Crime Plus Music: Twenty Stories of Music-Themed Noir

Frankie Lymon encounters a blast from the past. An all-girl group deals with their conniving manager. A road band’s equipment goes missing. An all-ages show by the band X becomes the scene of a teenage girl’s revenge plot. A young Scotsman returns home to see his father on his deathbed. A teacher-turned-musician hacks it on the road. A young DJ finds his dreams dangled in front of him by a shifty record exec.

Crime Plus Music. It’s so simple and yet, it’s a genius hook for a crime anthology, given that compelling crimes are often crimes of passion, and what stokes the fires of passion more than music that stirs the soul?

From music as release to music as torture, every story uses music in its own way. Some are all about it, making it the story’s macguffin, while others use music as trimmings, and still others are about what music does to us.

Some of the subject matter is a little brutal, but that’s to be expected when we’re talking about noir. Nonetheless, this is a solid collection with plenty to offer crime fans. Crime Plus Music will hopefully spark more music-themed crime collections.