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CRAZY LOVE
While responding to a Seattle job order, a local electrician shockingly discovers a dead body with a shotgun above a garage in an upscale Madison Park neighborhood. Instead of dialing 911 as he should have, he calls a local radio station to inform the world he's found America's missing rock icon, Corry Fontaine's, ice cold body on the floor, possibly having been there for days. Police respond quickly and locate a "suicide note" stabbed into the dirt in a nearby potting tray, which set their tone -- carved in stone -- for making this a low priority investigation, which would require no effort on their part to solve. A trove of Homicide detectives dismissed the death as not being mysterious in nature, relegating the scene processing, the evidence gathering, and the official photography to patrol officers who were first on scene.
Months later, loud bangs startle Sergeant Paul Barnet out of fitful sleep, realistic percussion noises that only he can hear. His doctor dismisses the phenomena as "exploding head syndrome" and calls it relatively benign, a "normal occurrence" for police and military veterans. Barnett, however, shares his recurring dreams with fellow officer, Allison Dickson, a former Marine with spiked hair and piercings, while telling her he's had second thoughts on the Medical Examiner's official findings on Fontaine's death report, which left the grunge rocker's flamboyant wife, Kim Darling, with a veritable fortune. Three months after Fontaine's death, Barnett and Dickson investigate another suspicious overdose death, this one the bassist in Kim Darling's own rock group Gash. Evidence and rumors suggest she had seen Fontaine during the week he had been missing. (Based on the tragic deaths of Kurt Cobain and Kristen Pfaff).
Captain Low is a fifty-year Seattle Police veteran who responded to the scene of Kristen Pfaff's death and also audited the Kurt Cobain file on the tenth anniversary of Cobain's death, ensuring that crucial evidence was still maintained in police files and storage. Noted former prosecutor and celebrity attorney Anne Bremner says, "Excellent reading! Well done! I'd love to get this defendant in the courtroom and put her butt on the stand. She'd have a lot of explaining to do!"
Months later, loud bangs startle Sergeant Paul Barnet out of fitful sleep, realistic percussion noises that only he can hear. His doctor dismisses the phenomena as "exploding head syndrome" and calls it relatively benign, a "normal occurrence" for police and military veterans. Barnett, however, shares his recurring dreams with fellow officer, Allison Dickson, a former Marine with spiked hair and piercings, while telling her he's had second thoughts on the Medical Examiner's official findings on Fontaine's death report, which left the grunge rocker's flamboyant wife, Kim Darling, with a veritable fortune. Three months after Fontaine's death, Barnett and Dickson investigate another suspicious overdose death, this one the bassist in Kim Darling's own rock group Gash. Evidence and rumors suggest she had seen Fontaine during the week he had been missing. (Based on the tragic deaths of Kurt Cobain and Kristen Pfaff).
Captain Low is a fifty-year Seattle Police veteran who responded to the scene of Kristen Pfaff's death and also audited the Kurt Cobain file on the tenth anniversary of Cobain's death, ensuring that crucial evidence was still maintained in police files and storage. Noted former prosecutor and celebrity attorney Anne Bremner says, "Excellent reading! Well done! I'd love to get this defendant in the courtroom and put her butt on the stand. She'd have a lot of explaining to do!"
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Neil Low
21 books100 followersNeil Low spins tales of mystery & suspense set in 1940's Seattle. The Alan Stewart Mystery Series from Tigress Publishing includes:
Thick as Thieves, Sign of the Dragon,
& his latest thriller,
Unreasonable Persuasion
--which ended 2010 as the #3 trade paperback sold in Seattle (Independent Mystery Booksellers Association).
From shady hotels to catacombs under Chinatown and real-life local murder mysteries, Low expertly weaves elements of Seattles colorful past into the exploits of 1940s Seattle Private Investigator Alan Stewart. Since his debut novel Thick as Thieves (Tigress Publishing, 2008), Low has been receiving solid praise and attention. Noted true crime author Ann Rule strongly endorsed Lows debut, No one can write about cops and robbers like a real police officer. When they are good they are very, very good, and Captain Neil Low is very good as he magically captures another era in his new book.
Thick as Thieves,the first installment in the Alan Stewart Mystery Series, ended 2008 as the Independent Mystery Bookseller Associations #3 trade paperback sold in Seattle. In addition, it was named a Readers Favorite by Seattle Times book editor Mary Ann Gwinn. Lows follow-up novel Sign of the Dragon (Tigress Publishing, 2009) ended 2009 at the #2 position.
For more information, visit Low's official website at www.neillow.com
About Low:
Retired as the Night Duty Commander for the Seattle Police Department, Low had been with the SPD for 50 years. Throughout his career, he commanded a variety of areas including Homicide and Violent Crimes, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Internal Affairs, and Advanced Training, Metropolitan Section and Special Planning, Homeland Security, and the aforementioned Night Duty Command.
Low began his writing career at the University of Washington's Bothell campus writing for the school's newspaper: The Bothell Commons. A Seattle native and graduate of Shoreline High School, Low now lives in Snohomish County. All eight of his novels will soon be available at independent bookstores, but right now are available only at select stores, Amazon.com, and Kindle.
When not writing short-stories or novels, Low works as a law enforcement consultant, specializing in procedures, tactics, training, and discipline. HeLow is available for author readings and guest appearances.
In support of his writing career, Low has held a number of signings and participated in special events such as the Tigress Wine and Words with Authors series and the Tigress Publishing Murder Mystery Tour featuring Neil Low--a behind the scenes walking tour focusing on Seattle's seedy past and notorious crime scenes in Pioneer Square.
Low has been featured regularly in print media, as well as on local talk radio and television, and has been a keynote speaker and panelist for such varied organizations as the City Arts Fest, NW Mystery Writers of America, the University of Washington, and WaState C.O.P.S., as well as the combined Mill Creek reading clubs. As a guest or speaker, Low engages audiences with lively tales of Seattle's seedy past; behind-the-scenes looks at real-life crime solving; the trials and tribulations of completing an education and launching a second career during the later stages of life, and how he personally approaches the writing process. With his wide ranging experience and extensive knowledge of Seattle's colorful past, Low makes a compelling interview or guest.
"
From shady hotels to catacombs under Chinatown and real-life local murder mysteries, Low expertly weaves elements of Seattles colorful past into the exploits of 1940s Seattle Private Investigator Alan Stewart. Since his debut novel Thick as Thieves (Tigress Publishing, 2008), Low has been receiving solid praise and attention. Noted true crime author Ann Rule strongly endorsed Lows debut, No one can write about cops and robbers like a real police officer. When they are good they are very, very good, and Captain Neil Low is very good as he magically captures another era in his new book.
Thick as Thieves,the first installment in the Alan Stewart Mystery Series, ended 2008 as the Independent Mystery Bookseller Associations #3 trade paperback sold in Seattle. In addition, it was named a Readers Favorite by Seattle Times book editor Mary Ann Gwinn. Lows follow-up novel Sign of the Dragon (Tigress Publishing, 2009) ended 2009 at the #2 position.
For more information, visit Low's official website at www.neillow.com
About Low:
Retired as the Night Duty Commander for the Seattle Police Department, Low had been with the SPD for 50 years. Throughout his career, he commanded a variety of areas including Homicide and Violent Crimes, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Internal Affairs, and Advanced Training, Metropolitan Section and Special Planning, Homeland Security, and the aforementioned Night Duty Command.
Low began his writing career at the University of Washington's Bothell campus writing for the school's newspaper: The Bothell Commons. A Seattle native and graduate of Shoreline High School, Low now lives in Snohomish County. All eight of his novels will soon be available at independent bookstores, but right now are available only at select stores, Amazon.com, and Kindle.
When not writing short-stories or novels, Low works as a law enforcement consultant, specializing in procedures, tactics, training, and discipline. HeLow is available for author readings and guest appearances.
In support of his writing career, Low has held a number of signings and participated in special events such as the Tigress Wine and Words with Authors series and the Tigress Publishing Murder Mystery Tour featuring Neil Low--a behind the scenes walking tour focusing on Seattle's seedy past and notorious crime scenes in Pioneer Square.
Low has been featured regularly in print media, as well as on local talk radio and television, and has been a keynote speaker and panelist for such varied organizations as the City Arts Fest, NW Mystery Writers of America, the University of Washington, and WaState C.O.P.S., as well as the combined Mill Creek reading clubs. As a guest or speaker, Low engages audiences with lively tales of Seattle's seedy past; behind-the-scenes looks at real-life crime solving; the trials and tribulations of completing an education and launching a second career during the later stages of life, and how he personally approaches the writing process. With his wide ranging experience and extensive knowledge of Seattle's colorful past, Low makes a compelling interview or guest.
"
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 3, 2024
I was intrigued by this book because of its similarity to the death of an actual rock star. This book is fiction, but does utilize some of the facts related to a certain left-handed Seattle grunge rock star whose body was found on April 8, 1994. The book uses the same date of death and uses many of the pertinent details. The book has changed the names of everyone involved and kept the manner of death the same, and has created an elaborate cover-up of a murder to look like suicide. (I like to think the title of the book has a double meaning, which is also a clue to the real-life wife of that rock star.)
I love mysteries, but this is more police procedural. The story follows two beat cops who believe that this is a murder, even though the homicide detectives have closed the case as suicide. The pace feels slow since most of investigation is done through questioning, which means that most of the book is dialog.
I did enjoy the story taking place in 1994. It felt like a time capsule to that year. (However, I must point out that one detail mentioned in the book is not correct. When talking about John Belushi's death, the author states that Patty Smith was the one who administered his lethal dose. It was actually Cathy Smith who served 15 months in prison for that. I feel like I should mention that since I don't want anyone to blame the singer/songwriter Patty Smith for Belushi's death.)
I think people who enjoy police procedurals will enjoy this - especially if you were a fan of a certain grunge group in the 1990's. It was a little slow for me, but I am sure there are many readers who will enjoy this.
I love mysteries, but this is more police procedural. The story follows two beat cops who believe that this is a murder, even though the homicide detectives have closed the case as suicide. The pace feels slow since most of investigation is done through questioning, which means that most of the book is dialog.
I did enjoy the story taking place in 1994. It felt like a time capsule to that year. (However, I must point out that one detail mentioned in the book is not correct. When talking about John Belushi's death, the author states that Patty Smith was the one who administered his lethal dose. It was actually Cathy Smith who served 15 months in prison for that. I feel like I should mention that since I don't want anyone to blame the singer/songwriter Patty Smith for Belushi's death.)
I think people who enjoy police procedurals will enjoy this - especially if you were a fan of a certain grunge group in the 1990's. It was a little slow for me, but I am sure there are many readers who will enjoy this.
June 5, 2024
As a hypothetical yet plausible take on what might have really happened in the suspicious deaths of Kurt Cobain & Kristen Pfaff, this book is highly recommended for the plot and the fun of the thinly veiled name changes.
Outside of the compelling subject matter, it’s a standard and slightly dated police procedural. There’s also an oddity where the main character names are either misspelled on the back cover or correctly spelled there and misspelled every time they appear in the main text.
Also a strange choice to use the plural in the artsy syringe icon at the start of each chapter (“1 Chapters”, “2 Chapters”, etc). I couldn’t decide if it was stylistic or a repeated typo, but the grammar nerd in me couldn’t unsee it every time it appeared.
Quibbles aside, must read if you have a fascination with this unsolved conspiracy theory of the mid-1990s like I do.
Outside of the compelling subject matter, it’s a standard and slightly dated police procedural. There’s also an oddity where the main character names are either misspelled on the back cover or correctly spelled there and misspelled every time they appear in the main text.
Also a strange choice to use the plural in the artsy syringe icon at the start of each chapter (“1 Chapters”, “2 Chapters”, etc). I couldn’t decide if it was stylistic or a repeated typo, but the grammar nerd in me couldn’t unsee it every time it appeared.
Quibbles aside, must read if you have a fascination with this unsolved conspiracy theory of the mid-1990s like I do.
March 3, 2021
A thrilling novel of love, hat, deceit, murder and cover-up. I wanted to end the grieving wife.
Bobbie Kaald
Bobbie Kaald
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews