Swing - by Rupert Holmes (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An exciting reissue of Rupert Holmes's sophomore mystery novel, Swing--hailed as "imaginative, smart, and impressively elaborate" (The New York Times)--irresistibly repackaged in the vein of his breakout bestseller, Murder Your Employer.

Jazz saxophonist and arranger Ray Sherwood, touring with the Jack Donovan Orchestra, is haunted by personal tragedy. But when a beautiful and talented Berkeley student named Gail Prentice seeks his help in orchestrating a highly original composition called Swing Around the Sun, which is slated to premiere at the Golden Gate Exposition on the newly created Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, Ray finds himself powerfully drawn to the young composer. Within moments of first setting eyes on her, Ray also witnesses a horrifying sight: a woman plunging to her death from the island's emblematic Tower of the Sun.

As the captivated Ray learns more about Gail and her unusual family, he finds himself trapped in a tightening coil of spiraling secrets--some personally devastating, all dangerous and deadly--in which from moment to moment nothing is certain, including Gail's intentions toward him and her connection to the dead woman who made such a grisly impact upon the stunning island. As events speed toward a shocking climax, Ray must use all his physical daring and improvisational skills to unlock an ominous puzzle whose sinister implications stretch far beyond anything he could imagine.

Swing is a brilliant historical thriller--with an extra twist that extends beyond its pages. Accompanying the novel is a playlist of original songs and music that feature prominently in the story, within which the reader may find additional clues to the mysteries of Swing.

Review Quotes

Praise for Murder Your Employer

"Holmes is a gifted wordsmith whose latest is a top-notch read that both entertains and amuses. . . . Delightfully wicked . . . An amusing and cheeky tale with excellent pacing replete with droll observations."
--Library Journal (starred review)

"Swing just might be the best historical thriller of the year. Certainly it is the most creative."
--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Imaginative, smart and impressively elaborate, a sophisticated foray into musical mystery plotting."
--Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Holmes's clever period mystery [gathers together] the bitter and the sweet, and makes the kind of music you want to hear."
--The New York Times Book Review

"From the first paragraph it's clear that Swing . . . is subtle and inviting . . . an excellent novel and an impressive tale of intrigue. We are swept along by often beautiful prose in a brilliantly structured story that is fascinating to read as it unfolds its secrets."
--San Jose Mercury News

"It's the people, living and dead, who stay in the memory after the last page has been turned, the last letter-perfect description of a vanished world has touched a chord, the last note of swing music has been played."
--Chicago Tribune

"Saturated in the atmosphere of noir and swing . . . The story moves jauntily, its set pieces staged with theatrical flair and its snappy dialogue recalling Ben Hecht's."
--New Yorker

"You will want to read Swing. You'll also want to listen to Swing. I read this book twice and loved it even more the second time. As for the music, well, if you don't like to listen, you can always get up and dance. Swing swings."
--The Toronto Globe and Mail

"The story pulses like an orchestration itself, with odd harmonies, varying tempos, witty exchanges, and a poignant leitmotif."
--Christian Science Monitor

"Swing is no exception to Holmes' string of successes. Compelling and atmospheric, it's nostalgic writing at its best, tough, classy, and smart. Clever and stylish, with music, femmes fatale, and a tortured protagonist, you won't regret taking Holmes' latest novel for a Swing."
--Denver Rocky Mountain News

"A tour de force of style and erudition that will delight mystery readers of any sort. A clever, original mystery that's pure fun to read, listen to, look at, and puzzle out."
--Publishers Weekly

"A delightful introduction to the McMasters Conservatory . . . To better understand McMasters, consider it the Harvard of Homicide, the Stanford of Stabbing, or the Princeton of Poisoning. . . . Holmes' newest novel is a satirical masterpiece. His wry wit and sarcastic sense of humor are on full display. As a mystery writer, Holmes executes misdirection expertly, leading the reader in several directions at once. His stabbing commentary on academia is cut-throat. Holmes kills it in this entertaining tale. For readers looking for a fast and fun book that will slay your funny bone, check out Murder Your Employer. All puns intended."
--Portland Book Review

"A funny, fast-paced, flip-the-playbook mystery in which three ordinary citizens are trained in murder on a luxurious hidden estate . . . a fantasy academy laid out like a combination of Hogwarts, Downton Abbey, and a White Lotus-style resort. . . . Holmes can clearly do anything."
--The Los Angeles Times

"Highly entertaining . . . This clever novel imparts revelations from the clandestine McMasters Conservatory, which provides students of all ages with a well-rounded education on the necessary skills to complete their 'final thesis' . . . Warning: readers could die laughing."
--Shelf Awareness

"How has no one thought of this before? Murders set at an imaginary academy set up to train murderers . . . Holmes delights in wordplay that includes puns, literary terms, cultural references, and twists. . . . As Holmes takes hairpin turns from irony back to sincerity for his three McMasters pupils, his zany storytelling will delight fans of The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett, all Sherlock Holmes stories, and even those who love tales of arcane and Gothic institutions."
--Bethanne Patrick, NPR

"If the illustrations of Edward Gorey came to life, they would be in the same neighborhood as this 'Poison Ivy League' college. . . . Although this beautifully designed DIY manual is full of twists, the emphasis is on comedy . . . but the extraordinary Holmes can pull the heartstrings too. . . . You will love this gigglesome guide to the graves of academe."
--The Times (London)

About the Author

Rupert Holmes's New York Times bestseller, Murder Your Employer (the first volume in his new McMasters Guide to Homicide series), was also a Top Ten on lists by The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, and Associated Press. Holmes has received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America and multiple Tony(R) and Drama Desk Awards for his Broadway mystery musicals, including Curtains and his Tony(R) Award-winning Best Musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His first novel, Where the Truth Lies, was nominated for a Nero Wolfe award for Best American Mystery Novel, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel, and became a motion picture starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. His second novel, Swing, included his own original, clue-bearing musical score. His stories have been anthologized in Best American Mystery Stories, On a Raven's Wing, A Merry Band of Murderers, Dead Man's Hand, and Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. Holmes has adapted Agatha Christie, John Grisham, and R.L. Stine for the Broadway and international stage. His lyrics have been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and EQ anthologies, and he is also the writer/vocalist of several Top Ten hits, including his Billboard #1 multi-platinum classic with a memorable twist-ending: "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)."