Desert Songs

By Daniel Gard'ner

"Tense and immersive, it captures the collision of fame and danger while unravelling the bonds that hold people together." - Avenues (2026) March Issue. Christchurch: Avenues Magazine

"For a noir, Gard'ner absolutely nails the tone... If you like stories where talent collides with trauma, where ambition and loyalty are constantly at odds, and where friendship is tested against the darker side of success, Desert Songs is absolutely worth picking up." - Fearwarefiction.com

"The writing (especially the atmosphere had you clearly imaging the scene) He gets the smell of the thing exactly right..." - The Reading Cafe

Rising LA rock band Vital Minds is in crisis. The passion project of best friends Cash Jones and Slim Mason, the band is slowly falling apart as Slim's escalating drug habit threatens to undo their years of hard work.

When he can't pay a debt, Slim is abducted by a criminal organization with ties to the head of the band's management company. He is forced to work off what he owes by catering to the desires of a select clientele in a gentlemen's club in the desert, while Cash is left to navigate a complex and dangerous world in his attempts to solve his disappearance.

Desert Songs is a deep dive into the shadowy terrain where show business intersects with the dark underbelly of the LA crime world. A rock and roll noir, the novel explores the limits of friendship, the lasting impact of trauma, and the consequences of good people making bad choices.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G3LHB93M
• ISBN13: 9798266904613
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"