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Crime Songs
A stellar cast of sixteen crime writers bring you their crime stories inspired by Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC and more. Bestselling, indie and transgressive writers combine to give you dark, noir, cozy and all possibilities in between. Make Crime Songs your number one.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 31, 2026
Manny always starts anthos out strong. Here w/ the slinky to gravelly sound of Waits’ warbly desert song. (Everybody says I write like him but I need more info) Seems the swampy blues rock singer is actually a leather-clad character here with a cute voodoo keychain. Slang in the era of vid games and Hollywood still mattering to the baby Johnny Bravo. You def won’t guess where this road leads.
The editor does “Girls on the Avenue.” Given his Bangkok Girl book I’ve read and rec about a trafficking mystery, I assume this will be about juice girls. Not quite. An Australian streetwalker with blue hair. A motel nightkeep. Oddly sweet, so much longing in its simple. I like it even more than his noir novel. POV feels more personal.
Blondie song w/ a pretty NY vibe. Lazy Sunday vibes with kids and ghosts aren’t for me though I like the confetti trees, spillover hair and laughter, the playful slidey language and Brooklyn classic tough cookieness.
The Green Day story is its own rock opera of four songs. They were my fav band as a middle schooler though I fell off hard after the “Know Your Enemy” single so this is interesting. NJ setting is fitting if it’s not gonna be crusty Bay Area. There def are a million minor American Idiot references, that scruffy wannabe teen look. “They looked like chalk and cheese” is a cute phrase I never heard. I’d like to be shown rather than told more, like how in love the couple is and especially that awkward first date where they’re hired to kill the same person. It’s a cool concept and the mafia knowledge isn’t lacking. Comparing matching flash sheet tattoos after a massacre was very cringey, apt for how cool punks think they are. End was suspenseful.
Nevada McPherson does “Son of a Preacher Man.” She does my fav romance series, Eucalyptus Lane, starting with Poser. Showing my age, I always thought Dusty Springfield was an androgynous male band. Like I was picturing a skinny black jazz man singer. It was just background noise so I never noticed kissing lyrics, lol. The story is fun and sultry with two girl friends wanting to seduce a cute preacher who’s raising money to build his church. White trash pretty like Joy from My Name Is Earl but a li’l Thelma & Louise.
David Foster’s Know Your Rights has á Kelso character who doesn’t seem far off from That 70s Show’s horny blockhead. But violent and presumably Australian. Great references and bodily grossness (street pizza and mucous yellow descriptions). Never read the story of á snitch before: cool. Plus there’s all the funny descriptions of ugly people.
Pixies, Where Is My Mind — One of the few songs I know and like. Á father wants to kill his app-rotted daughter. The one discussed says it’s worse than TikTok because it tells you what to post, but if you want monetization after á certain follower count, TT does that too to manufacture super specific trends down to the transitions, songs, movements and words. My sister does it. So, “fun” fact.
Here though the app tells her to go kite and take pills until she’s stuck in the corner of the room constantly surveilled and defecating in bowls for parents to take away. Black Mirror funny. I wonder why they decided on the name Raspberry—versus Blackberry or some horror book cover trends maybe or it’s semi-innocent girly aesthetic. Not the most surprising end but á fun read and the type of brisk dystopian writing the splatterpunk community likes if he ever wanted to add gore.
“Desperado” by the Eagles: Not the cliche railroad gambler I would’ve written for it. Focusing more on the queen of hearts with á knife reference. Couldn’t guess how it ends but I like it lots. I’d have liked to know what put her in debt but it’s the guy she teams up w/ who’s more interesting vs relatable. Clever using the public records and calls to keep tabs on people.
Mark Lanegan song. Never heard of him but he sounds like how I presumed Tom Waits woulda. Sounds like it would inside á Lana video. The small incident of the philandering gangster husband beating á guy who don’t say sorry enough, sounds like what á lot of women would have actually liked though, judging by the Chris Rock slap and dark romance books, lol.
The bulky bodyguard with the aesthetic lip scar does suit that audience though. Gets cute that way. Lots of Thai food and empty fridges in this book. Never heard anybody described as looking like á pit bull, that’s á good one for the goon. Violence is exciting too. Poetic end indeed. Methamphetamine Blues is á great title.
Thank You by Jamelia - Nice voice but her weakest lyrically besides “my head, near dead.” Cool she sampled Manson’s “Personal Jesus” cover. The rest of her ‘90s-esque jazzy pop is awesome. Anyway, another abusive couple wedding story. Do men really buy drinks for women at a wedding? Maybe it’s not as much of á faux pas in the UK. Good voice, lots of quick ironic twists and call outs by multiple characters.
Chemtrails Over The Country Club - my Lana Del Rey story. Lots of other LDR references sprinkled throughout. Wanted my MC funny/dirtbag slick like Walton Goggins clips (haven’t watched White Lotus yet). Coke, thieving, Americana and LSD. It’s a family affair. Trippy prose. Plus, there’s a dog named Reginald.
AC/DC - “Jailbreak”: Obvious fodder for á classic noir couple scuffle. Buds in à band. One sick of the other’s bellyaching in à jail cell for dif crimes. Tension from guards and rape. Like the weapon of choice and ominous bus light. Felt the last scene together could have used á few more details to án emotional impact.
Sympathy for the Devil. Technically, that’s what most noir is. Or at least here. Án opening sentence with turd changes the tone though, lol. “Floating faceless in foaming pink water” has á pretty seesaw sound. The piece is full of fashion, furniture, and sleazy brands. A hit ordered by businessmen, punky kids, abuse. The end felt like it could breathe á tad more to transition into empathy and time jumps. Dig the name Jilly. The last line makes the piece more subversive, á flipped script on swaggering Jagger.
Right Place Wrong Time: Seems like á song for Tarrentino. Great album art. So many Daves in this book I’m surprised no one did á Dave Grouhl song…or D4VD now. This peace starts deceptively serene and keeps jostling that way. Á pool time escape (thought they were gonna say it was built to hide bodies on concrete), Sopranos type leisurely decadence and violence, business threats á la The Godfather. Few too many characters though they have memorable names and dry humor. Another Australian number. Death at fancy estates reminds me á bit of Manny Torres’ Carbones Perros novel set in FL/GA. Wow, what an accomplished writer with movie and TV credits.
Elton John - My Father’s Gun. Never heard Elton’s voice this almost country. Great unraveling of the story. Even though I kept making guesses of where it would go, I was always wrong. It’s not the expected story I would’ve made about one of the kids being gay or the brother being dull, wanting to run away to New Orleans. It’s á bittersweet story, that treads backwards, not making anybody 2D.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence, á good song to end. Goth temptress at the bar chatting up married MC. Silly someone to say they’re not familiar with one of most famous bands even Gen Z likes again. Ironic end. Wonder what exactly they want out of him, what inspired them.
—
Maybe faster pace songs would make the stories that way too. That’s the aim for volume two I hope to head.
The editor does “Girls on the Avenue.” Given his Bangkok Girl book I’ve read and rec about a trafficking mystery, I assume this will be about juice girls. Not quite. An Australian streetwalker with blue hair. A motel nightkeep. Oddly sweet, so much longing in its simple. I like it even more than his noir novel. POV feels more personal.
Blondie song w/ a pretty NY vibe. Lazy Sunday vibes with kids and ghosts aren’t for me though I like the confetti trees, spillover hair and laughter, the playful slidey language and Brooklyn classic tough cookieness.
The Green Day story is its own rock opera of four songs. They were my fav band as a middle schooler though I fell off hard after the “Know Your Enemy” single so this is interesting. NJ setting is fitting if it’s not gonna be crusty Bay Area. There def are a million minor American Idiot references, that scruffy wannabe teen look. “They looked like chalk and cheese” is a cute phrase I never heard. I’d like to be shown rather than told more, like how in love the couple is and especially that awkward first date where they’re hired to kill the same person. It’s a cool concept and the mafia knowledge isn’t lacking. Comparing matching flash sheet tattoos after a massacre was very cringey, apt for how cool punks think they are. End was suspenseful.
Nevada McPherson does “Son of a Preacher Man.” She does my fav romance series, Eucalyptus Lane, starting with Poser. Showing my age, I always thought Dusty Springfield was an androgynous male band. Like I was picturing a skinny black jazz man singer. It was just background noise so I never noticed kissing lyrics, lol. The story is fun and sultry with two girl friends wanting to seduce a cute preacher who’s raising money to build his church. White trash pretty like Joy from My Name Is Earl but a li’l Thelma & Louise.
David Foster’s Know Your Rights has á Kelso character who doesn’t seem far off from That 70s Show’s horny blockhead. But violent and presumably Australian. Great references and bodily grossness (street pizza and mucous yellow descriptions). Never read the story of á snitch before: cool. Plus there’s all the funny descriptions of ugly people.
Pixies, Where Is My Mind — One of the few songs I know and like. Á father wants to kill his app-rotted daughter. The one discussed says it’s worse than TikTok because it tells you what to post, but if you want monetization after á certain follower count, TT does that too to manufacture super specific trends down to the transitions, songs, movements and words. My sister does it. So, “fun” fact.
Here though the app tells her to go kite and take pills until she’s stuck in the corner of the room constantly surveilled and defecating in bowls for parents to take away. Black Mirror funny. I wonder why they decided on the name Raspberry—versus Blackberry or some horror book cover trends maybe or it’s semi-innocent girly aesthetic. Not the most surprising end but á fun read and the type of brisk dystopian writing the splatterpunk community likes if he ever wanted to add gore.
“Desperado” by the Eagles: Not the cliche railroad gambler I would’ve written for it. Focusing more on the queen of hearts with á knife reference. Couldn’t guess how it ends but I like it lots. I’d have liked to know what put her in debt but it’s the guy she teams up w/ who’s more interesting vs relatable. Clever using the public records and calls to keep tabs on people.
Mark Lanegan song. Never heard of him but he sounds like how I presumed Tom Waits woulda. Sounds like it would inside á Lana video. The small incident of the philandering gangster husband beating á guy who don’t say sorry enough, sounds like what á lot of women would have actually liked though, judging by the Chris Rock slap and dark romance books, lol.
The bulky bodyguard with the aesthetic lip scar does suit that audience though. Gets cute that way. Lots of Thai food and empty fridges in this book. Never heard anybody described as looking like á pit bull, that’s á good one for the goon. Violence is exciting too. Poetic end indeed. Methamphetamine Blues is á great title.
Thank You by Jamelia - Nice voice but her weakest lyrically besides “my head, near dead.” Cool she sampled Manson’s “Personal Jesus” cover. The rest of her ‘90s-esque jazzy pop is awesome. Anyway, another abusive couple wedding story. Do men really buy drinks for women at a wedding? Maybe it’s not as much of á faux pas in the UK. Good voice, lots of quick ironic twists and call outs by multiple characters.
Chemtrails Over The Country Club - my Lana Del Rey story. Lots of other LDR references sprinkled throughout. Wanted my MC funny/dirtbag slick like Walton Goggins clips (haven’t watched White Lotus yet). Coke, thieving, Americana and LSD. It’s a family affair. Trippy prose. Plus, there’s a dog named Reginald.
AC/DC - “Jailbreak”: Obvious fodder for á classic noir couple scuffle. Buds in à band. One sick of the other’s bellyaching in à jail cell for dif crimes. Tension from guards and rape. Like the weapon of choice and ominous bus light. Felt the last scene together could have used á few more details to án emotional impact.
Sympathy for the Devil. Technically, that’s what most noir is. Or at least here. Án opening sentence with turd changes the tone though, lol. “Floating faceless in foaming pink water” has á pretty seesaw sound. The piece is full of fashion, furniture, and sleazy brands. A hit ordered by businessmen, punky kids, abuse. The end felt like it could breathe á tad more to transition into empathy and time jumps. Dig the name Jilly. The last line makes the piece more subversive, á flipped script on swaggering Jagger.
Right Place Wrong Time: Seems like á song for Tarrentino. Great album art. So many Daves in this book I’m surprised no one did á Dave Grouhl song…or D4VD now. This peace starts deceptively serene and keeps jostling that way. Á pool time escape (thought they were gonna say it was built to hide bodies on concrete), Sopranos type leisurely decadence and violence, business threats á la The Godfather. Few too many characters though they have memorable names and dry humor. Another Australian number. Death at fancy estates reminds me á bit of Manny Torres’ Carbones Perros novel set in FL/GA. Wow, what an accomplished writer with movie and TV credits.
Elton John - My Father’s Gun. Never heard Elton’s voice this almost country. Great unraveling of the story. Even though I kept making guesses of where it would go, I was always wrong. It’s not the expected story I would’ve made about one of the kids being gay or the brother being dull, wanting to run away to New Orleans. It’s á bittersweet story, that treads backwards, not making anybody 2D.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence, á good song to end. Goth temptress at the bar chatting up married MC. Silly someone to say they’re not familiar with one of most famous bands even Gen Z likes again. Ironic end. Wonder what exactly they want out of him, what inspired them.
—
Maybe faster pace songs would make the stories that way too. That’s the aim for volume two I hope to head.
September 18, 2025
Crime Songs: An Anthology edited by Sean O'Leary
Thank you @booktoktours for the eARC of this newly published crime anthology published by @cttb_fiction
16 authors, 16 stories, 16 songs.
Each author was tasked with writing a crime story influenced by a song of their choice.
And so my review is influenced by Risingson.
🎶"Now you're lost and you're lethal
And now's about the time you gotta leave all" - Risingson, Massive Attack
Dark, brooding, menacing, seductive and addictive.
This book is a real trip into all the styles that crime writing has to offer. Violence and murder, gangs and drugs, vengeance and retribution, thieves and lowlifes, detectives and whodunnit, whimsy, dark humour and innocents caught in the crossfire, prison drama and escape plots.
Whichever type of crime fiction you enjoy there's something for you here, dipping into the lives of characters both lost and lethal.
Not one story outstays its welcome so if one isn't to your taste then the next may well be the vibe you are looking for.
Atmospheric tales from around the globe with indie and established writers from America, Australia and places in between.
I love the concept of the tales reflecting song choices. A collection with its own sixteen track playlist.
As with all anthologies some stories were more to my personal taste than others. It's difficult picking favourites but if pushed then Son of A Preacher Man by Nevada McPherson with two girls looking for a quick pay day had the right elements of surprise and unease and a fun Australian whodunnit, Right Place Wrong Time by Dave Warner gave a nice change of scene.
And favourite song/story title has to be Chemtrails over the Country Club.
The biggest crime is what the collection could do to my tbr if I now start adding all the books I'm interested in from the authors here that I enjoyed.
But I can read everything, right? 🎶'Dream on'
Thank you @booktoktours for the eARC of this newly published crime anthology published by @cttb_fiction
16 authors, 16 stories, 16 songs.
Each author was tasked with writing a crime story influenced by a song of their choice.
And so my review is influenced by Risingson.
🎶"Now you're lost and you're lethal
And now's about the time you gotta leave all" - Risingson, Massive Attack
Dark, brooding, menacing, seductive and addictive.
This book is a real trip into all the styles that crime writing has to offer. Violence and murder, gangs and drugs, vengeance and retribution, thieves and lowlifes, detectives and whodunnit, whimsy, dark humour and innocents caught in the crossfire, prison drama and escape plots.
Whichever type of crime fiction you enjoy there's something for you here, dipping into the lives of characters both lost and lethal.
Not one story outstays its welcome so if one isn't to your taste then the next may well be the vibe you are looking for.
Atmospheric tales from around the globe with indie and established writers from America, Australia and places in between.
I love the concept of the tales reflecting song choices. A collection with its own sixteen track playlist.
As with all anthologies some stories were more to my personal taste than others. It's difficult picking favourites but if pushed then Son of A Preacher Man by Nevada McPherson with two girls looking for a quick pay day had the right elements of surprise and unease and a fun Australian whodunnit, Right Place Wrong Time by Dave Warner gave a nice change of scene.
And favourite song/story title has to be Chemtrails over the Country Club.
The biggest crime is what the collection could do to my tbr if I now start adding all the books I'm interested in from the authors here that I enjoyed.
But I can read everything, right? 🎶'Dream on'
September 16, 2025
This is such a good concept for a collection of stories, especially for someone like me. I can't stand silence so always have music on in the background, and crime & thriller is my favourite genre of books, so to have the two combined is a win win!
Each author was given the opportunity to choose a song and interpret it in their own way, writing a short crime story based on the how the song had influenced them. There is a good mix of songs included, some I was familiar with and some I wasn't, but I did listen to all of the songs while reading the stories so I could experience them together.
Some of the stories follow a similar kind of path so it did become a little repetitive, but it still introduced me to new artists and new authors.
Each author was given the opportunity to choose a song and interpret it in their own way, writing a short crime story based on the how the song had influenced them. There is a good mix of songs included, some I was familiar with and some I wasn't, but I did listen to all of the songs while reading the stories so I could experience them together.
Some of the stories follow a similar kind of path so it did become a little repetitive, but it still introduced me to new artists and new authors.
September 28, 2025
Thank you @booktoktours for my advanced copy! To be honest, I didn’t really know what an anthology was, but the bands mentioned totally hooked me from the start, so I gave it a try lol. This was such a cool concept and an amazing experience!! Reading while listening to some of my favorite songs made it even better! I was so surprised to see Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode and Cigarettes and Valentines by Green Day included (I listen to those songs all the time 🙂). It was thrilling and so much fun! Probably because I love music, reading stories inspired by these songs was such a unique experience. I was so excited while reading lol. I totally loved it and sorry for the late review! I definitely RECOMMEND it to anyone who loves music and crime/thriller stories!! 🖤
September 21, 2025
5 stars from me. A rollicking collection of short stories. Each story has an original take and I love the song selections. A few of my faves - Dave Warner with his ageing rocker PI, the gritty Manny Torres story, Ivy Ngeows ghostly Sunday Girl and David Fosters violent take on on the Clash. Not a dud story in the collection and bring on book 2 Sean O'Leary!!
September 20, 2025
The book features sixteen crime writers whose stories were all inspired by songs. Songs by Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC provided some of the inspiration. I love that an anthology can introduce me to new authors. This collection introduced me to numerous bestselling, indie authors. The stories ranged from cozy to noir to dark. Each author included a brief note about the song that inspired their story.
One of my favorite stories from this collection was Cigarettes and Valentines by James Quinn. Jimmy and Val are contract killers who work for rival crime families. They meet and fall in love. Jimmy and Val have been able to keep their relationship secret or so they thought. Nothing stays secret forever.
I also really liked Right Place Wrong Time by Dave Warner. It’s a traditional mystery. In it the amateur detective is a cranky aging rock star who sets out to solve a murder.
This a great compilation of stories for crime fiction fans or any reader who wants to dip into the genre.
One of my favorite stories from this collection was Cigarettes and Valentines by James Quinn. Jimmy and Val are contract killers who work for rival crime families. They meet and fall in love. Jimmy and Val have been able to keep their relationship secret or so they thought. Nothing stays secret forever.
I also really liked Right Place Wrong Time by Dave Warner. It’s a traditional mystery. In it the amateur detective is a cranky aging rock star who sets out to solve a murder.
This a great compilation of stories for crime fiction fans or any reader who wants to dip into the genre.
September 16, 2025
Crime Songs
Edited by Sean O'Leary
Close to the Bone Publishing, 2025
Genre: Fiction
This is a novel attempt as this is an anthology of crime stories inspired from rock or pop songs. The editor Sean O'Leary has done a stellar job of compiling the short stories on crime ranging from theft to murder. All the 16 authors have named their short stories after title of their favourite song.
Many readers may not be familiar with some of the songs but with the internet, you will be able to find all of them. So be prepared to listen to the songs before you read the stories. It gives you a better understanding of why certain car models or dialogues are used. At least, that is how I read it. It was fun too as being a writer, I needed to know the lyrics of the original song before I read the short story. It is nice both the title and the band are mentioned.
Some crime writers have literally written the story from the lyrics of the song while others do an interpretation of the lyrics. Some have just taken the title and made up their own stories. Maybe it is just me, but I felt "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones was almost like reading about the Epstein case that I ended up searching for Epstein's family. The proper whodunit was "Right Place, Wrong Time" and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The best way to read this book is to have the song play in the background. It is up to the reader - you can always read it without knowing the song. That would also work too.
You can read this book in any order as it an anthology. The style varies with each short story as they are written by different award-winning authors. The writing flows well but you will definitely end up with some favorites.
I think it would have been nice if someone had chosen "Bohemian Rhapsody "and "Every Step You Take" and wrote a story based on it but that is just me!
If you like songs and reading short stories about crime - anything from theft to murder, this book is definitely for you.
Edited by Sean O'Leary
Close to the Bone Publishing, 2025
Genre: Fiction
This is a novel attempt as this is an anthology of crime stories inspired from rock or pop songs. The editor Sean O'Leary has done a stellar job of compiling the short stories on crime ranging from theft to murder. All the 16 authors have named their short stories after title of their favourite song.
Many readers may not be familiar with some of the songs but with the internet, you will be able to find all of them. So be prepared to listen to the songs before you read the stories. It gives you a better understanding of why certain car models or dialogues are used. At least, that is how I read it. It was fun too as being a writer, I needed to know the lyrics of the original song before I read the short story. It is nice both the title and the band are mentioned.
Some crime writers have literally written the story from the lyrics of the song while others do an interpretation of the lyrics. Some have just taken the title and made up their own stories. Maybe it is just me, but I felt "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones was almost like reading about the Epstein case that I ended up searching for Epstein's family. The proper whodunit was "Right Place, Wrong Time" and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The best way to read this book is to have the song play in the background. It is up to the reader - you can always read it without knowing the song. That would also work too.
You can read this book in any order as it an anthology. The style varies with each short story as they are written by different award-winning authors. The writing flows well but you will definitely end up with some favorites.
I think it would have been nice if someone had chosen "Bohemian Rhapsody "and "Every Step You Take" and wrote a story based on it but that is just me!
If you like songs and reading short stories about crime - anything from theft to murder, this book is definitely for you.
December 28, 2025
Here is my review for Crime Songs by Sean O’Leary
I really enjoyed the mixture of short stories in this crime anthology using an array of music songs as the theme. It’s a great cast of authors with a write up of their achievements after their stories. The stories vary but are all in the crime genre and kept me riveted to the book right from the start of the book where blood is constantly spilt. I really liked the songs they picked too as they varied so much from Dusty Springfield to The Clash to Blondie. The stories are all well written to different plots by different authors so you can basically pick and choose what you want to read, leave some for another day or read it all the way through. There’s a great selection there. The descriptive text is superb in all the stories I read.
Blurb :
A stellar cast of sixteen crime writers bring you their crime stories inspired by Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC and more. Bestselling, indie and transgressive writers combine to give you dark, noir, cozy and all possibilities in between. Make Crime Songs your number one.
I really enjoyed the mixture of short stories in this crime anthology using an array of music songs as the theme. It’s a great cast of authors with a write up of their achievements after their stories. The stories vary but are all in the crime genre and kept me riveted to the book right from the start of the book where blood is constantly spilt. I really liked the songs they picked too as they varied so much from Dusty Springfield to The Clash to Blondie. The stories are all well written to different plots by different authors so you can basically pick and choose what you want to read, leave some for another day or read it all the way through. There’s a great selection there. The descriptive text is superb in all the stories I read.
Blurb :
A stellar cast of sixteen crime writers bring you their crime stories inspired by Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC and more. Bestselling, indie and transgressive writers combine to give you dark, noir, cozy and all possibilities in between. Make Crime Songs your number one.
October 5, 2025
📖 Title: Crime Songs
✍️ Author: Multiple Authors
⭐️ Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
📅 Date Finished: September 18th, 2025
—————————————————————————
🧵 Quick Summary:
Crime Songs is a crime anthology made up of dark, twisty short stories by a collection of crime writers. Each tale is inspired by or themed around various songs and musical genres (Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC, etc.), blending noir, cozy crime, and everything in between.
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading all of these stories. I think I'd like to go back and read the stories while listening to the songs that they were inspired from. I liked some stories much better than I did others, but they all had their own unique traits about them. I have a feeling that listening to the song will add more to my enjoyment.
✍️ Author: Multiple Authors
⭐️ Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
📅 Date Finished: September 18th, 2025
—————————————————————————
🧵 Quick Summary:
Crime Songs is a crime anthology made up of dark, twisty short stories by a collection of crime writers. Each tale is inspired by or themed around various songs and musical genres (Tom Waits, Blondie, The Clash, Lana Del Rey, AC/DC, etc.), blending noir, cozy crime, and everything in between.
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading all of these stories. I think I'd like to go back and read the stories while listening to the songs that they were inspired from. I liked some stories much better than I did others, but they all had their own unique traits about them. I have a feeling that listening to the song will add more to my enjoyment.
September 19, 2025
What a great and unusual mix of stories!
Each authoring asked to write a story, which has been influenced by a song, and the end result is a great collection of addictive stories which are inspired by the likes of AC/DC, The Clash and Blondie, just to name a few.
Be it dark noir, psychological, haunting, or murder mystery, each tale comes together perfectly, but offers such a range of subjects from around the globe, including murder and violence, drugs and gangs, to vengeance and whodunnit.
There really is something for everyone here and it’s definitely worth a read!
Each authoring asked to write a story, which has been influenced by a song, and the end result is a great collection of addictive stories which are inspired by the likes of AC/DC, The Clash and Blondie, just to name a few.
Be it dark noir, psychological, haunting, or murder mystery, each tale comes together perfectly, but offers such a range of subjects from around the globe, including murder and violence, drugs and gangs, to vengeance and whodunnit.
There really is something for everyone here and it’s definitely worth a read!
September 17, 2025
Right from the first story, Crime Songs knocked me off my feet. It’s an anthology with bite — seventeen crime writers, each spinning story inspired by songs. Music becomes more than backdrop: it’s a pulse, a mood, even a character in its own right.
The stories are wildly diverse. At times the vibe is classic noir; in others, it’s something more haunted, more psychological. Whatever the style, each author uses references to songs you know, but the angles are fresh.
The stories are wildly diverse. At times the vibe is classic noir; in others, it’s something more haunted, more psychological. Whatever the style, each author uses references to songs you know, but the angles are fresh.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews