Dead Girl Walking - (Jack Palabane Thrillers) by Christopher Brookmyre (Paperback)

About the Book

"Life is dangerous when you have everything to lose. Famous, beautiful, and talented, Heike Gunn has the world at her feet. Then, one day, she simply vanishes. Meanwhile, maverick Scottish journalist Jack Parlabane has lost everything. Once highly regarded for his tireless investigation of even the most unpleasant of Glasgow's gangsters, his involvement in a scandal involving a lost government laptop has cost him his career, his wife, and his self-respect. A call from an old friend offers Parlabane a chance for redemption -- but only if he can find out what happened to Heike, the lead singer of the internationally renowned folk rock band Savage Earth Heart. Pursued by those who would punish him for past crimes, Parlabane enters the secret-filled world of Savage Earth Heart, a group at its breaking point. Each of its members seems to be hiding something, not least its newest recruit Monica Halcrow, whose speculated relationship with Heike has become a public obsession. Monica's own story, however, reveals a far darker truth. Fixated on Heike from day one, she has been engulfed by paranoia, jealousy, and fear as she discovers the hidden price of fame. And she may not be the only one suffering." --Page [4] of cover.

Book Synopsis

Dead Girl Walking is the latest thrilling novel from one of Scotland's most treasured crime writers, as well known in his native country as Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, and Denise Mina. Christopher Brookmyre's books have sold over one and a half million copies worldwide, and in Dead Girl Walking, he has written his most addictive thriller yet--a gripping story of sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, and murder.

Life is dangerous when you have everything to lose. Famous, beautiful, and talented, Heike Gunn has the world at her feet. Then, one day, she simply vanishes. Meanwhile, maverick Scottish journalist Jack Parlabane has lost everything. Once highly regarded for his tireless investigation of even the most unpleasant of Glasgow's gangsters, his involvement in a scandal involving a lost government laptop has cost him his career, his wife, and his self-respect. A call from an old friend offers Parlabane a chance for redemption--but only if he can find out what happened to Heike, the lead singer of the internationally renowned folk rock band Savage Earth Heart. Pursued by those who would punish him for past crimes, Parlabane enters the secret-filled world of Savage Earth Heart, a group at its breaking point. Each of its members seems to be hiding something, not least its newest recruit Monica Halcrow, whose speculated relationship with Heike has become a public obsession. Monica's own story, however, reveals a far darker truth. Fixated on Heike from day one, she has been engulfed by paranoia, jealousy, and fear as she discovers the hidden price of fame. And she may not be the only one suffering.

From Berlin to Barcelona, from the streets of Milan to remote Scottish islands, Dead Girl Walking is a whirlwind tour of the dark side of the music industry from one of Britain's masters of crime writing.

Review Quotes

Praise for Dead Girl Walking:

A Boston Globe best book of the year in the mystery category
Shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year

"Murder goes on tour in Brookmyre's clever take on the vagaries of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, giving his recurring journalist-investigator Jack Parlabane myriad opportunities for sleuthing, hacking, and, yes, even a spot of late-night parkour after a beautiful musician goes missing."--Boston Globe, "Best Books of 2015"

"Brookmyre's intricate plot is tightly woven and transitions from multiple characters' perspectives seamlessly. Fans of Ian Rankin's John Rebus crime novels and Henning Mankell's Wallander books will enjoy the strong male protagonist. Readers already invested in Jack and his exploits will enjoy this chilly thriller, which also can serve as a stand-alone for newcomers."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Entertaining . . . Brookmyre creates fascinating characters and expertly places them in darkly humorous yet disturbing situations."--Publishers Weekly

"Brookmyre serves up a tantalizing mix of possibilities for Heike's disappearance: romantic vengeance, shady rock politics, jealousy, and Heike's tangling with a ruthless human-trafficking gang. Readers will be pleased to find that Jack's 'dubious' methods make fantastic thriller fare, and skilled plotting keeps the key to Heike's disappearance elusive until the final moments."--Booklist

"Finally--a thriller that works! . . . I couldn't put this book down."--Crime Segments

"A compelling read--particularly Monica's take on the allure and shame of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll--as we've come to expect from Brookmyre . . . a couple of thrilling action sequences . . . that are worthy of any [video]game . . . [A] pacy story."--Herald Scotland

"Dead Girl Walking is the 18th novel by this Scottish master, and it's one of the best of the lot, featuring his irregular sleuth, Jack Parlabane, and set in the fascinating world of the music industry . . . This one is good right to the final page."--Globe and Mail

Praise for Christopher Brookmyre:

"Bred in the Bone is essentially two individual but intertwined personal narratives, wrapped around a gangster story and set in the Glasgow underworld. . . . Brookmyre is a polished stylist who spikes his smooth wordsmithery with a quirk Scottish brogue."--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times

"A baker's dozen characters are well sketched, and Fallan is wonderfully complex; a stone-cold killer who is also strangely principled. Brookmyre is building a case for gritty, violent Glasgow as the world capital of crime, and this is his best book yet."--Booklist (starred review), on Bred in the Bone

"Christopher Brookmyre excels. From the titles of his novels to his ongoing instruction on the marked differences between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Brookmyre is a joy and a pleasure to read for those of us who like our fiction served up dark with humor to match. His latest stateside offering is Bred in the Bone, the third in the Jasmine Sharp and Catherine McLeod series and the best thus far. It takes a confident writer to race an immensely interesting character right out of the gate and then take him off the map within a few pages. . . . Brookmyre is a spellbinding storyteller who, by virtue of the wit and intricateness of his stories, has earned much greater attention on this side of the Atlantic than he has received thus far. Incap

About the Author

Christopher Brookmyre is the author of seventeen previous novels, including his acclaimed and internationally bestselling series featuring Jasmine Sharp and Catherine McLeod. He has won many awards for his work, including the Critics' First Blood Award, the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, and the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award. His latest novel is Bred in the Bone.