Slip Cue: A Talk Radio Mystery

By Joyce Krieg

Book Overview

"Caller One: "She was just the sweetest thing... there's no way she could have done all those horrible things you media people keep saying she did. Just no way."" "Caller Two: "Who's to say someone else didn't kill that Johnny Venture? Jasmine could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. How do we know for sure?"" "Caller Three: If she really didn't do it, why break out of jail? Why not wait for the verdict and walk away a free woman?"" These are some of the comments--not really unexpected--that Shauna J. Bogart is getting on her talk radio show after the news that a television and radio star known as Jasmine has escaped from custody. After a long career as an entertainer, Jasmine has been making an amazing comeback, but now she's just been jailed. Well, someone who wakes up and finds a dead body beside her in her hotel bed can't really complain about that. The news now is that as Jasmine and four other women prisoners are being transferred to a different jail, the police van is intercepted on the road and the women freed. Since the nationally famous Jasmine was a local girl, Shauna J's callers, all of whom claim to have known her, are quick (and thrilled) to comment. Shauna J. is thrilled, too. Anyone who works in the news business, she tells us, will admit to the same, if they're honest. Add to that the notice she's just received tells her she's been voted into the Broadcast Legends Hall of Fame. With her lover Peter off on some annoyingly mysterious mission, Shauna decides to follow her dream - she will find Jasmine herself, and get a firsthand interview. Shauna's convinced she can get it; she's got something other news people don't have. The song, "Meet Me at the Casbah," is what has sparked Jasmine's second round of fame, and Shauna's own mother had coached Jasmine in that song, many years ago. That, the identity of the dead man, and a scam connected with the song itself all begins to come obligingly together. But the tighter the strands are tied, the more Shauna herself is in real jeopardy. As in her first, award-winning book, Krieg has the delightful Shauna take you behind the scenes of the broadcast world and beyond, spiced by the call-ins of Shauna J.'s listeners and decorated with bona fide pictures of what goes on "backstage" in local radio.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312327366
• ISBN13: 9780312327361
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 1.1" x 5.7"

Customer Reviews

Really good

This is a really neat mystery. Unlike the common run of female heroine's we are seeing in mysteries, this is no crack detective with an improbably lethal skill set or background -- instead we get the simple aggreessive search by a reporter to follow a story. Realistic characters, a decent plot that plays fair, and a totally authentic "not the California you see on the TV" atmosphere make SLIP CUE a real treat. I'll be trying her other books!

fun "Talk Radio" mystery

On her Sacrament based TNA (talk, news and attitude) radio show, Shauna J. Bogart has college flunky Josh Friedman report that former seventies rock star turn TV sitcom mom turn alleged killer Jasmine escaped from the custody of the Monterrey County Sheriff's Department. Drugs, murder, and music sell so Jasmine is back in the news accused of killing her lover DJ Johnny Venture, who overdosed in her bed. Apparently armed men stopped the bus transporting Jasmine between her cell and the court enabling the former star and three other prisoners to escape. Shauna J. takes callers especially from Salinas, the Monterrey County seat so her listeners can gain insight into Jasmine. Most of the people who claim a connection furbish mostly nothing, but some intriguing items surface including a connection to Shauna's mom. However, as clues pile in, Shauna J. ventures closer to the truth, but soon finds herself up against a rising tide that most likely will prove as fatal to the TNA star as the drug overdose did to Venture. The second "Talk Radio" mystery (see MURDER OFF MIKE ) is a fabulous tale as the heroine uses her show to solve the Venture homicide and to track down Jasmine, a seemingly elusive butterfly without meeting at the Casbah. The story line moves rather quickly because Shauna J. keeps her callers and her sleuthing at a fast pace. She is the star of the show (at least this novel) filled with attitude that hooks the audience, especially readers who will expect an encore. Harriet Klausner

A Second Hit

When one hit wonder turned TV star Jasmine escapes from police custody, Shauna J. Bogart can't wait to break the story on her afternoon radio talk show. After all, this is huge news, and the star's local Sacramento roots will make it a huge ratings boost. And when the star, still claiming she's innocent, asks Shauna to meet with her, how can she say no? This is the opportunity of a lifetime and then some. The more Shauna learns about the story, the more she realizes that Jasmine's claims of innocence may be real after all. Meanwhile, Shauna's new boyfriend Pete disappears while researching the history of some old records he got of a local doo-whap group. What's he up to? And can Shauna figure out who framed Jasmine and why? I was impressed with Joyce Krieg's debut mystery, and I was hoping this book could live up to its predecessor's huge shoes. I'm glad to say it did. Once again we have an intricately plotted mystery with several nice twists to keep everyone confused. The book felt like it was getting off track for a little while in the middle, but it all winds up being important in the end. The climax has a radio personality's flair for the dramatic, which serves the story well. The radio background is used to provide a nice setting without slowing down the story. Personally, I find the setting fascinating. And we have some interesting characters who we get to know a little better as they continue to grow. I could actually hear their distinctive voices, something I don't normally hear when reading period. I highly recommend this excellent series to anyone who enjoys a mystery with an interesting setting, real characters, and plenty of twists. Is the next one out yet?