Too Dead to Swing: A Katy Green Mystery - Softcover

Glatzer, Hal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1880284537 ISBN 13: 9781880284537

Publisher: Daniel & Daniel Publishers, 2002

Synopsis

It's 1940, and musician Katy Green gets what ought to be a dream gig, playing with the Ultra Belles-an all-female swing band. They travel by Pullman on the luxurious Starlight from Los Angeles to Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. So what if the songwriter is Katy's exboyfriend, and a notorious Casanova? So what if half the women are mad at the other half over politics, music, and sex? There are tensions and rivalries in every band. But that's not the worst of it. Katy quickly discovers that somebody's out for blood.

About this title

From the Publisher

On the Eve of War, Murder Rides the Rails

“. . . Glatzer’s atmospherics effectively evoke the swing era. . . .a lively jitterbug down memory lane.” —Kirkus Reviews

In 1940, Musician Katy Green gets what ought to be a dream gig, playing with the Ultra Belles—an all-girl swing band. They’ll travel by Pullman on the luxurious Starlight, Zephyr, etc, from L.A. to Santa Cruz, Oakland, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, and back to San Francisco. So what if the songwriter who formed the band is her ex-boyfriend, a notorious Casanova? And so what if half the women are mad at the other half over their politics, their musicianship, or their sexuality? That’s not the worst of it—Katy discovers that somebody’s out for blood.

Katy Green is a grown-up, sophisticated sleuth in the tradition of amateur girl detectives— plucky, clever, and poised. But she moves in the realistic milieu of professional musicians, complete with the bawdiness, extramarital trysts, and substance overindulgence (but no foul language!) typical of the times. A naive but confident U. S. was on the verge of war.

Unlike most mysteries, Too Dead To Swing appeared first as an award-winning audiotape with a Broadway cast. Glatzer produced it, as well as writing the songs and story. Critics compared it to a BBC radio play and film noir. This first book publication contains illustrations from vintage postcards, a cast of characters, a diagram of the fatal Pullman car, and a map on the back, thus having added value to the audio version.

From the Back Cover

Murder Rides The Rails With An All-Girl Band

"Too Dead to Swing dances to a different beat and I welcome one. It moves quickly, and its quirky characters and unexpected twists make it a very enjoyable read."
—Stuart Kaminsky
Edgar Award-winner and author of Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express

"Too Dead to Swing is as bold as brass, bright and breezy. Katy Green is a swinging sleuth with a sassy attitude. A swell debut by Hal Glatzer."
—Kate Grilley
Macavity Award-winner and author of Death Dances to a Reggae Beat

Edition details

• Publisher: Daniel & Daniel Publishers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1880284537
• ISBN 13: 9781880284537
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240