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 by Raymond Benson
Some people I’ve met seem puzzled by the fact that a former official author of James Bond novels is a big fan of Captain Beefheart. Or Gentle Giant. Or Neil Young. Or, well, rock ‘n’ roll in general. Film music. Jazz. Trance electronica… I’m not sure why these people are perplexed… most everyone loves music, don’t they? Granted, my tastes are a little more eclectic and adventurous than the average mainstream listener. I couldn’t begin to tell you what bands are on the Top 40 right now, but I can name every member of the legendary progressive jazz-rock outfit, Soft Machine, which existed between 1967 and 1978 (with a reunion or two after that). I’m privileged and proud to rub elbows with my friends in Jethro Tull whenever the band comes through town. In fact, Ian Anderson, Tull’s front man/songwriter/flautist has graciously blurbed my newest novel, a “rock ‘n’ roll thriller” entitled A Hard Day’s Death.
I’ve had the idea to do a possible mystery/suspense/thriller series that takes place in the world of rock ‘n’ roll for some time. The first iteration of the manuscript was submitted to several publishers over four years ago. Nearly all the rejections curiously claimed that “people who listen to rock ‘n’ roll don’t read books.” That made no sense to me. After all, I read books and listen to rock ‘n’ roll. So I sat on the novel for a couple of years, made a few revisions, tightened up the manuscript, updated it, and then re-submitted the book to the excellent mass market paperback publisher that printed my last thriller, Sweetie’s Diamonds, in 2007. Dorchester Publishers/Leisure Books “got it” and A Hard Day’s Death will finally see the light of day as a mass market paperback in April 2008.
The concept for the series is simple—the rock ‘n’ roll universe is a very dangerous place, what with all the murders, kidnappings, blackmailing, drug smuggling, terrorist plots, and illegal downloading and pirating that goes on! And it takes a guy like Spike Berenger, the rock ‘n’ roll PI, to sort it all out. Spike is a man in his early fifties who is co-founder of Rockin’ Security, the world’s best and most respected security outfit for rock stars. Spike served as an Army CID officer in Southeast Asia for three years in the mid-seventies and then enjoyed minor success back in the USA playing guitar in a progressive rock band called The Fixers. But when prog rock went out of style in the eighties, Spike became a manager for several acts and eventually went into the security business. He often acts as a Private Investigator, usually hired by wealthy and elite superstar clients to make their dirty laundry go away. Spike employs a hot-shot team to back him up, most notably his number two, the ultra-smart Suzanne Prescott, a former Goth chick who one day went to the Far East and “found herself” by studying all those cosmic Eastern religions.
The rock music analogy carries through in other ways. Each entry is treated as an “album release”—it’s a Spike Berenger Rock ‘n’ Roll Hit. (And if there are short stories, they will be Spike Berenger Rock ‘n’ Roll Hit Singles!) Book titles are parodies of famous rock albums; hence we have A Hard Day’s Death (and the sequel will most likely be The Dark Side of the Morgue). Instead of a Table of Contents, there’s a Track Listing. Instead of Acknowledgments, there are Liner Notes. You get the idea.
While the stories and main characters are fictional, real-life rock stars make cameo appearances—on stage, passing through scenes, or what-have-you. For example, in A Hard Day’s Death, the likes of Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Ian Anderson, Yoko Ono, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and Pete Townshend show up (in a legal, fair use fashion, of course). Characters discuss bands and genres, have arguments, share trivia, and play music of their own. But there will also be thrills, suspense, and mysteries to solve.
Spike’s first adventure concerns the life and puzzling death of a rock star known as Flame—a superstar on the same level as, say, Lennon or Bowie. Flame was a member of two very popular bands in the seventies and eighties—Hay Fever and Flame’s Heat—and was also very successful as a solo act. He even once made a “forgotten” recording with John Lennon and David Bowie in 1974, during Lennon’s “lost weekend” period. When Flame is found hanging by the neck in his Manhattan townhouse, the authorities chalk it up to suicide. However, a re-examination of the case indicates that Flame was murdered, and it isn’t long before the rock star’s eldest son, Adrian (from Flame’s first marriage), is accused and arrested for the crime. Flame’s first wife, the still-hot Gina Tipton and once Spike’s lover, hires Rockin’ Security to clear her son’s name and find the real killer before the murder trial gets underway. Unfortunately, the suspects are numerous. Being the superstar that Flame was, the man had many enemies. Was it one of his ex-wives? A former bandmate? Could it be one of the weird religious cult members that had recently become Flame’s groupies? What about those mysterious guerilla rock ‘n’ roll gangs currently terrorizing New York City? The Jimmys and the Cuzzins are rival, masked, Clockwork Orange-type hoodlums who happen to be rock bands. They stage impromptu concerts at various venues in the city, incite violence, deal drugs, wreak havoc, and lead police in dangerous pursuits. Could they be involved?
Hopefully, A Hard Day’s Death’s suspenseful whodunit plot and engaging characters will keep a reader turning the pages. But I’ve also attempted to inject a lot of humor in the form of wink-wink in-jokes about the music business and references that will please anyone who is into rock. Of course, most of Spike’s tastes in music are similar to my own. He’s a die-hard prog rock dinosaur, a devotee of those pompous but brilliant symphonic rock bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, and King Crimson. But again, like me, he enjoys most everything.
And even though A Hard Day’s Death is a book, there is always music playing behind the scenes. There is almost always something on the radio, stereo, or IPod. It’s my wish that readers will pick up the book (and its sequels) eager to find their favorite acts name-checked.
For research, I consulted (among others) my friend Dean Zelinsky, owner and creator of Dean Guitars, for his expertise on musical instruments. Several professional rock band stagemanagers gave me insight into a group’s touring life. And, of course, knowing a few rock stars personally has helped tremendously.
Does one have to be into rock ‘n’ roll to enjoy the book? Certainly not! The novel is designed to appeal to all fans of mysteries and thrillers. The music is the milieu, the special world in which Spike Berenger and his colleagues travel. Instead of police stations, courtrooms, or patrol cars, they do their work in clubs, recording studios, music shops, and at rock concerts.
By penning A Hard Day’s Death, I tackled two of my greatest loves—thrillers and music. It was a helluva lot of fun to write. I invite you give it a spin—er, I mean a read. And who knows, maybe it’ll win a Grammy.
SPIKE BERENGER’S TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS
1. The Beatles Revolver (full UK version) (1966)
2. Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick (1972)
3. Hatfield and the North The Rotters’ Club (1975)
4. Robert Wyatt Rock Bottom (1974)
5. Mike Oldfield Ommadawn (1975)
6. Gentle Giant In a Glass House (1973)
7. Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970)
8. XTC English Settlement (1982)
9. Yes Close to the Edge (1972)
10. Frank Zappa Hot Rats (1969)
Between 1996 and 2002 Raymond Benson wrote six original James Bond 007 novels, three film novelizations, and three short stories—all published worldwide. THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION was published in 1984 and was nominated for an Edgar. As “David Michaels” Raymond was the author of the NY Times best-sellers TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL and TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL—OPERATION BARRACUDA. Raymond’s recent original thrillers are FACE BLIND, EVIL HOURS, and SWEETIE’S DIAMONDS. He also happens to be an accomplished musician and composer. Visit him at www.raymondbenson.com.
(This article also appears in the March/April 2008 issue of CRIMESPREE MAGAZINE.)
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