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D Hunter #4
To Funk and Die in LA
In this hard-boiled mystery, a Brooklyn bodyguard-turned-P.I. investigates a case involving funk, R&B, and his grandfather's murder.
Ex-bodyguard D Hunter heads to the City of Angels on a very dark mission when his grandfather, businessman Daniel "Big Danny" Hunter, is shot dead in a drive-by. Why would someone execute a grocery store owner? D soon finds there was more to Big Danny's life than selling loaves of bread. The old man was deeply involved with Dr. Funk, a legendary musical innovator who has become a mysterious recluse.
To Funk and Die in L.A. is set largely in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Koreatown, and Pico-Union--areas where Black, Asian, and Latino cultures intersect away from the glamour of Hollywood--and echoes of the 1992 riots play a significant role in D's investigation. In the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, D Hunter rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles seeking truth and not always finding justice.
Praise for To Funk and Die in L.A.
"A supercharged spin through the dynamic, ever-changing neighborhoods of urban LA. Nelson George's new book is full of music, secrets, heart, and more than a little heartbreak." --Nina Revoyr, author of A Student of History
"Inventive and well-written . . . I really enjoyed To Funk and Die in LA." --Don Winslow, New York Times-bestselling author of City on Fire
"George explores funk in his fine fourth novel featuring D Hunter, New York bodyguard and, by virtue of his jobs and interests, music historian . . . . As usual, George writes with knowledge and passion about the evolution of Black music." --Publishers Weekly
"Critic and journalist George knows the streets and his work has a gritty feel that will hold readers' attention. Name-dropping of 1970s and 1980s performers such as the Dazz Band, Shalamar, and Chaka Khan adds spice to this well-crafted mystery." --Library Journal
Ex-bodyguard D Hunter heads to the City of Angels on a very dark mission when his grandfather, businessman Daniel "Big Danny" Hunter, is shot dead in a drive-by. Why would someone execute a grocery store owner? D soon finds there was more to Big Danny's life than selling loaves of bread. The old man was deeply involved with Dr. Funk, a legendary musical innovator who has become a mysterious recluse.
To Funk and Die in L.A. is set largely in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Koreatown, and Pico-Union--areas where Black, Asian, and Latino cultures intersect away from the glamour of Hollywood--and echoes of the 1992 riots play a significant role in D's investigation. In the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, D Hunter rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles seeking truth and not always finding justice.
Praise for To Funk and Die in L.A.
"A supercharged spin through the dynamic, ever-changing neighborhoods of urban LA. Nelson George's new book is full of music, secrets, heart, and more than a little heartbreak." --Nina Revoyr, author of A Student of History
"Inventive and well-written . . . I really enjoyed To Funk and Die in LA." --Don Winslow, New York Times-bestselling author of City on Fire
"George explores funk in his fine fourth novel featuring D Hunter, New York bodyguard and, by virtue of his jobs and interests, music historian . . . . As usual, George writes with knowledge and passion about the evolution of Black music." --Publishers Weekly
"Critic and journalist George knows the streets and his work has a gritty feel that will hold readers' attention. Name-dropping of 1970s and 1980s performers such as the Dazz Band, Shalamar, and Chaka Khan adds spice to this well-crafted mystery." --Library Journal
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2017
8 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Nelson George
74 books116 followersNelson George is an author, filmmaker, television producer, and critic with a long career in analyzing and presenting the diverse elements of African-American culture.
Queen Latifah won the Golden Globe for playing the lead in his directorial debut, the HBO movie 'Life Support'. The critically acclaimed drama looked at the effects of HIV on a troubled black family in his native Brooklyn, New York. He recently co-edited, with Alan Leeds, 'The James Brown Reader (Plume)', a collection of previously published articles about the Godfather of Soul that date as far back the late '50s. Plume published the book in May '08.
He is an executive producer on two returning cable shows: the third season of BET's American Gangster and the fifth airing of VH1's Hip Hop Honors. George is the executive producer of the Chris Rock hosted feature documentary, Good Hair, a look at hair weaves, relaxers and the international black hair economy that's premiering at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Nelson George serves as host of Soul Cities, a travel show that debuted in November 2008. on VH1 Soul. Nelson visited Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans and the Bay Area. He eats food, visits historic sites, and hears lots of music. LaBelle, Robin Thicke, Babyface, Rafael Saadiq, Angie Stone and Jazmine Sullivan are among the many artists who talked with Nelson and perform. The second season starts shooting in Spring 2009.
Throughout the '80s and '90s George was an columnist for Billboard magazine and the Village Voice newspaper, work that led him to write a series of award winning black music histories: 'Where Did Our Love Go: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound'; 'The Death of Rythm & Blues'; and 'Hip Hop America'. He won a Grammy for his contribution to the linear notes package on the James Brown 'Star Time' boxed set. George co-wrote 'Life and Def', the autobiography of his old friend Russell Simmons. He's also had a career writing fiction, including the bestselling 'One Woman Short', and the story, 'It's Never Too Late in New York', which has been in several anthologies of erotica.
As a screenwriter George co-wrote 'Strictly Business', which starred Halle Berry, and 'CB4', a vehicle for Chris Rock. His work with Rock led to his involvement with 'The Chris Rock Show', an Emmy award winning HBO late night series. He was an executive producer of Jim McKay's film, 'Everyday People', which premiered at the Sundance festival, and Todd Williams' Peabody award winning documentary 'The N Word'. In 2009 Viking will publish his memoir, 'City Kid', a look at the connections between childhood in Brooklyn and his adult career in Manhattan, Los Angeles and Detroit.
Queen Latifah won the Golden Globe for playing the lead in his directorial debut, the HBO movie 'Life Support'. The critically acclaimed drama looked at the effects of HIV on a troubled black family in his native Brooklyn, New York. He recently co-edited, with Alan Leeds, 'The James Brown Reader (Plume)', a collection of previously published articles about the Godfather of Soul that date as far back the late '50s. Plume published the book in May '08.
He is an executive producer on two returning cable shows: the third season of BET's American Gangster and the fifth airing of VH1's Hip Hop Honors. George is the executive producer of the Chris Rock hosted feature documentary, Good Hair, a look at hair weaves, relaxers and the international black hair economy that's premiering at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Nelson George serves as host of Soul Cities, a travel show that debuted in November 2008. on VH1 Soul. Nelson visited Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans and the Bay Area. He eats food, visits historic sites, and hears lots of music. LaBelle, Robin Thicke, Babyface, Rafael Saadiq, Angie Stone and Jazmine Sullivan are among the many artists who talked with Nelson and perform. The second season starts shooting in Spring 2009.
Throughout the '80s and '90s George was an columnist for Billboard magazine and the Village Voice newspaper, work that led him to write a series of award winning black music histories: 'Where Did Our Love Go: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound'; 'The Death of Rythm & Blues'; and 'Hip Hop America'. He won a Grammy for his contribution to the linear notes package on the James Brown 'Star Time' boxed set. George co-wrote 'Life and Def', the autobiography of his old friend Russell Simmons. He's also had a career writing fiction, including the bestselling 'One Woman Short', and the story, 'It's Never Too Late in New York', which has been in several anthologies of erotica.
As a screenwriter George co-wrote 'Strictly Business', which starred Halle Berry, and 'CB4', a vehicle for Chris Rock. His work with Rock led to his involvement with 'The Chris Rock Show', an Emmy award winning HBO late night series. He was an executive producer of Jim McKay's film, 'Everyday People', which premiered at the Sundance festival, and Todd Williams' Peabody award winning documentary 'The N Word'. In 2009 Viking will publish his memoir, 'City Kid', a look at the connections between childhood in Brooklyn and his adult career in Manhattan, Los Angeles and Detroit.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 4, 2017
3.5 stars
I won this book from LibraryThing/Akashic Books. Thank You Akashic Books.
D. Hunter, bodyguard for musicians and R&B music lover, travels from NYC to LA to attend his grandfather's funeral. Daniel Hunter, D's granddad, is known as Big Danny. He was murdered and D decides to find out who killed him. The plot meanders a bit as D discusses various songs and artists with friends and family. Some of this was boring for me, since I don't like hip hop or rap.
The mystery unravels slowly, as D peels back unknown layers in his Grandad's life. Big Danny ostensibly ran a grocery store, but was also a loan shark on the side. Big Danny had connections to various musicians and Korean shop owners.
Some characters in the book:
Walli Hunter, another grandson to Big Danny
Red Dawg, devoted to Big Danny and possibly a grandson
Dr. Funk, legendary black R&B musician
The Pak family, Korean business owners
Two quotes:
"And, like the melodies he'd just played, Dr. Funk evaporated into the moist Santa Monica night."
"Traffic and distance determined the intensity of your friendships like daybreak defined working lives."
I won this book from LibraryThing/Akashic Books. Thank You Akashic Books.
D. Hunter, bodyguard for musicians and R&B music lover, travels from NYC to LA to attend his grandfather's funeral. Daniel Hunter, D's granddad, is known as Big Danny. He was murdered and D decides to find out who killed him. The plot meanders a bit as D discusses various songs and artists with friends and family. Some of this was boring for me, since I don't like hip hop or rap.
The mystery unravels slowly, as D peels back unknown layers in his Grandad's life. Big Danny ostensibly ran a grocery store, but was also a loan shark on the side. Big Danny had connections to various musicians and Korean shop owners.
Some characters in the book:
Walli Hunter, another grandson to Big Danny
Red Dawg, devoted to Big Danny and possibly a grandson
Dr. Funk, legendary black R&B musician
The Pak family, Korean business owners
Two quotes:
"And, like the melodies he'd just played, Dr. Funk evaporated into the moist Santa Monica night."
"Traffic and distance determined the intensity of your friendships like daybreak defined working lives."
July 9, 2017
I really enjoyed this. Now I need to go back and read from the beginning of the series.
September 3, 2017
To Funk and Die in LA is the fourth D Hunter story in Nelson George’s series featuring the music industry security specialist who frequently finds himself playing detective. This time the mystery hits home, his grandfather Big Danny is murdered, shot at the intersection of Crenshaw and Wilshire in L.A. D goes for the funeral and stays to find out who killed his grandfather as well as work with his friend Night, the musician, who has moved to LA.
The investigation revealed a lot he did not know about Big Danny, such as a loan-sharking business D did not know about that may have been the motive for his murder. Meanwhile, he is tasked with seeking out Big Danny’s old friend from his club days, Dr. Funk, the famed musician who appears to be living on the streets. Professionally, he is looking after Night and fielding a range of propositions that strike him as dubious.
Music lovers will love To Funk and Die in LA for the musical references alone. Fully inhabiting the LA music scene and the various communities of LA, Nelson George is brilliant at creating a sense of place and time. Brands and bands are on point. It makes the story immediate and authentic. That sort of topicality is almost cinematic, excellent at creating a book for the “now.”
It’s a tradeoff, though. Stories with so much reliance on brands to create the scene become dated in a decade. There’s no intention of writing something that lasts which is too bad. Without that ambition, the story gets short shrift. D does more deal-making or deal-avoiding than detecting and in the end, the identification of the murderer and even the punishment is outsourced. The mystery doesn’t seem to interest George nearly so much as the music industry and that is the part of the story that is good and interesting.
George is at his best and most passionate when writing about music and about the city of LA, about gentrification, about ethnic competition and struggle among Koreans, Blacks, and Latinos, and the effects of racism. In a way, the mystery seems a vehicle for him to write about what really interests him.
To Funk and Die in LA will be released September 5th. I received an ARC through a promotional raffle at LibraryThing.
To Funk and Die in LA at Akashic Books
Nelson George Author Site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
The investigation revealed a lot he did not know about Big Danny, such as a loan-sharking business D did not know about that may have been the motive for his murder. Meanwhile, he is tasked with seeking out Big Danny’s old friend from his club days, Dr. Funk, the famed musician who appears to be living on the streets. Professionally, he is looking after Night and fielding a range of propositions that strike him as dubious.
Music lovers will love To Funk and Die in LA for the musical references alone. Fully inhabiting the LA music scene and the various communities of LA, Nelson George is brilliant at creating a sense of place and time. Brands and bands are on point. It makes the story immediate and authentic. That sort of topicality is almost cinematic, excellent at creating a book for the “now.”
It’s a tradeoff, though. Stories with so much reliance on brands to create the scene become dated in a decade. There’s no intention of writing something that lasts which is too bad. Without that ambition, the story gets short shrift. D does more deal-making or deal-avoiding than detecting and in the end, the identification of the murderer and even the punishment is outsourced. The mystery doesn’t seem to interest George nearly so much as the music industry and that is the part of the story that is good and interesting.
George is at his best and most passionate when writing about music and about the city of LA, about gentrification, about ethnic competition and struggle among Koreans, Blacks, and Latinos, and the effects of racism. In a way, the mystery seems a vehicle for him to write about what really interests him.
To Funk and Die in LA will be released September 5th. I received an ARC through a promotional raffle at LibraryThing.
To Funk and Die in LA at Akashic Books
Nelson George Author Site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
August 11, 2017
TO FUNK AND DIE IN LA: A D HUNTER MYSTERY by Nelson George was sent to me by Akashic Books as an ‘advance reading copy’ to be read and reviewed.
Mr. George is an author and filmmaker. He has written 3 previous D Hunter mysteries and several nonfiction books spotlighting R & B and Hip Hop.
TO FUNK AND DIE IN LA is the 4th book in the D Hunter crime-fiction series. Ex-bodyguard, D Hunter, returns to LA when his grandfather, Daniel ‘Big Danny’ Hunter, is killed in a brutal drive-by shooting. As D investigates, he peels back several layers of his grandfather’s life - store owner, night club owner and friend of the legendary music innovator, Dr. Funk.
I enjoyed this book very much. Mr. George writes with dignity, sensitivity and insightfulness. His short chapters smoothly and seamlessly segue into new conversations, locales and situations. His characters are treated with respect, even though some lack any endearing or humane characteristics.
His words describing music, tones, sounds and voices are so descriptive and emotional.
“When he (Dr. Funk) opened his mouth to sing, a magnificent sound emerged: it was the choir in a Southern backwoods church; working people drinking in a midwestern bar; the rustle of sequined shirts and star-spangled pants; the chemical stink of Jheri-curl juice; the wind in Africa; and the prayers of those kind beings who left us the pyramids.” (p.15)
I’m not sure how it is possible to portray such a formidable, bad-ass character as D in a sympathetic light, but Mr. George’s writing is filled with empathy, sensitivity and dignity. I feel like i should be leery of D, but I’m not - I quite like him.
And the music - always the music - descriptions of music; the layerings of tracks; the evolution of music; the performers - who was better?; distinctive voices and rhythms.
The author transports you to LA, introduces you to these characters (music being a main character in this story) and you start to think about staying for awhile.
Mr. George is an author and filmmaker. He has written 3 previous D Hunter mysteries and several nonfiction books spotlighting R & B and Hip Hop.
TO FUNK AND DIE IN LA is the 4th book in the D Hunter crime-fiction series. Ex-bodyguard, D Hunter, returns to LA when his grandfather, Daniel ‘Big Danny’ Hunter, is killed in a brutal drive-by shooting. As D investigates, he peels back several layers of his grandfather’s life - store owner, night club owner and friend of the legendary music innovator, Dr. Funk.
I enjoyed this book very much. Mr. George writes with dignity, sensitivity and insightfulness. His short chapters smoothly and seamlessly segue into new conversations, locales and situations. His characters are treated with respect, even though some lack any endearing or humane characteristics.
His words describing music, tones, sounds and voices are so descriptive and emotional.
“When he (Dr. Funk) opened his mouth to sing, a magnificent sound emerged: it was the choir in a Southern backwoods church; working people drinking in a midwestern bar; the rustle of sequined shirts and star-spangled pants; the chemical stink of Jheri-curl juice; the wind in Africa; and the prayers of those kind beings who left us the pyramids.” (p.15)
I’m not sure how it is possible to portray such a formidable, bad-ass character as D in a sympathetic light, but Mr. George’s writing is filled with empathy, sensitivity and dignity. I feel like i should be leery of D, but I’m not - I quite like him.
And the music - always the music - descriptions of music; the layerings of tracks; the evolution of music; the performers - who was better?; distinctive voices and rhythms.
The author transports you to LA, introduces you to these characters (music being a main character in this story) and you start to think about staying for awhile.
September 19, 2017
D. Hunter, the bodyguard turned sleuth leaves his beloved Brooklyn, NY and travels to LA, California to try and find out who gunned down his Grandfather in a drive by. Nelson George is a cultural critic and music guru, so the talk of music is never far from the page and lends authenticity to D. Hunter since he also dabbles in managing musical artists. D. Hunter is also HIV positive and he may be the only HIV positive character being brightly written in current Black fiction. Not that the status is a prominent part of his makeup, but he is always conscious of that status when it comes to his interest in women, often contemplating if an approach is the best thing, given the potential conversation.
"The whole drama of explaining that he was HIV-positive and seeing the look on a woman’s face—the fear, disappointment—suppressed his lust."Avoiding the sensational or dramatic around D's status hits the right note as does the conversation around clubs, restaurants, neighborhoods, cuisine and culture in LA. George writes with a knowing prose as one who has seen, heard and experienced much on both coasts. As he incorporates all this knowledge into this fiction work it gives the book wings.
As D digs deeper, he discovers more about his Grandfather than he ever knew previously and uncovers a past that informs the present and ultimately the future of a family his Grandfather befriended. The unfolding of the gunman was probably the weakest part of this book, as there weren't too many possibilities and ultimately it became clear way before the ultimate reveal. That shortcoming is minor, because the meat of the novel is D.Hunter and his travels through the world with music as foundation. I think Nelson George has a good thing going with this D. Hunter series and I hope we continue to see more of D's adventures.
Thanks to Akashic books and Edelweiss for an advanced ebook. Book available now. 3.5/5⭐️
"The whole drama of explaining that he was HIV-positive and seeing the look on a woman’s face—the fear, disappointment—suppressed his lust."Avoiding the sensational or dramatic around D's status hits the right note as does the conversation around clubs, restaurants, neighborhoods, cuisine and culture in LA. George writes with a knowing prose as one who has seen, heard and experienced much on both coasts. As he incorporates all this knowledge into this fiction work it gives the book wings.
As D digs deeper, he discovers more about his Grandfather than he ever knew previously and uncovers a past that informs the present and ultimately the future of a family his Grandfather befriended. The unfolding of the gunman was probably the weakest part of this book, as there weren't too many possibilities and ultimately it became clear way before the ultimate reveal. That shortcoming is minor, because the meat of the novel is D.Hunter and his travels through the world with music as foundation. I think Nelson George has a good thing going with this D. Hunter series and I hope we continue to see more of D's adventures.
Thanks to Akashic books and Edelweiss for an advanced ebook. Book available now. 3.5/5⭐️
August 28, 2017
I was ecstatic to read another D. Hunter mystery. D is not just an average investigator. He works security for high profile clients, is a sometime music producer and an all around interesting guy.
This time, he leaves his home confines in Brooklyn to head out to Los Angeles. His grandfather has just been killed and D goes out for the funeral, to help his Aunt and young cousin settle the estate and to figure out why his grandfather was killed.
As far as D knows, Big Danny Hunter is just a well known grocer in Crenshaw and one of the last black businessmen in an area that is changing it’s profile. He once owned a nightclub that hosted an array of black performers including one known as Dr. Funk. Think a combination of Prince, George Clinton etc. Dr. Funk is now a recluse and people are trying to find him.
As D delves into why his grandfather was murdered, he finds out more about Danny than he bargained for. Danny, in addition to his business interests runs a loan sharking business and acts as a protector for Dr. Funk. When Funk goes to big Danny’s wake, D’s nephew You Tubes an impromptu performance by the recluse. This puts D in the eye of the storm as people descend on him to locate Funk for a futuristic music project.
After I read the first D Hunter mystery, I was impressed. I hadn’t realized that I had seen Nelson George on Unsung where he frequently guest stars as a music historian. I love how he weaves his musical knowledge into these mysteries and makes it work. It would seem difficult to do but he does it well.
D Hunter is also an interesting character. Not your average PI but at the same time, he has all the hallmarks of one that make them great fodder for the mystery genre. If you haven’t read any Nelson George, do it. You’ll be glad you did.
This time, he leaves his home confines in Brooklyn to head out to Los Angeles. His grandfather has just been killed and D goes out for the funeral, to help his Aunt and young cousin settle the estate and to figure out why his grandfather was killed.
As far as D knows, Big Danny Hunter is just a well known grocer in Crenshaw and one of the last black businessmen in an area that is changing it’s profile. He once owned a nightclub that hosted an array of black performers including one known as Dr. Funk. Think a combination of Prince, George Clinton etc. Dr. Funk is now a recluse and people are trying to find him.
As D delves into why his grandfather was murdered, he finds out more about Danny than he bargained for. Danny, in addition to his business interests runs a loan sharking business and acts as a protector for Dr. Funk. When Funk goes to big Danny’s wake, D’s nephew You Tubes an impromptu performance by the recluse. This puts D in the eye of the storm as people descend on him to locate Funk for a futuristic music project.
After I read the first D Hunter mystery, I was impressed. I hadn’t realized that I had seen Nelson George on Unsung where he frequently guest stars as a music historian. I love how he weaves his musical knowledge into these mysteries and makes it work. It would seem difficult to do but he does it well.
D Hunter is also an interesting character. Not your average PI but at the same time, he has all the hallmarks of one that make them great fodder for the mystery genre. If you haven’t read any Nelson George, do it. You’ll be glad you did.
September 12, 2017
This is the first D Hunter mystery that I have read. D comes to L.A. after his grandfather was shot and killed. Back to his family, back to the music of L.A. While there obviously was a back story to D, the book was still easy to read despite this being the fourth book in the series.
I will say that I think that this book could appeal to a wide audience. If you like mystery but nothing too dark, this would be a good one. Nelson George blends family drama, internal struggle, the very current L.A. climate and a heaping dose of music. Music can shape a society and help people find their identity. The author's clear love of music is apparent throughout the book and served as a steady poetic undercurrent.
Nelson George writes short chapters which make the book move quickly however, at times I think the story would have been served better by allowing the conversations to continue. There was some great emotion and conversation that would have been worth it to develop more. There were many times where I thought the chapter was cut off way too soon.
Overall, it was okay. If I didn't feel like the book was rushed at times, I probably would have found it more compelling to read more books in the series.
(I received this book from Akashic Books and LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.)
I will say that I think that this book could appeal to a wide audience. If you like mystery but nothing too dark, this would be a good one. Nelson George blends family drama, internal struggle, the very current L.A. climate and a heaping dose of music. Music can shape a society and help people find their identity. The author's clear love of music is apparent throughout the book and served as a steady poetic undercurrent.
Nelson George writes short chapters which make the book move quickly however, at times I think the story would have been served better by allowing the conversations to continue. There was some great emotion and conversation that would have been worth it to develop more. There were many times where I thought the chapter was cut off way too soon.
Overall, it was okay. If I didn't feel like the book was rushed at times, I probably would have found it more compelling to read more books in the series.
(I received this book from Akashic Books and LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.)
August 31, 2017
Thank you to Akashic Books for sending me an ARC of this book!
I really enjoyed this book. Although it is technically a mystery, since the main character, D, is trying to solve his grandfather's murder throughout the book, the mystery elements took a back seat to other aspects of the novel. It was more a novel about neighborhood dynamics, family dynamics, racial dynamics, and music than it was a straight-up mystery novel. The interplay between the music and all the interpersonal relationships in the novel was very interesting, and I thought the author did a great job weaving music into all aspects of the character dynamics and the plot. The main character, D, is written with a lot of depth and feeling, and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout this novel, since I haven't read any of the previous books in the series (though now I want to!). The mystery elements also played well with the rest of the plotlines, and ultimately tied everything together.
Definitely recommend, but be prepared to discover something you might not have expected!
I really enjoyed this book. Although it is technically a mystery, since the main character, D, is trying to solve his grandfather's murder throughout the book, the mystery elements took a back seat to other aspects of the novel. It was more a novel about neighborhood dynamics, family dynamics, racial dynamics, and music than it was a straight-up mystery novel. The interplay between the music and all the interpersonal relationships in the novel was very interesting, and I thought the author did a great job weaving music into all aspects of the character dynamics and the plot. The main character, D, is written with a lot of depth and feeling, and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout this novel, since I haven't read any of the previous books in the series (though now I want to!). The mystery elements also played well with the rest of the plotlines, and ultimately tied everything together.
Definitely recommend, but be prepared to discover something you might not have expected!
May 15, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Akashic books. I really wish I liked it more. The premise would seem right up my alley, but it just seemed to be missing something. D is a fascinating character. He provides security for high-profile music types, and is a sometimes music producer. He's also HIV positive, which puts an extra wrinkle in the mix. He leaves his beloved NY for California when his grandfather is killed in a drive-by. To be honest, the parts of the book dealing with the music biz were far more engaging. The "mystery" seemed to get lost in the mix for me. I think this book might have more appeal to someone who is more into hip-hop. I don't think I'm the demographic the book is really aimed at.
August 21, 2017
A long drawn out murder mystery of the death of Daniel "Big Danny" Hunter, a businessman that owned a grocery store and did a little loan sharking on the side. His grandson, D Hunter comes to L.A. for his funeral, while he's here, he takes interest in his grandfather's death. The main character is Dr. Funk, an old black music man, aka Maurice Stewart, that plays on the streets for spare change. Dr. Funk relationship with "Big Danny" goes back many years, suddenly goes missing. What will D Hunter uncover about his grandfather's death is the big question.
August 3, 2022
A very good read for me. It's the first novel of Mr. George's that I have read. I got some backstory form this book, understanding it is the 4th in the series. D Hunter seems to be a righteous dude and knows his music. Dr. Funk sounds like an icon whose presence anyone would want to be in. The unfortunate incident that brings them both together is an entertaining and moving story. I am somewhat curious as to whether the previous novels are written in a way that doesn't rush the plot line, however the story itself was intriguing.
March 11, 2019
D. Hunter is a man with a lot a pain and passion. Family and business are 2 things you cannot mess with for him. I truly enjoyed this series, just wish I knew they were a series when I got hooked on The Plot against Hip Hop. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining music into the story line, so much so that I could sing the songs as I read them. ....To live and die in LA.....
If and when another is written, I am ready!!!
If and when another is written, I am ready!!!
August 18, 2017
Music and murder go hand in hand the latest D Hunter mystery. This is a taut and riveting ride that also has an emphasis on family. All in all a solid and musical mystery.
Free review copy.
Free review copy.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews