cover image SLIP CUE: A Talk Radio Mystery

SLIP CUE: A Talk Radio Mystery

Joyce Krieg, . . St. Martin's Minotaur/Dunne, $23.95 (309pp) ISBN 978-0-312-32736-1

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 silver-maned, 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. Agent, Jimmy Vines. (July 7)