Bright Midnight

In this provocative if rather labored first novel, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trustee Formant explores the early deaths of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and other rock stars of the past. At the Manhattan office of Rolling Stone magazine, veteran reporter Gantry Elliot starts to receive anonymous messages with assertions of murder and tantalizing clues that only an insider might have. The first, about Jones, gets Gantry thinking about the so-called Myth of 27—the age that so many performers died. Convinced that there may be something to the story, Gantry takes it to Rolling Stone publisher Alex Jaeger, record expert Dennis Briganty, and FBI agent Raphael Melendez. Identifying and locating the anonymous tipster prove difficult. Eventually, other agencies get involved in reexamining these very cold cases, which heat up considerably as they become active homicide investigations. Conspiracy buffs and classic rock fans should enjoy Formant’s exhaustive knowledge of his subject and the possible threads connecting Myth of 27 victims. (Nov.)