Cover-Up Story

A Perkins & Tate Mystery #1

by Marian Babson

Nashville's Bart and The Cousins, in England on a road trip, have a chart-topping song. Unfortunately Bart also has an indictment back in the USA over an underage groupie. Keeping that hot news out of the London papers is a job for Doug Perkins, of the PR firm of Perkins and Tate. Doug soon finds that you can take the boy out of the country...but he's still going to run after jailbait. And when Doug thinks that things can't get worse, secrets about love and money start emerging faster than sad notes from the band's toothless harmonica player. What's really going on among Bart and the Cousins is a shocker...and even a spin doctor can't cover-up its deadly consequences. Instead Doug may have to turn from PR to PI...and figure out who committed murder.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, Fiction, Crime, Cozy

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

Marian Babson, a pseudonym for Ruth Stenstreem, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, but lived in London for the greater part of her life.

She worked as a librarian; managed a campaign headquarters; was a receptionist, secretary, and den mother to a firm of commercial artists; and was co-editor of a machine knitting magazine, despite the fact that she can’t knit, even with two needles.

A long sojourn as a temp sent her into the heart of business life all over London, working for architects, law firms, the British Museum, a Soho club, and even a visiting superstar.

She also served as secretary to the Crime Writers’ Association. She became a full-time writer whose many interests included theatre, cinema, art, cooking, travel, and, of course, cats, which feature in many of her mystery books. Her first published work was 'Cover-Up Story' in 1971 and 'Only the Cat' (2007) was her 44th novel.

The publisher's tagline for her style is "Murder Most British," a style reflected in each of her novels. Any violence is not graphically described and the sleuths are usually amateurs.

She re-used certain characters, such as the publicity firm Perkins & Tate, and a couple of ageing actresses, her books all stand-alone and can be read in any order.

Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes the phrase “the client is always right” way too far. The book brushes past the fact that Bart is a child molester because he’s the big star and it was unsettling.

[Joy_S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read another book by this author and was eager to read one about a cat show, when I realized it was actually part of a series and this one came before it. A little research revealed this book was the first written by the author, so I decided to read it. Blah. I had to keep reminding myself it was her first effort and that it was published in 1971 because I found the characters to be sorely lacking in character, so to speak, given that "The Client" was a pedophile and general bully who also didn't hesitate to hit the women in his life. That wasn't the shocking part--rather that no one around him reprimanded him or see him punished. Quite the opposite. They protected the "golden goose," hence the title. This was frankly too disgusting to allow me to enjoy this story--and make no mistake, this is really a story, not a mystery. I can't say it made me warm to the main characters, other than Penny, the teenage secretary (who actually displayed some backbone), so I'm not sure that bodes well for the remaining books in the series. I'll still read the next book in the series, which had originally interested me, and hope it will be better than this one.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in series of cozy mysteries featuring a London PR firm, and great fun. Perkins & Tate PR Ltd. are hired to promote and handle PR for an up-and-coming country band that is doing a series of concerts in London before making a pilot for a tv series featuring singing and skits. Let's just say it is the country music band from hell, and murder is inevitable. Written in 1971, when Hee Haw ruled the airwaves, just about every band member reflects the classic characters and acts one found on that show and on the Grand Ole Opry stage - from violent bad boy lead singer, to awe shucks harmonica player to pratfall-addicted comedienne. Both the villain and the victim are pretty obvious from the beginning, but it's still a fun ride.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit tiresome

A hometown group is on tour to promote the headliner, an overbearing bully, pushing his latest song. In truth, he is hiding for molesting a young girl. In the course of the story his bullying ways escalate. His mother in law is killed. His wife is devastated. It is predictable and a little tedious.

[Alannah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite nice British mystery about a hillbilly American troupe of singers looking for fame in England. Instead, they find that one of them is a killer. It's been awhile since I've read Marian Babson's mysteries, and now I remember why I was such a fan of hers a couple of decades ago. The humor is sharp and the story is well-written. I really loved this.

[Ann-Margret Parke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters were prety horrible, overlooking child molestation, child marraige, a woman getting slapped around right in front of them and a murder and 2 attempted murders being covered up.

Buuuut, you knew most of them, especially the PR guys (the main lead) were all morally in the wrong from the get go. Interesting to see that played out. Good first novel. Like her next one better.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can tell this is the author's first book - just not a very good story and I love Wnglash mysteries.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

IMHO Marian Babson is a storyteller, rather than a mystery writer. Depending on your interests this can be either a good or a bad thing.

[Ping Naka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Douglas Perkins of Perkins & Tate PR Firm is having a hard time working with this Nashville’s Bart and The Cousins who is in England on a road trip. The Black Bart is out of control and abuses everyone.

This book has a lot of angry confrontation. A lot of abuse by Black Bart. The tone of the book is a bit darker for me.

The stage mother’s untimely death is ruled as an accident. But she exclaims “The bastard pushed me!”

Who is that bastard?

Doug, the PRO, has to play a PI role trying to find out what really happens.

I enjoy this audio book immensely. Love James Langton’s narration!

[Heather McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but not particularly great. I only finished it because I wanted to know whodunit. But honestly, it's not much of a mystery, despite some halfhearted red herrings. This was the result of the "random" feature at kcls. Guess that's going to be hit or miss. 🙂

P.S. I will not be seeking out the rest of the series, which is a shame. I always enjoy finding a good series.

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started listening to this without realizing that I had marked it as not interested / narration terrible.

The attempted Southern accents are truly AWFUL. I turned this off after 30 minutes, and listened to nothing at all until I got home.

Audiobook
James Langton - Narrator
Duration: 05:24:41
Bailed at 29:36

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather silly story about a troupe of American country performers that left the US to avoid some legal issues and travelled to England and the PR firm that had the misfortune to represent them.

[Leslie Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, waste of an excellent narrator.

[Lawanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook performed by James Langton

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. A bit over done but liked the main character so will listen to another to give these books a chance

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Book Published

Marian Babson had quite a long career. This was the book that launched it. For a first book, it's pretty darn good.

[JADL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a murder mystery about a country music band set in England.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good and short mystery with the Perkins and Tate people.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story, the main character, and the narrator.

[Pat Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light but entertaining page turner - another "just one more chapter" night.