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Mirror Ball Man
"Bullet holes in a Life Is Great T-shirt. It was the kind of cheap irony I would have written a song about, normally. But it wasn't so funny when it happened to someone I knew."Singer Baxter McLean had one hit in the 1980s, "Mirror Ball Man," but he's barely scraped by as a barroom folksinger ever since. Now yuppies and developers are taking over the funky little harbor town of Libertyport, Massachusetts, where he lives. When he sings a protest song against a waterfront hotel project, Baxter finds himself the prime suspect in at least one murder. Solving the case himself is the only way out. On the bright side, the publicity might jump-start his career - and his love life.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2010
8 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Joel Brown
128 books8 followersI write for the Boston Globe, HubArts.com and many others. I've also worked for MeeVee.com, the Boston Herald, the Daily Southtown in Chicago and the Greenfield Recorder in Massachusetts. I'm a native of Cambridge, Mass., a lifelong Red Sox fan and a Newburyport resident.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 23, 2017
I enjoyed the seaport setting, quirky characters, and music references in this well-plotted mystery. The pacing is good and I looked forward to reading a little bit each night (although I was often so caught up wondering what Baxter would learn next that I finished the book faster than intended). I’ll be cheering for this easygoing homegrown detective/hero throughout the rest of the Libertyport Mystery series.
September 10, 2021
I loved this sharp, funny mystery with a has-been folksinger turned sleuth, who solves murders and discovers the truth about a long-ago tragedy in the town of Libertyport, MA. The setting is based on Newburyport, which is near where I used to live, and where the author lives himself. If you know the New England seacoast, you'll enjoy this book if for no other reason than for his witty and eloquent descriptions of life there.
September 9, 2019
Nice
I love a good mystery. And this one was pretty good. The only thing I didn't like was the formatting. Sometimes there would be a change of where and who the main character was talking to and there would be no warning, no break or anything.
I love a good mystery. And this one was pretty good. The only thing I didn't like was the formatting. Sometimes there would be a change of where and who the main character was talking to and there would be no warning, no break or anything.
March 8, 2018
His first book? Are you kidding me? Fantastic read!! Baxter I wish you were real-love the cynical dry humor. The ending was a complete shock. All I can say is I hope there is another book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2015
I really like Joel Brown's writing.
Baxter is a one hit wonder. When he was young he had a huge hit with the folk song Mirror Ball Man.
That was a long time ago.
Now he is a divorced musician with a son he loves and very little money. He lives in Libertyport where everyone knows him, and most people like him. It is a coastal town that has the townies being edged out by the yuppies who want to gentrify their world.
One morning as he is doing his early morning walk, he discovers a body. And then things really get weird. The dead man was Jules, who wanted to put up an enormous hotel and Baxter had written a protest song to rally the public against the hotel.
This is a very well plotted work. The plot is not so simple that the reader can solve it within the first chapter, but it is not so complicated that the reader gets lost in the details. Details are the only complaint I would make. At times it seems I got too much excess information, when I wanted to find out what happened next.
The characters are interesting. Baxter is a funny and smart guy who does not allow ambition to get in the way of his life. He is devoted to his son, and generally not very devoted to his ex-wife. He knows his way around town and when he is the easy suspect in the murder he decides he might want to ask questions around town.
The townies are varied. Some of them are making a good living taking care of tourists and yuppies. Others are hanging on by a thread and Jules death may have put them even more in debt. Jules had taken investment money from a great number of people and his promises of wonderful returns had drawn in a great deal of money.
This is a book you will like if you enjoy small town mysteries. Or even if you just like mysteries. You will want Baxter to clear his name. You will want Baxter to get another chance at fame and fortune. Most of all, you will want Baxter to find the bad guy.
Baxter is a one hit wonder. When he was young he had a huge hit with the folk song Mirror Ball Man.
That was a long time ago.
Now he is a divorced musician with a son he loves and very little money. He lives in Libertyport where everyone knows him, and most people like him. It is a coastal town that has the townies being edged out by the yuppies who want to gentrify their world.
One morning as he is doing his early morning walk, he discovers a body. And then things really get weird. The dead man was Jules, who wanted to put up an enormous hotel and Baxter had written a protest song to rally the public against the hotel.
This is a very well plotted work. The plot is not so simple that the reader can solve it within the first chapter, but it is not so complicated that the reader gets lost in the details. Details are the only complaint I would make. At times it seems I got too much excess information, when I wanted to find out what happened next.
The characters are interesting. Baxter is a funny and smart guy who does not allow ambition to get in the way of his life. He is devoted to his son, and generally not very devoted to his ex-wife. He knows his way around town and when he is the easy suspect in the murder he decides he might want to ask questions around town.
The townies are varied. Some of them are making a good living taking care of tourists and yuppies. Others are hanging on by a thread and Jules death may have put them even more in debt. Jules had taken investment money from a great number of people and his promises of wonderful returns had drawn in a great deal of money.
This is a book you will like if you enjoy small town mysteries. Or even if you just like mysteries. You will want Baxter to clear his name. You will want Baxter to get another chance at fame and fortune. Most of all, you will want Baxter to find the bad guy.
February 24, 2012
Very good read.
The hero, a failed folksinger who had one hit decades earlier (the 'Mirror Ball Man' of the title), lives in a Massachusetts harbor tourist town. Baxter McLean now sings mostly at bars and bemoans the surge of yuppies and developers taking over his town.
When one of the would-be developers is shot right after Baxter sings a fiery song against his hotel project at a zoning hearing, Baxter's a suspect. Between Baxter trying to prove to the law and the town that he's innocent, and dealing with a possible new recording contract because of the adverse publicity (and a pretty studio contact who's not averse to a round in bed), he's got his hands full.
Add in his old schoolteacher-turned-reporter out to get Baxter, the town simpleton, an arrogant artist, and several women Baxter's slept with in the past (besides his ex-wife) and the story keeps rolling along.
I like music and I like folk music. That may be part of this book's appeal but I genuinely enjoyed it.
The hero, a failed folksinger who had one hit decades earlier (the 'Mirror Ball Man' of the title), lives in a Massachusetts harbor tourist town. Baxter McLean now sings mostly at bars and bemoans the surge of yuppies and developers taking over his town.
When one of the would-be developers is shot right after Baxter sings a fiery song against his hotel project at a zoning hearing, Baxter's a suspect. Between Baxter trying to prove to the law and the town that he's innocent, and dealing with a possible new recording contract because of the adverse publicity (and a pretty studio contact who's not averse to a round in bed), he's got his hands full.
Add in his old schoolteacher-turned-reporter out to get Baxter, the town simpleton, an arrogant artist, and several women Baxter's slept with in the past (besides his ex-wife) and the story keeps rolling along.
I like music and I like folk music. That may be part of this book's appeal but I genuinely enjoyed it.
October 31, 2011
This was a fantastic mystery. Also quite the page turner. I couldn't put it down. You will be totally shocked by the ending. I have a lot of friends who read this one and had the same experience. If you like mysteries, this is a must read.
April 10, 2013
A one-hit music-man now lives in a waterfront town where a would-be hotel developer is murdered. The music-man is the prime suspect so he decides to poke around and play detective. This was a great read, and a puzzle of a mystery.
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February 9, 2012Lots of fun, especially if you're from the area. Quick 'beach' read.
April 2, 2012
Quick read. The plot kept me guessing and I was surprised with the ending.
January 8, 2024
As a New England native, I really enjoyed the books setting. It was a good story. I will most likely read Joel's other book.
April 15, 2012
Enjoyed the humor.
September 11, 2017
It was a good read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews