The Big Rewind - by Libby Cudmore (Paperback)

About the Book

"Listening to someone else's mix tapes is a huge breach of trust. But KitKat was dead... and curiosity got the better of me"--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

Raymond Chandler meets Nick Hornby in this clever noir romp through hipster Brooklyn as a mysterious mix tape puts a young amateur sleuth on the hunt for a killer--and for the truths hidden within her own heart.

To listen to someone else's mix tapes is a huge breach of trust.

But KitKat was dead...and curiosity got the better of me.

When a mix tape destined for her friend KitKat accidentally arrives in Jett Bennett's mailbox, she doesn't think twice about it--even in the age of iTunes and Spotify, the hipster residents of the Barter Street district of Brooklyn are in a constant competition to see who can be the most retro.

But when Jett finds KitKat dead on her kitchen floor, Jett suspects the tape might be more than just a quirky collection of lovelorn ballads. And when KitKat's boyfriend Bronco is arrested for her murder, Jett and her best friend Sid set out to discover the real killer on an epic urban quest through strip joints and record stores, vegan bakeries and basement nightclubs. But the further into KitKat's past she goes, the more she discovers about her own left-behind love life--and the mysterious man whose song she still clings to....

From the Back Cover

"Irreverent yet intense . . . to put it simply, Libby Cudmore rocks."--Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award-winning author of Blood Always Tells

Listening to someone else's mix tapes is a huge breach of trust.

But KitKat was dead . . . and curiosity got the better of me.

When a mix tape destined for her friend KitKat accidentally arrives in Jett Bennett's mailbox, Jett doesn't think twice about it--even in the age of iTunes and Spotify, the hipster residents of the Barter Street district of Brooklyn are in a constant competition to see who can be the most retro.

But when Jett finds KitKat dead on her own kitchen floor, she suspects the tape might be more than just a quirky collection of lovelorn ballads. And when KitKat's boyfriend, Bronco, is arrested for her murder, Jett and her best friend, Sid, set out on an epic urban quest through strip joints and record stores, vegan bakeries and basement nightclubs, to discover who the real killer is. However, the further Jett digs into KitKat's past, the more she discovers about her own left-behind love life--and the mysterious man whose song she still clings to. . . .

Review Quotes

"The Big Rewind is entertaining and clever. And, to borrow from the novel: 'weird, twee and oddly appropriate.'" - Las Vegas Weekly Las Vegas Weekly
The Big Rewind brilliantly captures the exhilaration of being young, untethered, and in love in the Big City. This music-infused debut is like Nick Hornby's High Fidelity for women, as it earnestly explores how aspiring music writer Jett Bennett navigates leaving lost loves-in this case musical soul mates-behind in order to embrace living in the moment. This bittersweet, yet hopeful, story revolves around a murder mystery set in a modern-day hipster Brooklyn neighborhood where daily life is peppered by communal brunch dates, quirky temp jobs, and 80s-themed dance clubs. The Big Rewind is smart, poignant, and addicting ... Libby Cudmore is a writer to watch. I loved it. - - Kristi Belcamino, Anthony and Macavity-award nominated author of Blessed are the Dead
Like Nick Hornby's High Fidelity for women...The Big Rewind is smart, poignant, and addicting. Libby Cudmore is a writer to watch. - - Kristi Belcamino, Anthony and Macavity-award nominated author of Blessed are the Dead
Cudmore's funny, breezy first novel...deftly melds mystery, romance, and music. Jett makes for a very refreshing lead in a novel that will appeal to twentysomethings as well as those enamored with Warren Zevon and the Vapors. - Booklist
Cudmore's funny, breezy first novel features snappy narration by Brooklynite Jett Bennett, an aspiring music journalist and temp-agency worker. Jett finds a mix tape in her mail for her neighbor upstairs, bohemian baker KitKat. But when she goes to deliver it, she discovers that KitKat has been murdered, her head bashed in with a marble rolling pin. When KitKat's sweet boyfriend, Bronco, is arrested for murder, Jett decides to investigate, starting with the mix tape sent by KitKat's secret lover. Accompanied by her best friend, southern gentleman Sid, who knows just how to comfort her (marathon sessions of Law and Order, Chinese takeout, mix tapes of 1980s music), the two visit vintage record stores and strip clubs in search of clues. Their journey gives Jett ample time for sardonic commentary on hipster culture and multiple music references. In short, punchy chapters named after song titles, Cudmore deftly melds mystery, romance, and music. Jett makes for a very refreshing lead in a novel that will appeal to twentysomethings as well as those enamored with Warren Zevon and the Vapors. - Booklist
"An absolutely stunning debut ... I can't recommend this book enough. The narrative, is fast, funny, heartbreaking, soul-searching, and boasts more twists than Lombard Street (San Fran)." - Matthew Quinn Martin, author of Nightlife
The clues to a Brooklyn murder unspool on a mixtape in what might be a new mystery subgenre--the hipster cozy ... Debut novelist Cudmore balances the crime and romance well and infuses the story with the exhilaration of shared musical tastes and the way they can amplify emotions ... Jett's quests for justice and a decent boyfriend keep things suspenseful until the inevitable reveal of whodunit. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The clues to a Brooklyn murder unspool on a mixtape in what might be a new mystery subgenre--the hipster cozy ... Debut novelist Cudmore balances the crime and romance well and infuses the story with the exhilaration of shared musical tastes and the way they can amplify emotions." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Irreverent yet intense, THE BIG REWIND mixes razor-sharp prose with graceful storytelling. To put it simply, Libby Cudmore rocks. - Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award-winning author of Blood Always Tells
"Cudmore's debut assumes a different flavor - that of Raymond Chandler crossed with Nick Hornby, a blend of studied momentous craft and sterling silver cynicism." - Examiner.com
"A hipster cozy! That's a pretty irresistible idea, and Libby Cudmore's debut novel delivers on it... The author's anatomization of this milieu is a joy, funny, precise, and self-deprecating" - USA Today
Heads up, vinyl-loving hipsters: Cudmore's debut is for you. Jett Bennett is a young New York City temp who came to the big city with dreams of becoming a music journalist. Soon she's griping, "I wish someone had told me print was dead." The rhythm of her life in her funky section of Brooklyn is disrupted when she discovers the battered body of a neighbor, and she sets out to find the killer. In the course of her investigation, Jett begins reexamining her own life. She encounters a steady stream of friends, acquaintances, and hangers-on, but music is the glue that holds the story together: the Psychedelic Furs, Warren Zevon, Tom Cochrane, Talking Heads, Hall and Oates, Cindi Lauper--and this does not even come close to listing all the musicians mentioned in the song-laced text. Cudmore has preserved for all time a slice of current, hipster Brooklyn. - Publishers Weekly
Funny and smart, Libby Cudmore's debut novel is an old-fashioned whodunit with a new-fashioned heroine, the irreverent, romantic, music-obsessed Jett Bennett. - Peter Swanson, author of The Kind Worth Killing
Heads up, vinyl-loving hipsters: Cudmore's debut is for you ... Cudmore has preserved for all time a slice of current, hipster Brooklyn. - Publishers Weekly
Cudmore's debut is a murder mystery, romance, coming-of-age story, and exercise in 1980s and 1990s music appreciation. The song-titled chapters are a nice touch, and the author adds wry humor and realistic emotion to angsty Jett's thoughts. Recommended for Generation Xers who like fast-paced, hip, and seminostalgic reads. - Library Journal
Cudmore's debut is a murder mystery, romance, coming-of-age story, and exercise in 1980s and 1990s music appreciation ... Recommended for Generation Xers who like fast-paced, hip, and seminostalgic reads. - Library Journal
Set against the colorful background of New York City, this book will appeal to 20-somethings and serious music lovers. The writing is solid and the chapters are short and fast-moving. - Romantic Times BOOKclub