A Merry Band of Murderers: An Original Mystery Anthology of Songs and Stories [With CD]

I found most of the short stories to be quite good. Particularly I liked Courage by Don Bruns which was about an old man and his dog being tormented by some neighborhood thugs. Ultimately, true justice prevails. I have always enjoyed reading Bill Moody. His contribution File Under Jazz was reminiscent of the demise of trumpeter Lee Morgan. All in all this was a fun read.

This is an entertaining book of short stories. I enjoyed most of the stories, but especially enjoyed the CD of music included with the book. Each of the music bits complements one of the stories, but the CD stands alone quite well. Some of the music is truly haunting. All are fun.

Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns' A MERRY BAND OF MURDERERS packs an original mystery anthology with both stories and songs (songs re on an accompanying cd, featuring performances by the authors), pairing the skills of some thirteen mystery writers with a format to include an original story from each and an original musical composition themed around their contribution. Here are tales of mystery, suspense, noir and more from the likes of Jeffrey Deaver, Bill Moody and editors Bishop and Bruns themselves, offering up a diverse, multi-faceted set.

This thirteen story anthology uses the gimmick of tying a mystery to a song. The tales are for the most fun, but only a couple would go platinum; "The Long Black Veil" by McDermid and "The Melancholy Danish" by Bishop. All thirteen authors are well known highly regarded writers; however, though their contributions are solid, these are not their best work as if most of the providers were straining to hit the right chords. Each tale ends with the lyrics (written by that writer as a solo or with an accompaniment) and short interviews of each author that are fascinating though admittedly only to die hard fans of that writer or reviewers needing a life like moi. Finally a companion CD of songs completes the ties between the music and the short stories. Overall this blending is a merry band of murder and music that will entertain readers with its creativity, but is not up to the quality of STARS: ORIGINAL STORIES BASED ON THE SONGS OF JANIS IAN. Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Rebecka Vigus for Reader Views (8/06) What a delightful read. Bishop and Bruns have given the reader murder, mayhem, and music. Each murder vignette in `A Merry Band of Murders' hinges on a song, or in some cases, a series of songs. There are lost loves that turn out to be murders. Music that speaks to the mind of a murder, and much, much more. If you are looking for a light read with suspense and more this is the one you will want to pick up. This reviewer was sorry to see it end. Such authors as Rhys Bowen, Claudia Bishop, and Rupert Holmes are included in this anthology that has only these criteria. Each author must also be a songwriter. Each has come through with a delightful story, some that will make you wonder at human nature. A must read for mystery buffs everywhere. `A Merry Band of Murders' is high on the list for light summer reading.