He Who Sings Last - Lisa Laird DiRosso

He Who Sings Last
by Lisa Laird DiRosso

"Just how far will one fan go to prove her loyalty? In her novel He Who Sings Last, Lisa Laird DiRosso expertly knits a blanket of obsession laced with suspicion and murder in a suspenseful crime novel centered on has-been celebrity Jimmy Covelli. He leads a quiet, post-fame existence until some ghosts from his past come back to haunt him after nineteen years, when an unsolved murder case is reopened by a zealous New York detective. Covelli charms and harms wherever he goes, and in his destructive path, he leaves behind a host of resentful family members and brokenhearted fans. Will the detective catch him and be able to prove his guilt? Find out in He Who Sings Last."

Tate Publishing

Miranda Madison was only fifteen when she attended her first concert. Watching Jimmy Covelli lead the Floating Hearts on stage took away her breath and set her imagination on fire. It was at that moment that Miranda knew that she and Jimmy were destined to be together.

Jimmy Covelli was an egotistical musician used to getting his way with not only women, but in life in general. He believed that "It doesn't matter what other people think, as long as you like yourself" is a foolish notion and that, "It is not who you are the deems respect and admiration; it iswho others think you are" is the way the world works.

Fast forward nineteen years and Miranda may be grown, but she still believes that she and Jimmy Covelli are meant to be together. She married another man to leave her dysfunctional home, but divorced him when she knew the only way to happiness was to follow her dream. Jimmy Covelli is no longer a famous musician with the good looks and money flowing. He now lives in a two bedroom apartment and works odd jobs to make ends meet. The one thing he has never lost, however, is his ego.

Detective John Vintoni begins to research a cold case - a brutal murder that occurred the very night after Miranda watched Jimmy in concert. His prime suspect - Jimmy Covelli. Jimmy was seen with the beautiful woman earlier in the evening and many believe they had gone to her home for a "rendezvous". Jimmy was never charged in the original investigation, but to Detective Vintoni the case seems clear.

Read along in He Who Sings Last as innocent victims are manipulated and more lives are lost. Miranda will stop at nothing to capture the man of her dreams, Detective Vintoni will stop at nothing to prove Jimmy is guilty of murder and Jimmy will stop at nothing to prove his innocence. Who will sing the last note of victory?

I really enjoyed this mystery. Lisa Laird DiRosso wove in many twists and turns that kept me guessing the guilty party. The narration of this story jumps from one character to another, and introduces not only the characters I mentioned above, but also all the friends and family still associated with them. You learn the back story of each character, and it helps you understand the reasoning behind each of their actions. There are definite surprises and a bit of a cliffhanger ending.

If you would like to read an interview with the author visit Jenni at Falling Off the Shelf here. She does a great job and gives a little background on the author as well.

Thanks to the author for providing me the book to review.