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What
readers are saying about
Elliott Light's Lonesome Song!
Elliott
Light's Lonesome Song: A Shep Harrington Smalltown Mystery
is a darkly compelling, splendidly written tale about a country-western
singer whose death is abruptly ruled a suicide without investigation.
Shep Harrington, a perturbed 32-year-old disbarred lawyer,
is determined to find out the truth of what happened.The more
Harrington learns of the last minutes of the victim's life,
the more disturbing parallels appear between Harrington's
own past and the tragedy he seeks to solve. A fascinating,
convoluted novel, Lonesome Song is very highly recommended
reading for mystery buffs. Elliott Light grew up outside Washington,
D.C. in McLean, Virginia before the beltway encircled the
capital city, before farms were turned into housing developments,
and before open fields became mega-malls."
-- MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
"As a retired high school science teacher, and a self-confessed
mysteryholic, I thoroughly enjoyed Lonesome Song.. Its opener
is a great hook. Its end is smashingly good. And, in between,
there are characters to care about, plot developments that
surprise, a mystery that well sustains itself, and sly humor
that works. Take it from me: A visit to Lonesome Song is well
worth your time. "
-- GINNIE LEVIN, BALTIMORE, MD
"Shep Harrington is an engagingly human hero and Lonesome
Song is a rich read."
-- BOB CULLEN, author of Mulligan for Bobby Jobe
"I found myself enjoying Lonesome Song immensely. I
loved the main character's main challenge -- getting a proper
burial for his good friend. I loved the confrontation between
the old lady Rose and the main character Shep -- and the whole
old-grudge factor. The scene where the two lab-characters
come in and push rods through the corpse was riveting. Everything
ended in satisfactory manner. And the main character is one
I'd like to know better. His characteristics of sleeplessness
-- of a hardening brought on by incarceration, and at the
time of Lonesome Song, his manly need to be with a woman --
all make for someone I'd want to see again in a sequel. Yet,
Lonesome Song is more than the sum of its wonderful parts.
Purely and simply, it makes for a rollicking and unpredictable
read."
-- JEFF BOISON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WWW.PINDELDYBOZ.COM
"As someone who's read thousands upon thousands of Mysteries
during a 75-year lifetime, at a pace of about one every two
days, I enthusiastically recommend Elliott Light's unusual
but entertaining Lonesome Song. A couple of things made it
quite different from many of those I've read, yet every bit
as good as the best of them. First, it took me half the time
to read as the usual mystery. Second, its premise was unique
-- a famous man dies but can't be buried. Third, its small
town setting was rare, pleasant, and central to the story.
Like the best of the best Mysteries, it not only maintained
the mystery throughout, but I cared about Lonesome Song's
characters -- from the deceased Reilly Heartwood, to the protagonist
Shep Harrington. And, like the best of the Mysteries
I've read, Lonesome Song was also about themes that are both
universal and important -- from the power of forgiveness to
the weaknesses of the criminal justice system. I don't often
recommend the Mysteries I read, but I make an exception
for Lonesome Song. Read it and you'll give yourself a very
special and enjoyable afternoon."
-- RITA BORTZ, Hallandale Florida
"My sister let me read an advance copy of your book.
I hope you don't mind. Lonesome Song was
excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the road you took me down.
Thanks for a great six hours."
-- ALEXANDER (ALEX) SIAHPOOSH, psychologist
"If I had to use one word to describe Lonesome Song,
it would have to be fantastic! And I don't even like fiction!
From the first few paragraphs, you know something fishy is
going on. In the beginning, each chapter drives the mystery
deeper. In the middle, all bets are off as to who actually
committed the crime and why. And towards the end, each chapter
reveals additional clues as to who murdered Reilly. I really
liked the cast of characters that Elliott Light has assembled.
There is someone for everyone to identify with. Needless to
say, I am greatly looking forward to the next Shep Harrington
mystery."
-- ERIC GIBSON, Leesburg Virginia
"Elliott Light's first suspenseful novel is rich in
content and even richer in character development. Cali McBride,
a reporter and love interest for Shep Harrington, the Light-created
lawyer/sleuth, best describes the book's essence: 'A story
about a famous recording artist, a town that won't bury him,
and the hint of foul play has Rolling Stone written all over
it. Then throw in an attorney who once was the poster boy
for government fraud, and this story will rock.' Lonesome
Song is an easy but enriching read. I look forward to reading
more from the author and from Shep."
- MARTIN E. SILFEN, Entertainment Attorney (Mays
& Valentine - Virginia Beach), Law Professor (William
and Mary) and author for Law and Business of the Entertainment
Industries.
"For me, Lonesome Song was a good, casual, interesting
read that kept my attention from beginning to end. I was curious
throughout as to 'whodunnit,' and I found myself speculating
until the conclusion on the possible motives of the array
of characters. The end, which I won't spoil, was heart-warming."
-- ROSEMARY MAIONE
"What a delightful book, populated with unique characters,
a compelling mystery, and an intriguing plot that kept me
in suspense right to the end! Having lived in Northern Virginia
(Burke when it was still farmland) and hiked all over hell
and gone in Virginia and West Virginia, I could see the settings
in my head and only imagine that perhaps I'd driven past a
poor farm where your drama played out unseen by me and all
the others speeding by, somewhere on I-66. Thanks for giving
me the opportunity to read this. I look forward to reading
a lot more of these in the years to come."
-- LEWIS PERDUE, Author of the acclaimed mystery-thriller
"Daughter of God" and the Guidebook "Country
Inns of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia"
"Lonesome Song, with its cast of odd characters and
its collection of strange situations, was great! Its small
town setting of Lyle typifies every small Virginia town I
know. And there's a new twist lurking around every corner.
I guess you won't be surprised when I say I'm looking forward
to more Shep!"
-- CHRIS LYNN, FRONT ROYAL, VA
"As soon as you turn the first few pages of Lonesome
Song, you can't help but feel for Shep and become involved
in his character. His hardened sarcastic wisdom and accurate
observations resonate with any of us who are exposed to the
law. The good people of Lyle need a good shaking, and Shep
Harrington does it! He can practice in my firm any time."
-- JON L. ROBERTS, Roberts Abokhair & Mardula.
LLC, Reston Va
"Lonesome Song is a real page-turner. Once I started,
I couldn't put it down and finished it in an afternoon. It
will be a great beach book, or a great read for an airplane,
train, or bus ride. I'm looking forward to seeing what mischief
you have in store for Shep -- and Cali -- in the next edition."
-- DEB JOSEPH, Herndon Va - Manager , Customer
Relationship Management Systems and avid Bibliophile
As someone who reads mystery stories to keep from getting
bored, I found Elliott Light's book a refreshing change. Its
fast-paced story offers more food for thought and literacy
than the average sample of this genre. Light offers philosophical
musings that lend depth to the story, and the characters,
any one of which can be found in your own neighborhood, speak
to the reader, as does the small-town setting. At the same
time, this is a mystery story that moves right along, and
captures the reader's attention. Light, in this his first
book, has shown us that he has considerable insight into and
a solid grasp of the wiles of human nature. I strongly recommend
'Lonesome Song' and am hoping for a sequel."
--ED DAGER, Professor Emeritus (sociology), University
of Maryland
"I just finished reading your book and thoroughly enjoyed
it. I'm an avid fan of hard-boiled detective novels, and your
book has a great style and easy manner that makes me miss
the Shenendoahs. You did a great job of creating your characters,
and keeping the outcome a mystery. There were enough people
who wanted to get rid of Reilly, but you supplied a nice twist
that I didn't see coming."
-- DAVID JAYNES, Airport General Manager, WHSmith
Travel USA - Waterstone Booksellers, Los Angeles CA
"I recently finished reading Lonesome Song, which I
had a hard time putting down. I've read several series of
famous mystery writers, and they all seem to be done in the
same monotone, using standard interviews with predictable
suspects, and always suggesting that lots of people could
have done the deed. Lonesome Song, while a mystery, was very
fresh and twisty. I found myself continuously grinning at
its clever writing. I liked how I was launched into the drama
right away. I loved the description of the characters, especially
those of Amy and Rose. And Shep seemed truly honest and human.
I smiled ear to ear when he took the body and got an autopsy
going! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel."
-- KC CASELLI
"A good, old-fashioned, thoroughly captivating whodunnit,
complete with wrongs of the past made right, dark humor, sins
of the father, etc.. I can't wait until the next episode in
Shep's saga!"
-- PALADIN J. HENDERSON, Special Agent - US Air
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