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The Drummer
“A fun read about drugs, rock and roll, brawls, and banging (drums, groupies, and otherwise).”— Publishers Weekly “[Anthony Neil] Smith writes with force and clarity.”—Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune The 80s hair-metal band Savage Night is in debt. The Drummer fakes his death and disappears to New Orleans. Fifteen years later, the Singer finds him, hoping to convince the Drummer of a reunion tour and second shot at glory. A stiff cocktail of crotch-grabbing hair metal and New Orleans noir. Anthony Neil Smith is the author of Psychosomatic and was co-editor of the crime fiction journal Plots With Guns .
228 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Neil Smith
63 books191 followersI write crime novels. PSYCHOSOMATIC, THE DRUMMER, plus the Billy Lafitte series--YELLOW MEDICINE, HOGDOGGIN', THE BADDEST ASS, and HOLY DEATH--and the Mustafa & Adem series--ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS and ONCE A WARRIOR, in addition to WORM, CHOKE ON YOUR LIES, and the SLOW BEAR trilogy.
I'm an English Professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and editor of the online lit mag Revolution John.
I'm an English Professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and editor of the online lit mag Revolution John.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 28, 2011
Sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Toss in some secrets and a man on the run. What more could you ask for from a book? It’s all there in The Drummer by Anthony Neil Smith.
Merle Johnson is a man of secrets. Lots of them. Deep, dark secrets that haunt him every day of his life. He wants to be left alone and have a “normal” life. So he moves to New Orleans and buys a former funeral home to live in, attempting to just blend in. But the secrets from his past come roaring back one night when a man from his former life shows up at the bar. Soon, the life Merle has tried so hard to put together begins to crumble right before his eyes. Not only might his secrets be exposed, but people’s lives now hang in the balance. As he tries to hold everything together, Merle is pushed to his breaking point. Can he ever reclaim the quiet life he worked hard to create and so desperately desires?
I loved this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the book description, but this one sucked me in from the get-go and wouldn’t let go. It’s much more than just a book about rock ’n’ roll; it’s crime, love, and mystery all rolled up in one. An atmospheric story with grittiness throughout, you'll feel like you're on the run in New Orleans with Merle. Smith describes it as his “love song to New Orleans,” and that’s a very apt description. If you’re a fan of authors such as James Lee Burke and Tom Piccirilli, make sure you read The Drummer. Or if you’re a fan of good stories, read The Drummer. Heck, just go read The Drummer.
Merle Johnson is a man of secrets. Lots of them. Deep, dark secrets that haunt him every day of his life. He wants to be left alone and have a “normal” life. So he moves to New Orleans and buys a former funeral home to live in, attempting to just blend in. But the secrets from his past come roaring back one night when a man from his former life shows up at the bar. Soon, the life Merle has tried so hard to put together begins to crumble right before his eyes. Not only might his secrets be exposed, but people’s lives now hang in the balance. As he tries to hold everything together, Merle is pushed to his breaking point. Can he ever reclaim the quiet life he worked hard to create and so desperately desires?
I loved this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the book description, but this one sucked me in from the get-go and wouldn’t let go. It’s much more than just a book about rock ’n’ roll; it’s crime, love, and mystery all rolled up in one. An atmospheric story with grittiness throughout, you'll feel like you're on the run in New Orleans with Merle. Smith describes it as his “love song to New Orleans,” and that’s a very apt description. If you’re a fan of authors such as James Lee Burke and Tom Piccirilli, make sure you read The Drummer. Or if you’re a fan of good stories, read The Drummer. Heck, just go read The Drummer.
April 20, 2011
Rowdy and cynical, but not nihilistic, "The Drummer" will keep you reading for long, unhealthy stretches. Anthony Neil Smith writes with overwhelming anger and a curious sense of empathy and friendship. I have no idea why this book is not the talk of the crime writing community.
July 2, 2024
This took longer to read than anticipated. It wasn't as good as I would have hoped. Too many things surpassed my ability to suspend disbelief (that all the characters were in their 30's first off). But, I finished it.
May 13, 2012
I gave this book 3/5 stars at InsatiableBooksluts.com. My co-reviewer, Rob, gave the book 4/5 stars.
We often do discussion-style reviews at IB. Here's an excerpt:
"Susie: What did you think about it?
Rob: I liked it muchly. It was definitely my kind of book–loved all the music references.
Susie: I hoped at least one of us would like it. I found it easy to read, but I developed a distinct dislike of every character in the book by the time it was over.
Rob: Yeah, they weren’t a lovable bunch, but I liked all the flaws. It portrayed the music business very well; most of the people in that business tend to be selfish f**ks. I liked his writing style too… no frills.
Susie: Uh huh. You know I have no love for selfish f**ks.
Rob: The seediness of it reminded me very much of Ryu Murakami; Almost Transparent Blue came vividly to mind. Merle was such a damn wreck at the end, which also put me in mind of Carl Hiaasen–he tends to put his characters through the wringer, especially the selfish f**ks.
Susie: He did remind me of Hiaasen, but not as funny. And after Smith started talking about Merle’s relationship with Beth, I wanted to crawl into the pages and pimp slap Merle.
Susie: Talking about Beth: “I had to kill Merle Johnson and split town, I wanted this woman, every part of her, before I left.” (groan)"
Read the full discussion at our site.
We often do discussion-style reviews at IB. Here's an excerpt:
"Susie: What did you think about it?
Rob: I liked it muchly. It was definitely my kind of book–loved all the music references.
Susie: I hoped at least one of us would like it. I found it easy to read, but I developed a distinct dislike of every character in the book by the time it was over.
Rob: Yeah, they weren’t a lovable bunch, but I liked all the flaws. It portrayed the music business very well; most of the people in that business tend to be selfish f**ks. I liked his writing style too… no frills.
Susie: Uh huh. You know I have no love for selfish f**ks.
Rob: The seediness of it reminded me very much of Ryu Murakami; Almost Transparent Blue came vividly to mind. Merle was such a damn wreck at the end, which also put me in mind of Carl Hiaasen–he tends to put his characters through the wringer, especially the selfish f**ks.
Susie: He did remind me of Hiaasen, but not as funny. And after Smith started talking about Merle’s relationship with Beth, I wanted to crawl into the pages and pimp slap Merle.
Susie: Talking about Beth: “I had to kill Merle Johnson and split town, I wanted this woman, every part of her, before I left.” (groan)"
Read the full discussion at our site.
April 19, 2008
80's hair-metal band Savage Night imploded years ago after the mysterious death of their drummer in a suspicious fire. But the Drummer, Cal Christopher, is very much alive, having faked his own death to get away from his creditors, from the IRS and from the rock-star madness in general. Now, someone from his past shows up and threatens to expose him, and Cal has to explore just how far he's willing to go to keep his new life--and how far some people are willing to go to force him to confront the mistakes of the old one.
The Drummer is tightly written, with just enough spice in the spare, lean prose to liven it up without being distracting. The bits about rock in general and the now defunct, what-the-hell-were- we-thinking genre of "hair metal" in particular (think Cinderella) are wry but affectionate, never going over the top enough to constitute full-out satire. In fact, while the book's about a former heavy metal guy, the prose is more reminiscent of early punk: fast, stripped down and propulsive, with flashes of deadpan, sometimes biting wit. Great stuff, from a writer I can't wait to read more of.
The Drummer is tightly written, with just enough spice in the spare, lean prose to liven it up without being distracting. The bits about rock in general and the now defunct, what-the-hell-were- we-thinking genre of "hair metal" in particular (think Cinderella) are wry but affectionate, never going over the top enough to constitute full-out satire. In fact, while the book's about a former heavy metal guy, the prose is more reminiscent of early punk: fast, stripped down and propulsive, with flashes of deadpan, sometimes biting wit. Great stuff, from a writer I can't wait to read more of.
May 9, 2011
Having faked his own death to avoid the IRS and rock star life, Cal Christopher, the drummer of 80’s rock band Savage Night is living a peaceful existence in New Orleans, that is, until the lead singer of the band tracks him down in hopes of reuniting the group. Bad enough, Cal has to deal with his identity being exposed, worse when people start turning up dead with the authorities fingering him for the main suspect. What follows is a highly atmospheric, fast paced thriller-esq story accompanied by a rock and roll soundtrack to accentuate the gritty and distinctly urban ‘man on the run’ feel to ‘The Drummer’ – all of which culminates in a superb ending topped off with a twist I sure as hell didn’t see coming. Anthony Neil Smith really hits the spot with this one providing a likeable protagonist, well defined plot and enough twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes – 4.5 stars.
May 21, 2012
This book had some pros and cons for me.
The pros: I love Smith's writing style. He sparks all my senses, without being overly wordy or descriptive. The plot kept me interested; the characters are fully developed and fun to get to know.
The cons: I felt some of the plot twists, especially in the second half, were unrealistic. While this is fiction, it still has to feel believable. Certain things that happened caused me to do a mental eye roll. The ending felt contrived, like Smith was reaching for that big splash instead of letting the story sit on its own merits.
Despite the cons, I enjoyed the story overall and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
The pros: I love Smith's writing style. He sparks all my senses, without being overly wordy or descriptive. The plot kept me interested; the characters are fully developed and fun to get to know.
The cons: I felt some of the plot twists, especially in the second half, were unrealistic. While this is fiction, it still has to feel believable. Certain things that happened caused me to do a mental eye roll. The ending felt contrived, like Smith was reaching for that big splash instead of letting the story sit on its own merits.
Despite the cons, I enjoyed the story overall and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
October 16, 2015
Fifteen years after faking his death, the former drummer for Savage Night sees his carefully constructed alternate life begin to unravel when his former band mates start tracking him down. Smith does an excellent job of running the current story and the backstory together and that creates more depth of characterization than is typical in crime/noir novels. Tightly paced with a fun plot, but it's all about sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, and murder in this thrill ride. Where's the movie version?
June 25, 2014
I just changed my rating of this book from 4 stars to 5 stars, six months after having read it. This is a fun book, especially if you like music from a time period of the late 80s and early 90s. It is a highly entertaining read. But here is why I changed its rating after 6 months: Every time I hear a Guns n Roses song on the radio, I think of this book. Any book that can have that kind of daily influence deserves an extra star.
October 27, 2011
Read on my nook. Another fantastic, fast-paced crime novel from Anthony Neil Smith, this time including some of my favorite things: metal, groupies, and New Orleans. I think I liked this one even better than Yellow Medicine. I've only got two more Smith books to read, hopefully he's busy writing more right now!
March 19, 2015
Good concept of blending crime noir with '80s hair metal protagonist, but poor execution. I couldn't believe anything these characters did or said. I got halfway and could not bring myself to read any further.
September 30, 2010
it was ok.
June 27, 2013
I liked this book, but I love New Orleans where I was pleasantly surprised to learn this was set. Would read more by the author.
April 14, 2015
Rock n' roll noir? You betcha.. This one is fun.
April 3, 2016
Enjoyed this a lot. Looking forward to more books by this author.
July 2, 2014
this was a lot of fun to read!!! A novel for headbangers :)
July 12, 2015
Great book and a unique take on the noir genre... Good stuff!
February 19, 2019
Competently written, tepid 'suspense' novel where not much happens and the main character floats along, directed by events. The MC's fatal flaw is never addressed, and he learns nothing except that 'everyone else is bad and deserves what they get'. Except of course, if said person is from N'awlins, in which case, they are saints. Pun definitely intended.
A good read, well-written, but not particularly exciting: a standout element is the impeccable line-editing; very clean prose with very few (if any) errors. A rarity in free/cheap e-books these days. Unfortunately, the services of a content editor to tighten up the suspense and save us the trite 'shallow people are shallow' theme.
A good read, well-written, but not particularly exciting: a standout element is the impeccable line-editing; very clean prose with very few (if any) errors. A rarity in free/cheap e-books these days. Unfortunately, the services of a content editor to tighten up the suspense and save us the trite 'shallow people are shallow' theme.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews