Don Bruns writes mystery novels set in Florida and the Caribbean. He has two series currently in production – The Stuff Series and the Caribbean Mystery Series. In the Caribbean Mystery Series, Bruns writes about the music industry. His main protagonist is music journalist, Mick Sever, and Sever has a way of running into unsavory characters while on assignments. St Barts Breakdown is a Caribbean Mystery.
St. Barts Breakdown begins in Chicago with music mogul, Danny Murtz staring at the naked body lying collapsed at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood. Danny wasn’t sure. He may have pushed her. He had lots of drugs and alcohol in his system, but it didn’t really matter. She didn’t really matter. His lawyer, Harvey Schwartz would take care of things, just like last time.
The Chicago Tribune hired Mick Sever to interview Danny Murtz, and they were sending Mick to St. Barts to conduct the interview. A&E network was doing a bio on Murtz, but they were doing a powder puff story, and the Tribune wanted dirt. As Mick is leaving the Tribune building someone tries to run him down.
Bruns provides us with an antagonist that no one can like. Murtz is ruthless, selfish, and devoid of any conscience. He has killed at least two women, maybe more. He has gotten to the top by stepping on people and using them. He has an insatiable desire for sex, drugs, and alcohol. He has no redeeming characteristics. At no point in the story does the reader ever feel sorry for him.
Mick Sever knows that bad rumors surround Murtz, but nothing has ever been proven, and seldom have charges been filed. Server is the typical mystery protagonist a little over six-foot tall, attractive to the ladies, and knows how to take care of himself. Even after the incident in Chicago, it takes awhile for Sever to realize someone is trying to scare him away or even kill him. Murtz’s bad boy antics have created more than a few enemies, and Sever quickly recruits a couple of locals, and some visiting tourists to assist him.
St Barts Breakdown is an enjoyable read – good for poolside, a day at the beach, or a day of flying. It is not a complex story, and don’t look too deeply for cause and effect. Some of the coincidences seem a bit far-fetched such as the near miss outside the Tribune building.
Bruce G. Smith 9/28/2009