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After her well-received debut in Krieg's Murder Off Mike (2003), Sacramento talk radio host Shauna J. Bogart returns for an encore sure to win her new fans. Resurrected rock queen "Jasmine," awaiting trial for the murder of veteran DJ Johnny Venture, breaks out of jail and is splashed onto the front page, arousing disc jockey Bogart's curiosity and gumshoe instincts. Using her on-air time to summon fresh information about the Jasmine case proves advantageous and introduces an intriguing connection with Shauna's mysterious lounge-singer mother. The pursuit of Jasmine-on-the-lam directs Bogart to a defunct '60s record company, a local doo-wop quartet of the same era, the Dee Vines, and multiple Johnny Ventures. Her path also intersects with the disappearance of current beau Pete Kovacs, proprietor of Retro Alley, cadger of cool accoutrements from the '50s and beyond. En route to her induction into the Northern California Broadcast Legends Hall of Fame, Shauna reveals all to a silvermaned, velvet-voiced ex-DJ and finds herself facing the rising Pacific for her trouble. Krieg's authentic voice invites appreciation of the locally owned independent FM radio station. Her spunky Shauna J. is as laudable as the colorful supporting cast, creating an entertaining and enlightening read.
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Shauna J. Bogart (Murder Off Mike) hosts a popular radio talk show in Sacramento, where she scoops a great story when a van carrying several female prisoners is hijacked by Latino gang members. They inadvertently free a former rock star-turned-TV sitcom actress named Jasmine, who was imprisoned for murdering a radio deejay. Shauna milks the story and cooperates with the Monterey County sheriff, but Jasmine has her own agenda: did she really commit that murder? Mean while, Shauna's shop-owning boyfriend. who is inexplicably missing, also comes under police scrutiny. Effervescent, feisty, and wryly humorous, Shauna is a sleuth to watch out for. Highly recommended.
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May 20, 2003
Murder Off Mike: A Talk Radio Mystery by Joyce Krieg (Thomas Dunne, $23.95) is a mystery of a different type. It's the latest winner of the Best Traditional Mystery award presented by St. Martin's Press and the writers' group Malice Domestic.
Krieg's novel is an excellent example of the cozy style: a mild-tempered mystery in which an amateur detective solves a crime, but all the violence and bloodshed take place off screen.
The detective in this case is Sacramento talk radio host Shauna J. Bogart, and the crime involves the suspicious death of her friend and colleague Dr. Hipster. Bogart seems to be the only one who doesn't believe the good doctor's death was suicide, but she still can't figure out why anyone would want him dead.
Krieg does a superb job developing her characters, particularly Bogart and her nominal sidekick, radio station intern John Friedman. They are sympathetic people with enough rough edges to keep them interesting. The author also makes effective use of the off-the-beaten-path setting of Sacramento, a city whose proximity to big politics and big money makes it fertile for future stories.
For those who prefer their mysteries on the tamer side or for anyone who enjoys a pleasantly plotted story, Murder Off Mike is a safe bet.
David Montgomery is the editor of Mystery Ink (mysteryinkonline.com), a Web site for mystery fans.
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*STARRED REVIEW* 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 Linda 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 J.'s mentor and co-worker Dr. Hipster lives, and Shauna J. 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 J. 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 reader's eager for the sequel. (Apr.) FYI: This title won the 2002 St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic contest for Best First Traditional Mystery. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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*STARRED REVIEW* The winner of the 2002 St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic Contest for Best First Traditional Mystery, Krieg's debut reads like the work of a seasoned mystery writer--in many ways, in fact, it reads better than the work of many genre veterans. To start with, Krieg gives the reader a fascinating backdrop (not merely setting) for the story, the embattled world of talk radio. Her heroine is no Grafton or Paretsky wanna-be, but a quirky, well-fleshed-out creation. And Krieg handles plot twists and turns with panache. Her heroine, Shauna J. Bogart, commands the afternoon news and talk block on Sacramento's only surviving independent radio station. In the midst of fielding calls and promos one afternoon, Bogart gets an especially (and that's saying a lot) strange call in which the caller claims to have witnessed the murder of Dr. Hipster, the star rock dj at Shauna's station. Dr. Hipster doesn't arrive for his show and, hours later, is found dead, with a suicide note that blames Shauna Bogart. Once Shauna discovers that Dr. Hipster's last promo was a coded call for help, she launches her own investigation, which takes her from the subterranean world of ex-hippies to Sacramento's high-profile movers and shakers. Krieg's absorbing mystery couples well with her terrific insider account of talk radio (e.g., "Never take calls from women named after months or flowers"). Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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June 2003
***Fans of talk radio will especially enjoy an insider's view of that medium in the winner of the publisher's Malice Domestic Contest for Best First Traditional Mystery. Sacrameno talk host Shauna J. Bogart is a funny and likable first-person narrator; the complex plot is decently worked out; and the background of the radio, musical and political scene of the California capital is vividly realized.Jon L. Breen
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May 4, 2003 - Debut mystery is a winner
Joyce Krieg has recycled the knowledge gained from a 20-year stint as a radio broadcaster in the Sacramento area into an award-winning debut novel.
"Murder Off Mike: A Talk Show Mystery," the 2002 winner of the St. Martin's Press Malice Domestic Contest for Best Traditional Mystery, introduces radio "shock jock" Shauna J. Bogart. The feisty talk show host finds herself in deep trouble when she decides to investigate the apparent suicide of her good friend and mentor, "Dr. Hipster."
After a mysterious on-air caller tips off Shauna that something "bad" has happened at Dr. Hipster's apartment complex, she begins to worry. The police confirm her fears when they find her friend dead and a suicide note that seems to allude to his relationship with Shauna.
Given the fact that in a recent promotion tape the radio talk personality had stated he was about to air a political story that would "blow this town sky-high," Shauna doesn't buy the "official" cause of his death.
Trying to discover the nature of Dr. Hipster's "hot story" sets Shauna on a collusion course with not only a gubernatorial candidate but also people at her own station and a local political "educational" group called The Farm Team. Power politics, a shady Big Sur land deal, and a rigged radio station cash giveaway, coupled with a struggle for control of the local air waves all factor into the resolution of this complicated talk radio mystery.
Although Sacramento and the city's famous Jazz Jubilee provide the backdrop for most of the action, Krieg, a Pacific Grove resident, does work the Central Coast into the story. Local readers, no doubt, will find references to the construction of another resort-golf course complex as amusing as a "slots by the sea" scheme.
An attractive, likeable character, along with a solid, unpredictable plot and some witty dialogue make this a very readable first novel. Toss in some radio lore and a feel for how real stations operate and "Murder Off Mike" becomes a thoroughly entertaining "niche mystery." Those who remember listening to Don Sherwood, Larry Lujack, Dick Biondi, B. Mitchell Reed and the late-night howls of Wolfman Jack will find a kindred soul in Shauna J. Bogart and her creator, Joyce Krieg.By BOB WALCH Special to The Herald
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