Hold Me Down — Clea Simon

“A darkly suspenseful dive into friendship, fame, murder, and the thrilling power of rock music. I couldn't put it down.” -- Meg Gardiner, New York Times�"bestselling author of the UNSUB series

Gal, a talented musician, has returned to Boston to play a memorial for her late friend. But when she sees a particular face in the crowd, she freezes on stage.  

The next day, she learns that the man she saw has been beaten to death behind the venue -- and her friend's widower, Walter, is being charged in connection with his murder.

When Walter refuses to defend himself, Gal wonders if he is guilty, and as memories of the past begin to flood back, she starts her own investigation.

To uncover the truth, she must re-examine her own life, her perception of the past, and an industry with a dark underbelly. But what she discovers may prove hard to swallow . . .

“In electric prose, Simon conjures the rock-and-roll world, its drink, drugs, and band-dynamics, and the twin seductresses of excess and success, as she makes a penetrating portrait of friendship.” -- The Boston Globe

“Lyrical, layered, and full of surprises. . . . A raw and emotional thriller with a heartbeat, about lost dreams and missing friends, regrets and buried memories, the final note reminding us that it's never too late to start again.” -- Lisa Unger, New York Times-bestselling author of Last Girl Ghosted and Confessions on the 7:45

“[This] devastatingly powerful mystery hits you like a punch in the heart.” -- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times�"bestselling author of Days of Wonder and Pictures of You

“Compulsively readable. . . . Part murder mystery and part wistful history of a one-time rock star and her deeply buried secrets.” -- Dave Zeltserman, Shamus Award�"winning author of Small Crimes