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Moscow native, RJ McDonnell recently released his third mystery novel entitled, The Concert Killer. This graduate of North Pocono High School writes a series about a private investigator who worked for 10 years as a rock band club musician before becoming a detective.
To promote The Concert Killer, McDonnell wrote a song by the same name. Robbie Walsh and Larry Moss of the North Pocono area band, Crimson Tears, perform with McDonnell on the recording. The song serves as the soundtrack to the book trailer and as a prequel to the novel.
The Concert Killer is about a serial killer who attempts to shut down the concert industry. It opens on the killer’s fourth murder. The song is three verses long and describes the first three victims.
McDonnell said, “I’ve seen hundreds of book trailers over the years, but never one where the music related to the plot of the novel.”
McDonnell won a 2010 Mystery/Thriller of the Year Award for the second novel in his series, Rock & Roll Rip-Off. The Concert Killer has already received four 5 Star reviews in its first weeks on the market.
“There were two Moscow influences that had a huge impact on my writing career. The first was my aunt, Marie Lumsden, who lived next door to St. Catherine’s Church for many years.
“Marie would stop by our house on the way home from work and share incredibly interesting and well-crafted stories about her day. As the executive secretary to five Scranton School District Superintendents, she knew many of the people that I read about in the newspaper.
“Marie continues to regale friends and family with her exceptional gift at the age of 85.”
McDonnell was a student of his second major influence as a sophomore at North Pocono High School.
“Donald Walton introduced me to the greatest writers in the history of American literature,” he said. “He had a unique way of making us care about how a diverse collection of fictional characters both reflected and influenced society. Mr. Walton treated his students as adults; a distinction that was highly unusual at that time.”
Although McDonnell’s novels are described as action mysteries with some humor, several of the critics raved about his sense of humor.
Beverly Ford, a 20-year veteran of The Boston Herald said, “I’ve found McDonnell to be one of the most engaging, enjoyable, and funniest writers I’ve come across in a long, long time.”
Moscow native, RJ McDonnell recently released his third mystery novel entitled, The Concert Killer. This graduate of North Pocono High School writes a series about a private investigator who worked for 10 years as a rock band club musician before becoming a detective.
To promote The Concert Killer, McDonnell wrote a song by the same name. Robbie Walsh and Larry Moss of the North Pocono area band, Crimson Tears, perform with McDonnell on the recording. The song serves as the soundtrack to the book trailer and as a prequel to the novel.
The Concert Killer is about a serial killer who attempts to shut down the concert industry. It opens on the killer’s fourth murder. The song is three verses long and describes the first three victims.
McDonnell said, “I’ve seen hundreds of book trailers over the years, but never one where the music related to the plot of the novel.”
McDonnell won a 2010 Mystery/Thriller of the Year Award for the second novel in his series, Rock & Roll Rip-Off. The Concert Killer has already received four 5 Star reviews in its first weeks on the market.
“There were two Moscow influences that had a huge impact on my writing career. The first was my aunt, Marie Lumsden, who lived next door to St. Catherine’s Church for many years.
“Marie would stop by our house on the way home from work and share incredibly interesting and well-crafted stories about her day. As the executive secretary to five Scranton School District Superintendents, she knew many of the people that I read about in the newspaper.
“Marie continues to regale friends and family with her exceptional gift at the age of 85.”
McDonnell was a student of his second major influence as a sophomore at North Pocono High School.
“Donald Walton introduced me to the greatest writers in the history of American literature,” he said. “He had a unique way of making us care about how a diverse collection of fictional characters both reflected and influenced society. Mr. Walton treated his students as adults; a distinction that was highly unusual at that time.”
Although McDonnell’s novels are described as action mysteries with some humor, several of the critics raved about his sense of humor.
Beverly Ford, a 20-year veteran of The Boston Herald said, “I’ve found McDonnell to be one of the most engaging, enjoyable, and funniest writers I’ve come across in a long, long time.”
Steve Moore of BookPleasures.com said, “RJ McDonnell’s enjoyable style is somewhere between Carl Hiaasen’s in Basket Case and Michael Connelly’s in Chasing the Dime.”
And, Brooke Carlton of Apex Reviews said, “A fast-paced, deeply twisted, and hilarious story that will have readers salivating for more.”
Some of McDonnell’s readers expressed concern that the humor would be minimized when they read the pre-release description of The Concert Killer. Serial killer novels don’t normally lend themselves to much humor. But the series protagonist, Jason Duffy, isn’t your average private investigator.
Jason worked his way through college playing in a club band, earning a degree in counseling in the process. He then worked as a counselor at an outpatient mental health center for two years after graduating.
When Jason opened his detective agency he hired two of his former clients as his staff members. His administrative assistant, Jeannine, suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and a few phobias. His stake-out specialist, Cory, has Tourette’s syndrome (all of Cory’s comments are paraphrased). They are very good at their jobs, but their quirks make for some amusing moments.
Amazon reader reviews left by members of the mental health community have all been very positive.
The Concert Killer is every bit as humorous as the first two novels. But, keep in mind that the genre is definitely mystery.
Another popular series character is Jason’s father, a retired police detective, with whom he’s had a very strained relationship since he started playing in rock bands at the age of 14.
As a novice detective, Jason reluctantly solicits his father’s help for the sake of his clients. Their process of mending fences is frequently of the two steps forward, one step back variety. Their relationship has made for some lively book club discussions.
For those who enjoy reading a series in order, the sequence is: Rock & Roll Homicide (2008); Rock & Roll Rip-Off (2010); and The Concert Killer (2011).
There are excerpts of all three novels on the author’s website at www.rjmcdonnell.com. The book trailer and a television interview that McDonnell gave in June of this year are on the site’s Home Page. He also writes a blog on the site. The current blog opens with an incident that involved Moscow Elementary School on Academy Street.
All of McDonnell’s books are available in paper and digital form. Information on where to purchase his books, and how to order signed copies are on his website.
