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The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six and Almost Famous , a gripping debut about the complicated legacy of a legendary rock band and the ghostwriter telling their story
Three Rock & Roll icons. Two explosive tell-all memoirs. One ghostwriter caught in the middle.
Mari Hawthorn has just landed the biggest job of her ghostwriting career. Anke Berben, the legendary model and style icon, needs someone for her hotly anticipated memoir. In the 1960s, Anke reveled in headline-grabbing romances with three members of the hugely influential rock band The Midnight Ramblers. The band became as famous for their backstage drama as for their music. Outside of the bandmembers themselves, Anke is the only one who fully understands the tangled relationships, betrayals, and suspicions that has elevated the Ramblers to mythological status. That could not be clearer than in the enduring mystery around the death of Mal, the band’s lead singer and Anke’s husband, in 1969.
In the decades that followed, rumors have swirled about Mal’s demise, but Anke and the surviving members of the Ramblers have all kept silent. Until now. As her ghostwriter, Mari must ingratiate herself with Anke, coaxing out the stories she needs to write a memoir worthy of such an important band. Mari is deft at navigating the fatal charms of the rich and famous, having grown up with a narcissistic, alcoholic father. But she soon stumbles upon secrets more explosive than anyone could have imagined. It’s now not just about celebrity tell-alls–this is about redemption.
Three Rock & Roll icons. Two explosive tell-all memoirs. One ghostwriter caught in the middle.
Mari Hawthorn has just landed the biggest job of her ghostwriting career. Anke Berben, the legendary model and style icon, needs someone for her hotly anticipated memoir. In the 1960s, Anke reveled in headline-grabbing romances with three members of the hugely influential rock band The Midnight Ramblers. The band became as famous for their backstage drama as for their music. Outside of the bandmembers themselves, Anke is the only one who fully understands the tangled relationships, betrayals, and suspicions that has elevated the Ramblers to mythological status. That could not be clearer than in the enduring mystery around the death of Mal, the band’s lead singer and Anke’s husband, in 1969.
In the decades that followed, rumors have swirled about Mal’s demise, but Anke and the surviving members of the Ramblers have all kept silent. Until now. As her ghostwriter, Mari must ingratiate herself with Anke, coaxing out the stories she needs to write a memoir worthy of such an important band. Mari is deft at navigating the fatal charms of the rich and famous, having grown up with a narcissistic, alcoholic father. But she soon stumbles upon secrets more explosive than anyone could have imagined. It’s now not just about celebrity tell-alls–this is about redemption.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2024
125 people are currently reading
9509 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Tomlinson
6 books110 followersSarah Tomlinson, a former music journalist, has been a ghostwriter since 2008, penning more than twenty books, including five New York Times bestsellers. In 2015, she published the father-daughter memoir, Good Girl. She wrote The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers, her first novel, in between assignments for a who’s who of celebrity clients. It is forthcoming from Flatiron Books in February 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
dnf
February 26, 2024DNF :(
Unfortunately, couldn't get into this one. 😕 Couldn't connect to the characters and the atmosphere just wasn't there for me... maybe my expectations were too high when they were saying for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six 🤷
Can see some liking it but it's a dud for this reader.
Unfortunately, couldn't get into this one. 😕 Couldn't connect to the characters and the atmosphere just wasn't there for me... maybe my expectations were too high when they were saying for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six 🤷
Can see some liking it but it's a dud for this reader.
October 3, 2023
Well written and with a great premise but a slow paced plot that doesn't have a whole lot to say. However, it did keep me reading until the end. Much of the book is repetitive - the ghostwriter wringing her hands about keeping the job and a lot of back and forth power play between the characters, notably Sigrid and the writer. There's one clue to the drowning of Mal, that Anke had slipped him four pills before he went swimming, and really nothing else emerges. The ending wasn't exactly a surprise, but a decent payoff.
December 16, 2023
I received a free ARC in a Goodreads giveaway of this book.
This book for me was very much the parts of "Daisy Jones and the Six" and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" that I didn't care for: The form has us discovering everything being told in stories from narrators that we cannot trust due to the passage of time and also their own agendas.
I almost DNF'ed this book multiple times but felt because I had won a copy I needed to see it all the way through. Having done that, I'm not entirely sure I can say what changed for the characters from the start of this book to the end. Most of my desire to quit came from not necessarily understanding where the story was going or why I should care about these characters. I also often found myself mixing up or finding it hard to keep track of who all of the smaller characters were.
Sorry this one wasn't for me.
This book for me was very much the parts of "Daisy Jones and the Six" and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" that I didn't care for: The form has us discovering everything being told in stories from narrators that we cannot trust due to the passage of time and also their own agendas.
I almost DNF'ed this book multiple times but felt because I had won a copy I needed to see it all the way through. Having done that, I'm not entirely sure I can say what changed for the characters from the start of this book to the end. Most of my desire to quit came from not necessarily understanding where the story was going or why I should care about these characters. I also often found myself mixing up or finding it hard to keep track of who all of the smaller characters were.
Sorry this one wasn't for me.
December 24, 2023
This was such an odd book. It's like someone asked for "Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" mashed up with "Daisy Jones & the Six" and this was the result. It's really not fair comparing one book to another (or two others) but when the ingredients are this similar it's hard not to. A writer sits down to interview someone about the past, but this time it's a groupie for a rock band instead of an actress. Unlike Evelyn Hugo, there are no flashbacks, so it's literally just unreliable narrators telling stories that may or may not be true.
And unlike Daisy Jones, the novel seems to have ZERO interest in music. Like, at all. There's some brief talk about the actual band around the 47% mark, but for the majority of the book, they might as well have been actors who all filmed a movie together. I don't have the epub to check (pre-release review copy from Netgalley) but I don't think it named even ONE of their songs, or albums, or went to any trouble to explain why anyone gave a shit about this band 50 years later. It does have a scene where the band plays a song in tribute to the member who died, but I don't think that song is even named or given lyrics, either.
"The band was extremely popular, Beatles-level big," is a tall task for a writer to give themselves, and I feel like the author didn't even try to justify it. The audiobook ends with a song that I guess is supposed to be the Ramblers...? But my reaction to it was "Wait, THAT'S what they sounded like...?" I didn't care about any of the band members, or the modern-day people talking (and talking, and talking) about the band (entirely focused on TMZ-level gossip rather than their music) and the story, such as it was, fell completely flat by the end.
In the end, it was little more than a cover that just made you want to go listen to the original again.
And unlike Daisy Jones, the novel seems to have ZERO interest in music. Like, at all. There's some brief talk about the actual band around the 47% mark, but for the majority of the book, they might as well have been actors who all filmed a movie together. I don't have the epub to check (pre-release review copy from Netgalley) but I don't think it named even ONE of their songs, or albums, or went to any trouble to explain why anyone gave a shit about this band 50 years later. It does have a scene where the band plays a song in tribute to the member who died, but I don't think that song is even named or given lyrics, either.
"The band was extremely popular, Beatles-level big," is a tall task for a writer to give themselves, and I feel like the author didn't even try to justify it. The audiobook ends with a song that I guess is supposed to be the Ramblers...? But my reaction to it was "Wait, THAT'S what they sounded like...?" I didn't care about any of the band members, or the modern-day people talking (and talking, and talking) about the band (entirely focused on TMZ-level gossip rather than their music) and the story, such as it was, fell completely flat by the end.
In the end, it was little more than a cover that just made you want to go listen to the original again.
February 9, 2024
Long before there is a book in the world, there are two people sitting alone together.
In The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers, Mari, a ghostwriter looking for her big break, gets the opportunity to work on style icon Anke Berben's memoir. Back in the 1960s, Anke was best-known for her romantic entanglements with three members of the legendary rock band the Midnight Ramblers -- one of whom, Anke's husband Mal, drowned under suspicious circumstances in the summer of 1969, at the height of the band's fame. Now, in order to make a name for herself and write the bestseller such a legendary band deserves, Mari must coax the truth about that summer out of Anke -- no matter how resistant Anke is to telling her.
Readers who pick up The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers because of the comparisons to Daisy Jones & The Six are likely going to be disappointed. Unlike Daisy Jones, with its charismatic characters whose complicated relationships were so well-described and intimately felt, Midnight Ramblers feels a bit shallow in its execution. The mystery at the center of the book isn't compelling enough, and the characters are somewhat flat -- not surrounded by the mystique and glamour you'd expect from rock stars. Sarah Tomlinson never really made me feel like the Midnight Ramblers were a legendary rock band; the music aspect gets lost in Mari's single-minded pursuit of the truth about Mal's death. I wanted song lyrics, album titles, descriptions of heady, over-the-top concerts -- all of which were largely absent from the narrative.
What the novel does much more successfully is provide an intimate look at the process of ghostwriting. Tomlinson herself was a ghostwriter for many years, and her knowledge of the profession is illuminating and fascinating. This book is much more about Mari's career as a ghostwriter and about the complexities of spending your life telling someone else's stories than it is about the Midnight Ramblers themselves. Although I appreciate this aspect for the original perspective it provides, it did muddle the focus of the book.
The audiobook has a high production value; it's masterfully-narrated by Helen Laser (who totally nails the accents) and includes an original Midnight Ramblers song performed by Joshua Grange. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the early listening opportunity.
February 5, 2024
I feel like I might be one of the few out there that loved this book. It wasn’t my normal genre but it definitely delivered. It’s not really about the band but about the writer. It introduces the world of the ghost writer and how complex of a relationship that can be. Very interesting tale that kept me hooked until the very end.
🌀Synopsis
Mari is a ghost writer which basically means she writes and others get the credit. She’s somehow managed to land the biggest job- Anke. Anke needs someone to write her memoir about her time with a famous band- The Midnight Ramblers. Not only that, but there’s the added twist that one of the members - that Anke had a romantic relationship with- is now dead too.
Mari starts writing the memoir but when Anke receives her first draft she hates it and fires her. She’s determined not to fail though so she seeks out another source to see if he can help her. This is where the story really begins. As another member of the band, he fills her in on a lot of details. He also helps her get her job with Anke back and helps to fill in the pieces of what happened to the now deceased member of the band.
Ultimately, Mari navigates a difficult path to get the memoir on the market and finally helps herself heal too.
🌀Synopsis
Mari is a ghost writer which basically means she writes and others get the credit. She’s somehow managed to land the biggest job- Anke. Anke needs someone to write her memoir about her time with a famous band- The Midnight Ramblers. Not only that, but there’s the added twist that one of the members - that Anke had a romantic relationship with- is now dead too.
Mari starts writing the memoir but when Anke receives her first draft she hates it and fires her. She’s determined not to fail though so she seeks out another source to see if he can help her. This is where the story really begins. As another member of the band, he fills her in on a lot of details. He also helps her get her job with Anke back and helps to fill in the pieces of what happened to the now deceased member of the band.
Ultimately, Mari navigates a difficult path to get the memoir on the market and finally helps herself heal too.
February 7, 2024
Wanted to love it but it fell short. I understood Mari’s initial motivation, the financial and professional drive to get the project done, ghostwrite these musical memoirs, but then she somehow becomes obsessed with uncovering a (possible) murder, as if she’s a hardcore journalist/detective. The author doesn’t explore how this could actually derail her entire career and blow any chance of the book(s) being published.
There becomes such an insane focus on this one point that the greater scope of the characters, band, music, and years suffers. There is no build for any of it, especially the music and many other decades of this fictional band. It’s a huge missed opportunity.
Mari’s neurotic brain got old fast. And her decision making tended toward stupid for the sake of the plot. Even still, I might have given it three stars, but those final chapters killed it for me. I just wasn’t on board.
As for the audiobook, it was okay, considering I wasn’t liking the story as a whole. But I wasn’t sure why one German character got the accent but the other didn’t. It was a choice that didn’t make sense.
Overall, it wasn’t a winner.
*I received a free audio copy from the publisher via netgalley.
There becomes such an insane focus on this one point that the greater scope of the characters, band, music, and years suffers. There is no build for any of it, especially the music and many other decades of this fictional band. It’s a huge missed opportunity.
Mari’s neurotic brain got old fast. And her decision making tended toward stupid for the sake of the plot. Even still, I might have given it three stars, but those final chapters killed it for me. I just wasn’t on board.
As for the audiobook, it was okay, considering I wasn’t liking the story as a whole. But I wasn’t sure why one German character got the accent but the other didn’t. It was a choice that didn’t make sense.
Overall, it wasn’t a winner.
*I received a free audio copy from the publisher via netgalley.
February 3, 2024
This was quite possibly the biggest waste of my time spent reading a book 🫠 I kept waiting for it to have a point, to get interesting. It did neither of those things. The story is chaotic and repetitive, and the characters are underdeveloped.
The biggest WTF for me is, how did Mari not know that her sister was a sex worker? Mari is a ghostwriter in a world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, yet she's pretty damn naive.
I won't be recommending this book to anyone.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
The biggest WTF for me is, how did Mari not know that her sister was a sex worker? Mari is a ghostwriter in a world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, yet she's pretty damn naive.
I won't be recommending this book to anyone.
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2024
I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m having such a hard time coming up with a review for this book. When I finished, the only word that came to mind was less of a word and more of a sound. And I quote, “meh.” That was the sum of my thoughts. It was fine. There was nothing necessarily bad about it. The writing was fine. The pacing was fine. The characters were at least somewhat interesting. The plot wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t terrible. I just felt that the synopsis had so much potential, and that the ball was dropped. In a month, I won’t remember anything about The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers.
I was so excited for this book. I love books about bands and music and the drama behind the songs. That’s what I got with Daisy Jones and The Six, and I adored every minute of it. And that’s what I was expecting from The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got.
This is billed as the story of a ghost writer helping two of the biggest personalities associated with the band as they decide to tell their stories, fifty years after tragedy changed the band forever. While that is technically true, the plot focussed for more on the ghost writer herself than the band, and that was the main source of my disappointment. I hate to draw unfair comparisons between this book and Daisy Jones and The Six, but that story was so centered on the band and the music that they made that you kind of forgot that the writer was even present. Here, the writer is the focus of her own story. I get it, ghost writers are people too, and they experience some wild and unique things in their job. I could definitely be interested in the story of a ghost writer, if I hadn’t been promised something else.
The mystery of what happened to one of the founding members of the band on that fateful night fifty years ago, and who might have been involved, is for sure at the heart of the story. But this was far more about Mari’s detective work than anything else. Mari, the ghost writer, was definitely the main character. Which I might have been able to forgive if I hadn’t found her wholly unlikeable. And, most disappointing of all, there was no music truly present. A song or sound might be mentioned in passing, but music didn’t just take a back seat in this story; it was in the trunk, or tied to the roof of the car. It was the least musical music book I’ve ever read.
The story being told here was, as I stated earlier, fine. It just wasn’t what I was led to expect. I don’t feel like reading it was a waste of my time, per se, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed. The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers could have been a showstopper. Instead, it was the literary equivalent of attending a concert where the headliner never shows, and the opening act doesn’t suck, but isn’t great.
I’m having such a hard time coming up with a review for this book. When I finished, the only word that came to mind was less of a word and more of a sound. And I quote, “meh.” That was the sum of my thoughts. It was fine. There was nothing necessarily bad about it. The writing was fine. The pacing was fine. The characters were at least somewhat interesting. The plot wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t terrible. I just felt that the synopsis had so much potential, and that the ball was dropped. In a month, I won’t remember anything about The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers.
I was so excited for this book. I love books about bands and music and the drama behind the songs. That’s what I got with Daisy Jones and The Six, and I adored every minute of it. And that’s what I was expecting from The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got.
This is billed as the story of a ghost writer helping two of the biggest personalities associated with the band as they decide to tell their stories, fifty years after tragedy changed the band forever. While that is technically true, the plot focussed for more on the ghost writer herself than the band, and that was the main source of my disappointment. I hate to draw unfair comparisons between this book and Daisy Jones and The Six, but that story was so centered on the band and the music that they made that you kind of forgot that the writer was even present. Here, the writer is the focus of her own story. I get it, ghost writers are people too, and they experience some wild and unique things in their job. I could definitely be interested in the story of a ghost writer, if I hadn’t been promised something else.
The mystery of what happened to one of the founding members of the band on that fateful night fifty years ago, and who might have been involved, is for sure at the heart of the story. But this was far more about Mari’s detective work than anything else. Mari, the ghost writer, was definitely the main character. Which I might have been able to forgive if I hadn’t found her wholly unlikeable. And, most disappointing of all, there was no music truly present. A song or sound might be mentioned in passing, but music didn’t just take a back seat in this story; it was in the trunk, or tied to the roof of the car. It was the least musical music book I’ve ever read.
The story being told here was, as I stated earlier, fine. It just wasn’t what I was led to expect. I don’t feel like reading it was a waste of my time, per se, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed. The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers could have been a showstopper. Instead, it was the literary equivalent of attending a concert where the headliner never shows, and the opening act doesn’t suck, but isn’t great.
Want to read
September 25, 2023I'm eager to read this as the synopsis gives me vibes that the story is inspired by Anita Pallenberg's relationship with the Rolling Stones.
June 26, 2024
Rue wtf was this??
This was the strangest book to me, I don’t know if it was my brain or just the way it was written but I truly couldn’t comprehend half of the sentences in this story. Nothing seemed to make sense, the characters were boring and dumb, the dialogue was weird.
What was with Ezra and the “dude” of it all? Very unnecessary.
Nothing like almost famous or daisy jones, like it was compared to.
Also, we learn absolutely nothing interesting about this band or their lives during their peak! Give me a story, not sentences just alluding that “oh yeah we did tons of drugs in the 60s”, like yes that’s a given. Where was the meat? I don’t care about what it takes to be a ghostwriter when the marketing of the book tells readers it’s gonna be about a band. Would’ve been so much more interesting if there were timeline jumps from chapter to chapter so that we got some intel from the actual days of the band and their dynamic.
My least favorite parts were Mari’s responses to everything someone said. Her dull flattery was so repetitive. Also, are we supposed to believe that these rockstars loved her so deeply within the span of a few weeks that she ended up taking care of the entire estate and claiming Ankes life as her own???? If I was Ody I would’ve slapped Mari across the face for implying she was closer to my mother than I was. So so so weird. I really did not like this.
This was the strangest book to me, I don’t know if it was my brain or just the way it was written but I truly couldn’t comprehend half of the sentences in this story. Nothing seemed to make sense, the characters were boring and dumb, the dialogue was weird.
What was with Ezra and the “dude” of it all? Very unnecessary.
Nothing like almost famous or daisy jones, like it was compared to.
Also, we learn absolutely nothing interesting about this band or their lives during their peak! Give me a story, not sentences just alluding that “oh yeah we did tons of drugs in the 60s”, like yes that’s a given. Where was the meat? I don’t care about what it takes to be a ghostwriter when the marketing of the book tells readers it’s gonna be about a band. Would’ve been so much more interesting if there were timeline jumps from chapter to chapter so that we got some intel from the actual days of the band and their dynamic.
My least favorite parts were Mari’s responses to everything someone said. Her dull flattery was so repetitive. Also, are we supposed to believe that these rockstars loved her so deeply within the span of a few weeks that she ended up taking care of the entire estate and claiming Ankes life as her own???? If I was Ody I would’ve slapped Mari across the face for implying she was closer to my mother than I was. So so so weird. I really did not like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
This is a book about ghost writing. A lot. The rock and roll band is merely the set/ staging. Big bait and switch.
Not Daisy Jones, for sure. 2 1/2 🌟 rounded up maybe because the writing was ok once it got halfway through.
Not Daisy Jones, for sure. 2 1/2 🌟 rounded up maybe because the writing was ok once it got halfway through.
October 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this one about a ghostwriter who lands the biggest job of her career. Twice. The Midnight Ramblers was a highly influential rock band in the 1960s, with their drama offstage as famous as their music. Mari has been caught in the middle of writing two memoirs, one for the most famous living band member and one for the legendary model and style icon who was married to the lead singer of the band, Mal, that died in 1969, and it was never clear what happened to him exactly. Mari tries to get to the bottom of what happened to Mal, and she ends up uncovering more than she bargained for. I was completely engrossed in this story; the audio was fantastic as Helen Laser did an amazing job per usual, and I listened to this in a day; it was fantastic.
Thank you to Flatiron Books #partner for the gifted copy to review.
Thank you to Flatiron Books #partner for the gifted copy to review.
December 17, 2023
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to write a review. I really enjoyed this book! Sarah Tomlinson gives us a rare peek inside the drama that goes on inside the lives of celebrities.
There are so many surprises, twists, and turns in this book. Whether it was suspense and mystery, or the unexpected kindness from a character, I really could not predict what would happen next.
The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is a very intriguing book that you will enjoy. It will be on sale February 13, 2024.
There are so many surprises, twists, and turns in this book. Whether it was suspense and mystery, or the unexpected kindness from a character, I really could not predict what would happen next.
The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is a very intriguing book that you will enjoy. It will be on sale February 13, 2024.
February 8, 2024
A ghost writer in need of a big break and a celebrity in need of a best selling tell-all that will set the record straight regarding her love affairs with three members of the rock band, The Midnight Ramblers, find each other in this fantastic new book perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the six or The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This fiction debut was also great on audio narrated by Helen Laser. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Read
November 27, 2024DNF @ 67%
Thank you Booksparks for a #Gifted copy of this book. Beautiful cover!
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. Could I have pushed through and finished this? Yes. But did I want too? No. I'm really bummed this didn't work out. It was promising Daisy Jones and The Six vibes and feelings, which I thought I was going to enjoy. I will say the writing was nice and creative. It had a good flow and easy to follow.
So my concerns? It had lots of potential but after 67% the story seemed to lag and go nowhere. It was extremely repetitive with no motion of changing the plot. I wasn’t connecting with characters. There was just too much left to desire.
FOLLOW @CASUALLYREADINGX FOR MORE BOOKISH CONTENT ON INSTAGRAM + TIKTOK📔
Thank you Booksparks for a #Gifted copy of this book. Beautiful cover!
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. Could I have pushed through and finished this? Yes. But did I want too? No. I'm really bummed this didn't work out. It was promising Daisy Jones and The Six vibes and feelings, which I thought I was going to enjoy. I will say the writing was nice and creative. It had a good flow and easy to follow.
So my concerns? It had lots of potential but after 67% the story seemed to lag and go nowhere. It was extremely repetitive with no motion of changing the plot. I wasn’t connecting with characters. There was just too much left to desire.
FOLLOW @CASUALLYREADINGX FOR MORE BOOKISH CONTENT ON INSTAGRAM + TIKTOK📔
February 13, 2024
The writing wasn't bad, but the pace of this story is very slow. Anke's character was not at all relatable - snobby and insufferable with her only claim to fame being involved with 3 guys from the same decades-old band. I was perplexed with Mari's constant self-deprecation and over-analyzing her rapport with Anke. I understand the mysterious, untimely death of one of the band members, but I couldn't bring myself to care as he was described as a violent, pompous, drug-addicted douche who cared about no one but himself.
March 26, 2024
First, this book is NOT "Daisy Jones and the Six." The comparisons are a marketing fantasy.
Second, as a lifelong Stonesaholic, as soon as I saw the Brian Jones reference - rock star mysteriously dies in pool - I could not continue.
Third, it is poorly written and edited. I can overlook when substance is weak but not writing style.
I admired anyone who can start and finish a book and get it published so kudos to the author but this is a big no for me.
Second, as a lifelong Stonesaholic, as soon as I saw the Brian Jones reference - rock star mysteriously dies in pool - I could not continue.
Third, it is poorly written and edited. I can overlook when substance is weak but not writing style.
I admired anyone who can start and finish a book and get it published so kudos to the author but this is a big no for me.
May 28, 2024
Stupid
Edited to add: removing a star bc the more I think about this book the more it angers me. The main character was dumb and I can’t believe septuagenarian celebrities let her in their circle and even Anke’s WILL after knowing her for MAYBE a year? “She was my mother” “I *was* her” 😵💫 and just letting your sister go off with Bad Chicago Man who is worse than Bad Vegas Man for six months like it was nothing. How did you not realize she’s a sex worker?? I hated this book lol
Edited to add: removing a star bc the more I think about this book the more it angers me. The main character was dumb and I can’t believe septuagenarian celebrities let her in their circle and even Anke’s WILL after knowing her for MAYBE a year? “She was my mother” “I *was* her” 😵💫 and just letting your sister go off with Bad Chicago Man who is worse than Bad Vegas Man for six months like it was nothing. How did you not realize she’s a sex worker?? I hated this book lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
This was my first ever audiobook and I loved it! A beautiful and it must be said, very cool novel with lots of music world intrigue and heartbreak, and rich details about the ghostwriting life. Excellent accents and reading by the narrator. A great listening experience all around!
January 17, 2025
I was so excited about this book because I love a fictional story of a juicy expose on rich and famous people. But from the jump this book was not it - The main character, the ghostwriter, was annoying and uninteresting, and there was too much telling instead of showing. Every other line she said how the reason she knows how to handle rock stars is because she has a narcistic gambling addicted father which was echoed way too much to not even be a real character in the book. The plot felt all over the place. I didn't know where it was going and I didn't know why I should care about the characters. It focused too much on the mystery of one of the band members who died but I never found myself even wanting to know what happened. The ending was also meh but no need to spoil it. On the plus side, there's been some great good reads reviews to go through - I'm not alone in disliking the book.
Read
February 16, 2024I did enjoy reading this in conjunction with another music-themed book. And I was really intrigued by the idea of a book about a ghostwriter. It’s an intriguing entry point into a story that felt a bit Evelyn Hugo. I also really enjoyed that Anke was giving all the Anita Pallenberg vibes.
BUT something in the narrative structure of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers held me back from loving it. I'm all about a vibe, but for me the narrative was a chaotic series of conversations and references in search of a stronger plot.
I wonder if too much of this book was based on hazy conflicting memories and hearsay. Maybe it needed something concrete, like a journal element or a past/present narrative. I got too caught up in the chaos of the present to get very invested in what to me seemed like the most important part of the story: the mystery aspect in the past (who killed Mal and who was the father of Anke's baby).
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
BUT something in the narrative structure of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers held me back from loving it. I'm all about a vibe, but for me the narrative was a chaotic series of conversations and references in search of a stronger plot.
I wonder if too much of this book was based on hazy conflicting memories and hearsay. Maybe it needed something concrete, like a journal element or a past/present narrative. I got too caught up in the chaos of the present to get very invested in what to me seemed like the most important part of the story: the mystery aspect in the past (who killed Mal and who was the father of Anke's baby).
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
March 3, 2024
What instantly attracted me to this novel was the angle of writing (albeit ghostwriting) and subject matter of a band tell-all. Combining these two are a perfect storm for me as a reader. I should have taken it as a warning, though, when much of history of the Midnight Ramblers was delivered as expositional details in chapter 1. Where was this going to go?
Turns out, Tomlinson draws upon her extensive experience as a ghostwriter to weave her story about Mari working as a ghostwriter for Anke's book. Writing books always advise write what you know. Tomlinson clearly is doing that here. We get a very good look into the ghostwriting process by walking in the shoes of a ghostwriter character who tries to salvage a project and more.
Given that the first part of the book consists of long conversations between two women, I appreciated that the author gave each a distinctive sounding voice. I clearly could tell when it was Anke speaking and when it was Mari speaking. Overall, I found Tomlinson's writing to be fairly solid.
Unfortunately, for me, I did not end up caring overall about most of the characters or the plot's direction. I found I had to force myself to work through to the end, just to see it resolved. I try to avoid DNF (did not finish) as much as possible. For the right audience, this book might work. It turns out I was not the right audience, even though there were elements in the synopsis that interested me. I just was not keen on how they played into the overall book.
Turns out, Tomlinson draws upon her extensive experience as a ghostwriter to weave her story about Mari working as a ghostwriter for Anke's book. Writing books always advise write what you know. Tomlinson clearly is doing that here. We get a very good look into the ghostwriting process by walking in the shoes of a ghostwriter character who tries to salvage a project and more.
Given that the first part of the book consists of long conversations between two women, I appreciated that the author gave each a distinctive sounding voice. I clearly could tell when it was Anke speaking and when it was Mari speaking. Overall, I found Tomlinson's writing to be fairly solid.
Unfortunately, for me, I did not end up caring overall about most of the characters or the plot's direction. I found I had to force myself to work through to the end, just to see it resolved. I try to avoid DNF (did not finish) as much as possible. For the right audience, this book might work. It turns out I was not the right audience, even though there were elements in the synopsis that interested me. I just was not keen on how they played into the overall book.
July 7, 2024
I feel like this could have been pretty good, but the characters aren’t likable and we don’t get to know them well enough. I was expecting more about the band and music and got a lot more about ghostwriting.
January 25, 2024
This might be the most unhinged (not in a good way) and overwrought book I've ever read.
May 16, 2024
2.5: I wanted to read this as soon as I saw it said it was for fans of daisy jones & the six, but this one fell a little flat for me. Kinda dragged on and repeated itself at times
February 9, 2024
The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is a contemporary novel about a ghost writer that is hired to work with the widow of a gone-to-early rock star on her memoir. But when she gets too close to the answers about his mysterious death she risks losing everything.
Mari is a cash strapped ghost writer for D list celebrities when she’s asked to sit down with Anke the widow of the lead singer (Mal) of a 60’s rock band. Anke is an enigma in the music world and getting this deal could help both Mari and her flighty party girl sister buy their own home. But almost immediately Mari begins to make choices that could cause her to lose this memoir and put her own safety at risk. If she’s going to keep this deal plus secure more opportunities she’ll need to get the right people on her side.
I was hoping this would have the same magic as some other fictional rock-n-roll band novels but I never could make sense of Mari and her actions. She was a huge suck up but also made some blunders that made her seem both erratic and naive. She approached the mystery of Mal’s death like she was a detective and had zero subtlety about it considering that the people she was talking to could be responsible for keeping a murder secret for fifty years. I never felt any chemistry or connection between her and Anke even though the entire plot was about her trying to protect and be a voice for Anke. Overall, this one fell a little flat for me although I liked learning about how ghost writing works.
🎧 the audiobook of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is narrated by Helen Laser that does an excellent job with the various accents involved
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mari is a cash strapped ghost writer for D list celebrities when she’s asked to sit down with Anke the widow of the lead singer (Mal) of a 60’s rock band. Anke is an enigma in the music world and getting this deal could help both Mari and her flighty party girl sister buy their own home. But almost immediately Mari begins to make choices that could cause her to lose this memoir and put her own safety at risk. If she’s going to keep this deal plus secure more opportunities she’ll need to get the right people on her side.
I was hoping this would have the same magic as some other fictional rock-n-roll band novels but I never could make sense of Mari and her actions. She was a huge suck up but also made some blunders that made her seem both erratic and naive. She approached the mystery of Mal’s death like she was a detective and had zero subtlety about it considering that the people she was talking to could be responsible for keeping a murder secret for fifty years. I never felt any chemistry or connection between her and Anke even though the entire plot was about her trying to protect and be a voice for Anke. Overall, this one fell a little flat for me although I liked learning about how ghost writing works.
🎧 the audiobook of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is narrated by Helen Laser that does an excellent job with the various accents involved
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 22, 2024
Thanks to @macmillian.audio and #NetGalley for the audio ARC of #MidnightRamblers. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Comparisons to "Daisy Jones" and "Almost Famous" are inevitable because "Last Days" is centered around a late 60's mega-band. And there is an interview/writing aspect that is similar as well. But "Last Days" takes a different approach. Mari is a ghost writer in need of her first "best seller" to cement her reputation in publishing. She sees her opportunity with Anke Berben, who was intimately involved with the band Midnight Ramblers at the height of their popularity. But things are not straight forward and Mari soon finds herself in the middle, trying to discern the truth from some unreliable characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this. I liked that it was from the perspective of the ghost writer and the mystery around a characters death added some intrigue. But the pace was a bit slow and I found the sister storyline distracting and sad.
Comparisons to "Daisy Jones" and "Almost Famous" are inevitable because "Last Days" is centered around a late 60's mega-band. And there is an interview/writing aspect that is similar as well. But "Last Days" takes a different approach. Mari is a ghost writer in need of her first "best seller" to cement her reputation in publishing. She sees her opportunity with Anke Berben, who was intimately involved with the band Midnight Ramblers at the height of their popularity. But things are not straight forward and Mari soon finds herself in the middle, trying to discern the truth from some unreliable characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this. I liked that it was from the perspective of the ghost writer and the mystery around a characters death added some intrigue. But the pace was a bit slow and I found the sister storyline distracting and sad.
December 20, 2023
I received a copy of this book in advance for an honest review. I thought this book was fast paced and gives very much the vibes of if Daisy Jones and Seven Husbands had a love child. However, those are some seriously big shoes to fill and I think that’s why this one fell short for me in some areas. I did enjoy the main plot of the book and thought that characters like Anke, Dante, and Sigrid were all very complex and interesting to read about. I felt more drawn in, however, to their storyline and the investigation of Mal’s death over Mari’s story and I think this is where I might have been thrown off is when the focus shifted too much towards Mari. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read and I had a good time.
October 15, 2025
Whoever said this book was similar to “Daisy Jones & The Six” can choke.
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