THE ONE AFTER 9:09: A Mystery With A Backbeat

by Tony Broadbent

‘Rebel Without A Cause’ meets ‘A Hard Day’s Night’

A DISAFFECTED LIVERPOOL TEENAGER BECOMES INVOLVED WITH THE BEATLES WHEN HE’S HIRED TO HELP PREVENT THE MURDER OF THE GROUP’S MANAGER, BRIAN EPSTEIN.

Liverpool 1961. A city about to explode with the sound of raw-edged rock 'n' roll—reborn. Beat groups outnumber street gangs. Gangs of Teddy Boys terrorise dance halls and clubs with flick-knives and bicycle-chains. Gangsters demand protection money and firebomb clubs that don't pay. But nothing can stop the beat. The beat goes on. The demand for drink, cigarettes, sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll just keeps growing.

But The Beatles are going nowhere fast—and they know it. Liverpool's grown much too small. Hamburg has become a drag. It’s the same old grind—day in, night out. The big question: Who can get them a recording contract down in London—get them to ‘the toppermost of the poppermost’?

Only two men have vision enough to do it. Sam Leach—a pushy, local, rock 'n' roll mad promoter with towering dreams way beyond his means. And Brian Epstein—the sophisticated, urbane owner of a local record store.
A group of rival promoters are plotting to push Sam Leach out of the business for good. The man convicted of beating, robbing, and blackmailing Brian Epstein has not only vowed to kill him, but is about to be released from prison. Everyone, it seems, wants to spoil the party.

Into the swelling scene steps art student Raymond Jones, an angry young man desperate to find something—someone—to believe in after the death of his dad in a road accident. Picasso, Pollock, and de Kooning don't have the answers. Neither do Kerouac, Camus, or Sartre. So, just maybe, he'll find his salvation in rock 'n' roll.

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2015

About the author

Tony Broadbent was an art student in London in the late Sixties.

He then worked as copywriter and creative director at some of the best advertising agencies in London, New York, and San Francisco, before opening his own agency.

He's now a consulting brand strategist, planner, and ideator for clients in the U.S. and Europe.

Tony is married and lives in Mill Valley, California.

Reviews

[Robert Maier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being more of a non-fiction person, I had rarely finished a mystery until I bought one of Tony Broadbent’s novels about a very clever cat burglar in post WWII London. They read like a beautifully written biographies, and I devoured them all.

Broadbent, who grew up near London, at that time, imbues his pages with the feel of Olde England— beer-soaked pubs, smoggy cobblestone streets, greasy restaurants, the back stages of ancient West End theaters, elegant mansions, canal boats, and the intrigues of career criminals and thugs who lived off the way-too-wealthy British upper classes. I was hooked.

I also have followed The Beatles, on and off, since I first discovered them as a young teen in 1962 on a visit to England with my parents. So The Beatles and a Broadbent mystery were an irresistible combination.

THE ONE AFTER 9:09 does not disappoint. Broadbent is a conscientious author whose prose is as rich and comforting as Yorkshire pudding, regularly verging on poetry. This book is a portrait of the times, people, and places of non-privileged British teens, who didn’t stand a chance in the new world dominated by the suburban American dreams of Rock ‘n Roll, Pepsi Cola, and hot cars. The Beatles were working class lads trapped in a dark, rusty Liverpool. They were supposed to know their place, and want nothing more than a regular job, a council house, a quiet wife, 2 kids, and Friday nights at the pub.

But fate had other plans. John, Paul, George and Ringo had a hunger to make rock ‘n roll music, and maybe get famous enough for a few months to tuck away a few pounds for decorating a room for the baby. Not that they didn’t work incredibly hard for seven years playing in beer-drenched dives and dance halls across the UK and Europe, which was the foundation of their success.

THE ONE AFTER 9:09 chronicles the ups and downs, obstacles, distractions, and impossibly lucky breaks that led The Beatles to become a phenomenon for the ages. Its lively characters explore both the baby steps and the missteps that birthed Beatlemania. It is indeed a mystery that we all know the ending of. However, the back stage web of chance, greed, love, envy, malevolence, and dogged persistence is the real story.

Mr. Broadbent has obviously studied and knows his material very well. THE ONE AFTER 9:09 is a dense 462 pages filled with historical references. Recognizing this, the author has thoughtfully created a slick “special features” website, http://www.theoneafter909.com that immerses you in the lore of dozens of articles, commentaries, bibliographies, and photographs of The Beatles and their world. It led me to become, once again, an avid Beatle fan.

I have since read the 1,000 page THE BEATLES by Bob Spitz, the Paul McCartney bio, FAB, bought the 5 DVD set, BEATLES ANTHOLOGY, plus several other Beatles films and documentaries—and now have a list of a dozen more! Not to mention loading up my i-phone with 7-8 new Beatle albums.

Above all, THE ONE AFTER 9:09 is richly rewarding reading/multi-media experience, both in style and content. I highly recommend it.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ONE AFTER 9:09: A Mystery With A Backbeat - a review by Rosemary Kenny

A fascinating bio-drama, Tony Broadbent's success is guaranteed to continue unabated with the excellent THE ONE AFTER 9:09: A Mystery With A Backbeat, as he entwines the story of (fictional) MC, Raymond (aka Spike) Jones, art-college drop-out and contemporary of John and Paul's (while all three were students and beyond), who meets and is employed by the legendary Brian Epstein, with the real-life fortunes and determination to succeed of the Fab Four, before and after Pete Best's departure and Ringo Starr's 'arrival' as the fourth Beatle.The subsequent rise and fall in both Spike's, 'Eppy's' and 'the boys'' fortunes will have you laughing out loud at times, then almost in tears, when different characters fall victim to 'Teds', 'Rockers' or ruthless record executives.Make sure you add it to your 'must-read' book list and buy a copy as soon as you can - you're guaranteed a rock('n'rollin'),Ticket to Ride as you sing along with a vast pantheon of hits that shaped a decade - and beyond!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I expected a mystery story with the Beatles as a backdrop. Instead, its the story of the Beatles very early years in Liverpool and how they came to be what people experienced on Ed Sullivan. The "mystery" is really just a tangential part of that story.

The book starts out very slowly and takes a while to build any momentum in the story. In addition, the writing can be a bit tedious. I considered bailing on it a few times, but decided to keep pushing through. I'm glad I did. The author does a really good job of making you feel like you are right there in the room with the John, Paul, George, Brian and the rest of the people that were part of this stage of the Beatles. He also take you inside their heads, letting you understand their feelings and motivations.

If you are a Beatlephile, you will love this book. While I enjoy their music and admire their talent, Beatlemania was before my time. But I still found the book interesting and entertaining.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review. As a die-hard Beatles fan, I was so excited to see the premise of this novel. There were parts about the book I loved--the characterization of the young, yet-to-be-famous Beatles and their relationship with Brian Epstein, the vivid depiction of the Liverpool night-life and the roughness of Hamburg at the time, and the intricacies of the outside fictional characters to the real-life characters. But there were two things I didn't like: First of all, the book was way too long and in need of some serious editing, and secondly the peppering in of Beatles lyrics throughout the book being spoken by other characters got onn my nerves. It was as if the author put them in there to say, "look how many Beatles lyrics I know."

This book a worthy read for a true Beatle fan, but hang on--it's a long ride..

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a Beatle's fan for over 50 years, so when I saw this book, I knew that I had to read it. And I wasn't disappointed. Although this book is fiction, it was easy to get involved in the story of how Brian Epstein met the Beatle's. I have always wondered more about the backstory of Mr. Epstein. I am reading his book next.

This book made me nostalgic for the early 1960's, when life seemed less complicated. And I could really imagine what Liverpool was like for a bunch of talented, an understatement, young men that had the drive needed to get them noticed by the music industry. I don't want to give anything away but its sufficient to say that you won't be disappointed.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this boo for an honest review

[Coffeenoir (David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the book. Not really knowing much about the early days of the Beatles other than just a basic knowledge I found this to be intriguing. The characters were good and captivating. I very much enjoyed the relationship between the members of the band. It was interesting to read about how they rose to stardom. However I found that at the end of the book I was disappointed that some of the characters just kind of were forgotten. The story of Spike had no real conclusion especially with the impending future with San. Also I am unsure why it's called A Mystery With A Backbeat. Not really a mystery. Left me wanting more answers. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review

[Andy Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this four stars if you're a Beatles fan or interested in the era in which they rose to fame; three stars if not. I'm not sure why it's called a "mystery", it simply is not a mystery novel. The publisher must have thought that would pull people in (the notion of a Liverpool/Beatles mystery did intrigue me). It's really a novelization of the Beatles' early rise to fame. The focus is on Brian Epstein, their manager, as well as a fictional character, Raymond "Spike" Jones, whose life revolves around the Liverpool music scene. The ending is a bit blurry for my taste; you're left with many open questions about a key character. But if you're interested in an excellent evocation of 1961-1962 Liverpool and the Merseybeat scene, this is the book for you.

[Roger]

THE ONE AFTER 9:09: A Mystery With A Backbeat, my first read from author Tony Broadbent. Character & plot development were great, the storyline wonderful, a blending of a little fact with fiction, made for an enjoyable read. I was given a Kindle copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[G Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

great writing. although where the mystery is in this book is vague at best.