Bahama Burnout: A Mick Sever Mysteryvolume 3

Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for Rebecca's Reads (6/09) On what appears to be an idyllic getaway island lies a murky underside. Nassau is the home of Highland Studios owned and run by Jonah Britt and wife Rita. Jonah, by reputation is one of the best musical sound directors, is reopening his renowned recording studio after it was destroyed in a mysterious fire resulting in a tragic and questionable death. Can he recreate the former success and glory of creating rock and roll legendary albums or will he be plagued by speculation of events past? The band, Johnny Run, returns to Highland Studios to tape a new album to christen the event. Jonah can't afford failure. Last time he was too busy to personally engineer for them and hired Bobby Baron, another sound man, who was less than up to the job. The result was disastrous, but was it the music, the engineer, or the manager to blame? Now, with a new manager and new music, they are willing to give Jonah a second chance. Mick Sever, Bruns' recurring character, is an old friend of Jonah's and an entertainment journalist sent to report on the event. Mick realizes that this is not quite the positive story about which he hoped to write. He finds Jonah and Rita at the point of desperation. Plagued by the haunting of a mysterious ghost who perhaps is the victim of the arson fire, a stolen guitar, missing items and moving furniture, they are ready to bring in The Obeah Man, an African spiritualist, who could perhaps commune with the spirits and break the spell of bad luck. Mick becomes more than just an observer as he is embroiled in center of the action. Replete with a crusty old Cadillac believed to be Elvis's, crazy neighbors, threatening investors, inept police, murder, drugs and arson "Bahama Burnout" by Don Bruns proves to be a delightful mystery. As a reader, one must first follow the cocktail recipe that prefaces the book of the same name, grab an easy chair and then immerse himself in the Bahamanian landscape of this fun mystery.

If you're looking for a good summer read, check out Don Bruns' new thriller, Bahama Burnout. The fifth book in the Mick Sever series, Bahama Burnout keeps readers guessing until the very end in this whodunit rock-and-roll caper. This time around, Sever, an entertainment journalist, is sent to the Bahamas to cover the opening of Highland Studios. In the past, the studio pumped out hit after hit, but then a devastating fire engulfed the entire facility. The charred remains of a body were found in the rubble and the police, with their primitive facilities (unable to test DNA) assumed it was the person who started the fire. But the corpse was never identified. Is the real criminal still at large? Determined to keep their studio running, owners Jonah and Rita Britt rebuild the studio. By the time Sever arrives, strange things have begun happening in the newly opened Highland Studios. A recording session tape, recorded by seasoned engineer Jonah, is mysteriously erased, a priceless guitar is found smashed, and a voodoo doll that appears in Sever's hotel room are some of the bizarre things that have happened in and around the studio. Rita Britt is convinced that a ghost is causing all the problems; possibly the ghost of the person who died in the fire. However, Jonah and Mick are convinced there must be a logical explanation and set about searching for clues. Shortly after Mick arrives, the manager of Johnny Run, a once hot rock group who is cutting an album at the studio, is found murdered. Will the case get solved before another body turns up? Bahama Burnout gets off to a fast start, with the destruction of Highland Studios on the first few pages. With Bruns' easy writing style, it doesn't take long to get into the story. Who are those strange neighbors - Bernard and his mother Etta May - and is that really Elvis's Cadillac in their front yard? There are quite a few key characters in this novel, many with the motive and means to be the culprit, so don't skip a page. Just when it seems the mystery is solved, Bruns takes his story in another direction to keep the reader speculating. Quill says: A great summer read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Internationally famous and highly regarded rock critic and music journalist Mick Sever travels to the Bahamas where he will cover the story of the return of renowned Highland Studio in Nassau. The studio, known for mega-hits, burned down last year with an unknown corpse found amid the ashes. Although the arson and potential homicide remain unsolved, owners Jonah and Rita Britt have rebuilt it and are ready to launch their label again. However, the renaissance is not going smooth as someone is sabotaging the effort. Rita believes the ghost of the victim who died in the fire is the current troublemaking culprit as a Sheryl Crow guitar has been smashed for who knows why and tracks are being erased. Following a murder of a band manager, Mick believes the saboteur-killer is human and begins to investigate before Highland Studio is sent to rock and roll heaven forever. The fifth Bruns' Caribbean music mystery (see JAMAICA BLUE, BARBADOS HEAT and ST. BART'S BREAKDOWN ) is an entertaining whodunit filled with more spins than a 45 contains (no comment on age please). The story line is fast-paced from the moment Mick arrives on the Bahamas and never slows down as he seeks a motive for last year's incident and the current events in the past of the studio and its owners. Fans will enjoy sleuthing with Sever as he tours the Bahamas. Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (3/09) "Bahama Burnout" is the story of Highland, a recording studio that has fallen on hard times. The studio had once created some of music's greatest hits, but a mysterious fire that included a death, and some albums that failed to sell well have caused the studio to fall on hard times. After Highland is rebuilt, Mick Sever, entertainment reporter, goes to cover the story of the grand opening. The group Johnny Run has returned to give Highland Studios another try in making their next album, despite the last one not selling. But Johnny Run and Highland together is a recipe for disaster. Is there a ghost haunting the studio with the intention of revenging the past or simply causing more trouble? And what about Elvis' Cadillac next door? Etta May, a possibly crazy woman, has been trying to sell her Cadillac to every recording artist who comes to Highland Studios. She claims it belonged to Elvis. She even claims Elvis gave it to her. She is frustrated that the stars like to sit in the Cadillac because it belonged to Elvis, but none will buy it from her. She also blames the clients of Highland Studios for giving drugs to her mentally challenged son. Does she hate Highland Studios so much she would try to burn the place down? Mick Sever soon finds himself with a mystery to solve when murder happens again. Even the gorgeous female bartender he gets involved with cannot prevent him from getting mixed up in murder and violence. But can he solve the mystery? While I thought the mystery plot satisfying, with all the right twists and surprises, I found myself a bit confused regarding who was who among the characters in the first half of the book. Bruns did not give a lot of detail to the characters. Mick Sever was supposed to be the detective, but his role in the book didn't seem all that significant. If anything, I would have liked more character development and for the book to center around Sever more, but, since Mick Sever has appeared in previous books, Bruns may have assumed his readers knew more about his detective already. I did find the look at the music world interesting--the music world is apparently the backdrop for all the mystery novels that feature Mick Sever. "Bahama Burnout" by Don Bruns was a fun read. It would be a good book to read on a rainy afternoon or at the beach. I found Etta May especially amusing, and I don't think I'll ever forget the role of Elvis's Cadillac in the novel.

Don Bruns is a master storyteller and "Bahama Burnout" is the latest evidence of his gift for originality with this, his latest mystery novel. Mick Sever is back again, this time becoming involved in a recording studio fire that reveals a charred body and another mystery to solve. When his friends Jonah and Rita Britt rebuild the studio, there's a distinct possible that more murders are to come -- if Mick can't get to the 'who, what, and why' of that first lethal fire. A riveting read from first page to last, "Bahama Burnout" is a complete 'stand alone' mystery novel that will be sought after by Bruns' growing number of fans, and will serve those new to his work to seek out his previous (and highly recommended) titles including "St. Barts Breakdown"; "Stuff Dreams Are Made Of"; "Stuff To Die For"; "South Beach Shakedown"; "Barbados Heat"; and "Jamaica Blue".