journalist Laurent Connart doggedly pursues the story of Nat’s recent escapades. The fast-paced narrative builds to an explosive, yet emotionally satisfying, conclusion. (Jan.)