Mosh Pit

The Rose Garden Arena Incident #1

by Michael Hiebert

Stephanie Banner is twenty years old the night Dakota Shane stands center stage while six bullets ring out through the stadium. Five deaths occur from those shots, although only four ever go on record. All four are women. It happens in Portland, Oregon, at the Rose Garden Arena. The show is a sellout. Twenty-two thousand seats gone in less than four hours. For the eight days leading up to the concert, a handful of disparate lives intertwine as their world unravels. Their sanity, their relationships, their work, their children, the law, and even death hangs in the balance. Among them the learning-disabled black kid from East St. Louis trying to move past having his little sister die in his arms when she and his Momma become collateral damage during a drive-by; the quick-witted black man who, after losing control of his car on his way to visit family in Portland, finds himself duct-taped to a chair, a hostage to a meth-addled lunatic wanted for a double homicide; the Latino son now desperately struggling to rise above his abusive father and help his mother and sister move on to a better life, while unable to let go of the tremendous guilt he bears over the fate of the other sister he once had; the slash-punk singer who manages to score her band the best gig of its career, only to learn she may not have a band left to play it; the Korean psychiatrist finally confronting how much of her life has slipped by her—how many years she lost—while focussing on far less important things; the ex-LAPD detective now working for the Portland PD finally facing the ghosts that still linger from the time of the Rodney King riots—a past that forced him to drag his family up out of LA; the bitter ex-wife of a disc jockey who still secretly listens to her ex-husband’s midnight radio show as she drinks herself into a whiskey coma; the out of control daughter having unprotected sex with strangers hoping that pregnancy might draw the attention of parents unable to see past themselves… And then, Dakota chart-topping superstar with a dark secret, caught in a media and tabloid frenzy full of rumor, speculation, and lies. She’s off her meds and grappling to find any semblance of herself that might still exist inside an identity forged over the past five years by an extremely successful record company’s marketing department. Each of these lives is a story and the stories collide with each other like silver balls bouncing off bumpers on a pinball machine. But in the end, The Rose Garden Arena Incident is a tale about passion, about bravery, about redemption, about fixing those things in the world that are fixable and learning to live with the things that are not—A heartbreaking story of tragedy, despair, and loss that still somehow leaves you with a glimmer of faith, love, and hope. The Rose Garden Arena Incident is a “serial thriller." The story takes place over seven separate books, each encompassing a full day or more leading up to the Dakota Shane concert.

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2016

About the author

Michael Hiebert is the award-winning author of many books and short stories. He is the author of Dream with Little Angels, the first book of his acclaimed Alvin, Alabama Mystery Series. His recent work includes The Rose Garden Arena Incident (A Serial Thriller in Seven Parts) and Sometimes the Angels Weep, his first collection of short stories. He won the Surrey International Writers’ Conference Storyteller Award two years running, and his story My Lame Summer Journal by Brandon Harris, Grade 7 was listed by Joyce Carol Oates as one of the top fifty most distinguished mystery stories published in The Best American Mystery Stories. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his three children and dog, Chloe.

Be sure to check out his website at http://www.michaelhiebert.com and sign up for VIP access and be eligible for all sorts of free stuff. Michael can be contacted by email at michael@michaelhiebert.com

Reviews

[Kelsie Engen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mosh Pit, the first book in Michael Hiebert's newest thriller series entitled The Rose Garden Arena Incident, is not just going to leave you wanting more, but demanding more.

Mosh Pit will grab you from the first page and not let you go, as we witness a terrifying scene in the opening chapter--one which has become all too common in real life.

At a concert, five people appear to be randomly shot, and only one of those victims survive. Who is the shooter? Why are they shooting? Who is the intended victim? We don't know--and neither do the victims. But in this 20K word opening book, we are given a host of possible suspects.

Journey back 8 days, where we meet some of the victims, and some other characters who are yet to be involved in the terrifying scene in the opening pages. We have Karma Shaw, a 16-year-old girl with a troubled family life and her two much older girl friends, Brenda and Stephanie, two fully grown women who should know better. Then we have bouncer Rodney Esquivel, the father of the girl Karma sometimes babysits. We also have two detectives: Tony Benedetti and Dennis Martin, who clearly have a knack for being in the "right" place at the "right" time. But don't forget about the sympathetic young fighter given a break by the detectives (Matias Perez) with his musician girlfriend, Alexis Thorn. We also get a glimpse of the inner workings of alcoholic mother, Trinity Shaw, in charge of parenting Karma (and doing a horrid job of it), with her ex-husband and DJ, Lex the Axeman. Between these two parents, Karma has an impossible job of growing up to do. But Hiebert sure knows how to end on a cliffhanger, as he introduces yet another character certain to weave his way into this story: Reggie Hines, the not always responsible, yet long-distance father figure to Marshall, a young, disabled teen who lost his family to a drive-by shooting.

Everyone in this story has a heavy cross to bear, and just when it gets interesting, Hiebert moves you on, leaving you turning pages and wanting more.

With sharp, clean prose, and an interesting, diverse cast of characters, Mosh Pit will grab you from the very first page and leave you waiting for Part 2. Book 2 of The Rose Garden Arena Incident, Media Frenzy, will be released one month later, October 2016.

I was given a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, I haven't read a book in years as I'm dislexic and it makes it hard to follow from time to time. The last book I read was in the 90's, other then having to read tech books for school. Right off the start Mosh Pit gets you hooked and wanting to find out what happens, I found it to be such an easy read for me. Each chapter I read I had the need to read more, Michael keeps you in suspense and wanting more. I read this book in about 3 days which is very fast for me, I just wanted to find out what was going to happen next and couldn't stop reading it.

Every character in the book has something going on, the more I read about each character the more I want to find out about them. I look forward to reading Book 2 - Media Frenzy of The Rose Garden Arena Incident.

I was given a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Pamela Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one of eight grabs you and doesn't disappoint.
You get aquatinted with the people in the book
And the roles they play. The fast paced start
With the concert and then the time machine
Trip leading up to the climax. Michael Hiebert
Does a great job of keeping the characters fresh
And recognizable. You don't have to go back a
Few chapters to see who he's talking about. He
Let's the flow between scenes run smoothly.
You want to know from the first chapter who
Pulled the trigger and all the way to the end
I still don't know for sure who did it. Or Why?
The author has several plots going on but they
Blend together easily without losing focus on
The main subject of the story. Get ready for
A roller coster ride that keeps going and going.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the action starts at a concert, author Michael Hiebert quickly takes readers back eight days before "The Rose Garden Arena Incident" and begins building the backstory. I'm not crazy about the serial aspect of the story as much as I could be at this point. "Mosh Pit" ended with a cliffhanger designed to whet the appetite for the next book -- as it should -- but at the same time it was weird that the cliffhanger ended with a newly introduced character and not one of the characters readers follow through the book. Still, I'm ready for Book 2. Recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Cassiopeia Mulholland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiebert is nothing less than a wizard. The book's dramatic opening buys him the time and trust to delve deep into the diverse cast of sympathetic, multifaceted characters. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, propelled by Hiebert's sharp prose and masterful grasp of plot. I'm waiting for the next installment with bated breath.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Review of Audio Format **

Not Bad for a Start

This book starts out well. Two party girls at a concert. Shots ring out and one bullet hits both of them. One in the head and one in the chest. Then we go back in time to a week before the concert and begin to meet the characters in the story. Some characters in this first book are fleshed out pretty fully and some we just meet before the book ends.

Remember as you listen to this that it is a serial book (you get a few chapters at a time - think Green Mile) and not a series which is multiple full books. Should help you understand why this first in the series is a little choppy and nothing is resolved at its end.

The narration was good by Eric Bryan Moore. His voices, cadence, and tone all do not distract from the story and his narration style has the right inflection. I enjoyed listening to him and would listen to other performances by him.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very beginning of this narration, you get sucked into story. Is it a whodunnit? Is it a thriller? Drama? This has a little bit of everything. Starting out with 6 bullets being shot into the audience, our large cast of characters is intertwined into this mass of people. We then are taken back 8 days to how our story begins, and the suspense and questions grow. We see into Dakota's life, the back story of Stephanie, Brenda and Karma, meet Reggie and Marshall and this is just a few not even counting the detective and his family. So much is is going on, keeping track of who is who and how they will,fit together, and nothing is even close to being answered, leaving you wanting the next episode!

Eric Bryan Moore gives a sharp, clean suspenseful narration giving you a clear picture of all that is going on. So many characters, each with their own voice, his talent shines through and keeps you completely engaged in the story. Can't wait for the next episode.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book was so short that i cant give a proper review. book two might make it better.

[Fran Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finished the first 3 Books of "The Rose Garden Arena Incident" Serial and once again Michael you have enthralled me with your writing. Can't wait to get into Book 4!!

[Escape Into Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start my review, I would like to thank Dangerbooks, Michael Hiebert and NetGalley for allowing me to review Mosh Pit by Michael Hiebert.

**All opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone. I received Mosh Pit from Dangerbooks through NetGalley as an ARC for my honest review.**

Now onto my review:

Normally, I don’t like serial novels. I don’t have the patience to wait for each installment to come out. But I think I might make the exception for The Rose Garden Arena Incident.

This book is fantastic!! It starts at the day of the shooting and goes back 8 days. Which in itself isn’t new to me but how the author did it is. You meet 4 of the main characters in that brief chapter. Then he backs it up to 8 days ago. Each book is a day in the life of all of the characters.

This first book lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. We meet Brenda, Stephanie, Karma….among other people and get to see exactly what they did on that day, 8 days before the incident.

The ending of the book left it open for book 2 and there are so many questions I have but I will not put here. Hopefully they will be answered in book 2!!

How many stars will I give Mosh Pit? 5

Why? This was a great starter book for this series. Well written with characters that are believable, you get hooked and wonder what is going to happen in the next book.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range? Adult

Why? Sexual situations, underage drinking and language.

[Jill Porco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiebert writes this story involving many characters during the week that leads up to a rock star's Portland, Oregon concert at which several people are killed or wounded. It's hard to keep track of the characters, but since this is the first of 7 installments for this serial thriller, it will probably become more clear who is who and what part they play in the overall story.

The book is exactly that--the first installment in a 7 part thriller. Clearly, the author knows where the story is headed and gets the story going pretty fast. The writing/audio style is quite different from that of his Alvin, Alabama mystery series involving a small-town police detective and her young son. Those books go at a slower pace and pick up momentum as the story builds up. Mosh Pit is much more action oriented. For instance, Hiebert is a master at creating great cliffhangers at the ends of the chapters. Of course this meant I had to continue with the story to find out what happened next. I will end this by saying that one of Hiebert's descriptions of a scene involving one of the characters was pretty graphic and embedded an image in my head that I'll probably remember for a long time. That alone makes this series' first installment a journey worth the ride!

[Fiction Vixens Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mosh Pit is the first book in (The Rose Garden Arena Incident) by Michael Hiebert ,and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing dramatic story. Michael Hiebert has given us a story that will have us on a emotional roller coaster ride of tragedy ,with some rough terrain so please hold on tight will, this story grabs our attention from start until the end, and then will leave us wanting more from this author. The characters in this story all have something that they bring to this story, and the more that I read the more that I wanting to learn about this these characters and their story. This story is about a concert, leader singer, and a crowd of people and 6 gunshots, but then 5 dead ,but what about the sixth? But the targets were only females. There were many colorful and many interesting people ,that collided on this horrible evening .They all have their own story with their own emotions they felt ,the heartbreaks and their courage. I could tell you more but that would spoil it for you .I highly recommend that you read this great story, you won't be disappointed.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly thanks to the publisher for the free arc.
Not since the Green Mile by Stephen King have i read a book which has been divided up into novellas and as yet i am undecided whether i like this format or not.
The book begins with 2 women and a teenager getting into a club and discussing fake id's etc. No idea where the plot was going then BOOM!
The author then gives you a quick flash of some other characters who you just kind of know are going to be appearing in later books and it is at this point why i realise that i am not so keen on novellas ... because i am impatient! I want it all now!
Do not be under any illusion that what you read on the first few pages is going to continue. Your safety blanket and mug of cocoa will be quickly ripped from your hand ... no one is safe!
Where is the next book ???? Want it now!!

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hiebert started this book with a pulse pounding prologue. Glued to my seat in an OMG moment as the pages sped by, I knew I’d been hooked into reading all seven of his serialized books. Yes, Mosh Pit—Book Number 1 of The Rose Garden Arena Incident was that good.

Chapter One starts the countdown that will lead back to the horrifying event in the prologue. We meet a cast of characters along the way, some flawed and some that tug at your heartstrings. I liked the way Hiebert fleshed out his characters to allow us to see what made them tick.

I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens next. If you want to read a good fast-paced thriller, I highly recommend Mosh Pit, Book One.

[P Bernhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the opening salvo of a serial thriller by award-winning author Michael Hiebert. A read of this installment demonstrates his magic with the written word. In Book 1, he establishes the main characters, provides descriptions that put the reader in the scene, and creates a level of tension that draws me in. Several characters he introduced have the potential to be integral to the ongoing tale: the teenage girl with the alcoholic mother, the sympathetic cop, the bouncer, and the street thug trying to improve. Somehow, he is going to bring these people together which is foreshadowed by the incident in the arena. If you start reading, you'll want to continue with the next installments.

[Rumeur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concert, lead singer, crowd of people & 6 gunshots, but 5 dead---what about the sixth? Only females targeted. Many colorful & interesting characters collide on this evening. They all have their own stories with many emotions, heartbreaks, redemptions, courage etc

This is book #1 in the series and I'm excited to read the next!

I received a digital copy from net galley & Dangerbooks in return for an honest review