Fade to Blue

An Evan Horne Mystery, Book 7

By: Bill Moody

Narrated by: Gary Dikeos

San Francisco jazz pianist Evan Horne takes a gig in Los Angeles, where he’s offered his most unusual job yet. Movie megastar Ryan Stiles hires Evan to teach him to look like he’s playing piano for an upcoming role. Evan stays at Stiles’ lush Malibu home for the tutoring, but things suddenly go wrong for the arrogant, spoiled star.

Stiles’ adversarial relationship with the paparazzi explodes when a photographer is killed. Was it an accident, or is Stiles himself a suspect? Evan wants out, but Stiles’ manager entices him to stay by dangling the opportunity to score the film. Stiles is cleared, but when the film begins, another mysterious death occurs, and somebody is blackmailing the star.

With help from his FBI girlfriend, Andie Lawrence, and Lieutenant Danny Cooper, Evan launches his own investigation to help clear Stiles. But now, to further complicate things, a serial killer has escaped from prison - and it’s Gillian Sims, Evan’s old nemesis.

About the author: Bill Moody is a mystery author and professional jazz drummer who has toured and recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Junior Mance, Jon Hendricks, and Lou Rawls. He lives in northern California, where he hosts a weekly jazz show, and is the author of a dozen short stories in various collections and several Evan Horne mystery novels.

©2011 Bill Moody (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The book is consistently enjoyable on many levels and is recommended.” ( Spinetingler Magazine)

“The fascinating process of teaching an actor to fake playing the piano gives Moody, a jazz musician himself, another avenue to doing what he does best, incorporating vividly rendered slices of a jazzman’s life into a satisfying crime story. An agreeable adventure in a consistently entertaining series.” ( Booklist)

“ Fade to Blue provides audiences with a fine Evan Horne mystery in which the jazz pianist takes a gig in Los Angeles where he’s offered a job that’s more than a teaching job. A spoiled star and a dead photographer involve Evan in a dangerous game, and when he wants out, compelling forces cause him to stay - and become even more involved in what evolves to be a mysterious death and blackmail. Mystery fans will find this an outstanding story packed with music and Hollywood references alike.” ( Midwest Book Review)