Today I’m pleased to welcome you to JuliaPalooza for my stop helping to wrap up the Blog Tour for Video Killed The Radio Star by Duncan MacMaster, which is available now from Fahrenheit Press (links below).
About the book
Money in the bank and his dream girl on his arm – life was looking pretty sweet for Kirby Baxter. Of course it couldn’t last. Where would the fun be in that? This is a sequel after all. After solving the murder of a movie starlet the previous year, Kirby is doing his best to live down his burgeoning reputation as part-time Interpol agent and amateur sleuth. Then reality TV comes knocking next door.
Million Dollar Madhouse is a reality TV show where a bunch of washed up celebrities are thrown together in a dilapidated mansion while their attempts to renovate the building are broadcast 24/7 for the viewers delight. Kirby’s quiet town is thrown into chaos by the arrival of camera crews, remote control video drones and a cast of characters including disgraced actress Victoria Gorham, political shock-jock Bert Wayne and reality TV royalty Kassandra Kassabian.
When one of the cast members turns up dead the local police turn to the only celebrity detective in town for help and draft an unwilling Kirby into their investigation. The first body is only the beginning of another rip-roaring adventure for Kirby Baxter and with Gustav his loyal driver/valet/bodyguard/gardener/chef/ass-kicker at his side, our hero plunges into the fray with his usual stunning displays of deductive reasoning and sheer bloody luck.
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
Video Killed The Radio Star is an amusing reality TV-based murder mystery and the second in Duncan MacMaster‘s Kirby Baxter series.
Kirby is a likeable lead and the supporting characters well-drawn, but – although this can totally be read as a standalone book – I do feel I maybe missed out on some of the setup of the relationships between Kirby, Gustav and Molly, so I would recommend starting with the first in the series, A Mint Condition Corpse.
Million Dollar Madhouse is populated by recognisable d-list celeb stereotypes, each carrying their own emotional, sexual, drug-fuelled or devious baggage – but which one(s) could lead to murder?!
Video Killed The Radio Star is a classic murder mystery in a very modern world, with a closed circle of suspects, red herrings and misdirection and even a final summing up and reveal in the library.
It has a good, logical plot, some humorous moments and accurately satirises our fame-hungry, gossip-obsessed, social media-ready times. (It also has a great title and completely apposite cover.) If this sounds like your cup of tea, then I recommend you try Video Killed The Radio Star.
Thank you to Fahrenheit Press for my copy of the book and to Emma Welton of damppebbles for my stop on the blog tour. If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
About the author
Duncan MacMaster is a writer, pop-culture blogger, and film school survivor from the untamed wilds of Eastern Canada.
When he’s not concocting plots for Kirby Baxter to unravel he’s posting rants and rages about the business behind pop-culture on his blog.
Follow him on Twitter
About the Blog Tour
Please check out the previous bloggers on the tour for Video Killed The Radio Star:
juliapalooza.com 