Synopsis

Detective Marc Allen is ready to leave the Raleigh, North Carolina, Police Department. Two murders that happened on his watch have apparently been solved thanks to a suicide note confession written by a distraught father. But Allen isn’t buying it. He’s convinced that the man’s adopted daughter, Teri Hickox, is the one responsible for the heinous crimes. With his personal life a muddle and his professional career unsettled he decides the best thing for him is a change of scenery.

The detective, now in Colorado Springs, is working new cases and making new friends. One of those friends is Hannah Hunt who, after suffering a freak accident, finds herself only able to speak in song titles. Another is a mysterious drifter who lives out of an old Dodge van and goes by “the champ”. But as Allen builds a new future, events unfold showing him that he can’t escape his past.

Song Girl is…

Part sequel to The Flower Girl Murder

Part stand-alone mystery

All entertaining

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Praise

Praise for Song Girl

”A well-written mystery”-The Hollywood Digest

“Highly enjoyable! Engaging from start to finish.”-The Entrepreneur Magazine

Praise for Flower Girl Murder

“I had to dig my teeth in the first pages but once I did, I was on a twisty turning ride. This one turned out to be worth the ride.  A fast-paced story with great characters. The plot had some twists making it entertaining.  As the bodies begin piling up it’s a race to solve the mystery.  I enjoyed reading ‘The Flower Girl Murder’. and look forward to reading more from this author. “-My Reading Journeys

The Flower Girl Murder is an exciting police procedural/crime mystery story that has realistic characters; witty dialogue and interactions; rich descriptions of the setting that transports the reader to Raleigh, NC, Reno, NV, and Aspen, CO; a fascinating behind the scenes intertwining of police procedural and investigative techniques and the news station on-air news stories and CTA (call to action) segments; and a multi-layered storyline that draws the reader into the interconnection between the main characters as the pieces of the murder investigations puzzle comes together and is solved. The Flower Girl Murder is the kind of mystery that easily keeps the reader captivated, guessing, on their toes, and wanting more!”-Kathleen, Jersey Girl Book Reviews

“This is a great story and one that after I got into it I couldn’t put it down. I like how the deaths were linked. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing along the way. This is one mystery I would recommend checking out”- JBronder Book Reviews

“There was a lot of action, intrigue, and suspense to keep me entertained. The who done it kept echoing in my mind…guessing happened a lot. Keith Hirshland is a talented writer. He made it impossible to stop reading his book. The detective is a determined fellow who gives his all into solving his investigations. I really liked this character. Overall, this was a great read. I recommend it to all.”-Urban Book Reviews

Excerpt

Reg Byrd couldn’t get out of North Carolina fast enough. He was sure he was in love with Daisy Phillips until she told him she was going to have his baby. The thought of being a husband was daunting enough but a father too? No way, Byrd told himself over and over again as he rode his motorcycle all the way back to Colorado. He was headed there because he figured he had no place else to go. He arrived back in Pueblo early one evening. He stopped at a Texaco station and filled the bike up with gas then wandered over to the pay phone and called the only number he had for his brother Stan.

He listened to the phone ring and ring and finally hung up. He got back on his wheels and headed straight for the familiar surroundings of the Silent Commandos’ bar. It looked the same, smelled the same, and housed many of the same characters. Byrd smiled when he saw a person who looked to be Lamaj at the bar. He was older, his hair grayer, but Byrd had little doubt it was him.

“Lamaj?” Reg said as he approached. The man swiveled in his chair and greeted Byrd with a smile. One of his two front teeth was missing.

“Well lookie what the cat dragged in,” he said, getting up and giving Byrd a hug. “Come sit. You can buy me a drink.”

“I can and I will,” Byrd answered slapping Lamaj on the back. They both sat. Reg ordered a shot of Wild Turkey and a bottle of beer. Lamaj held up two fingers indicating he’d have the same. The drinks came and Reg raised his shot glass.

“To the good old days,” he tossed the whiskey back.

“Brother, I’ll drink to that,” Lamaj answered and drained his glass. Reg looked around the room.

“Everything okay, buddy?” He asked.

“Everything is a big word, my man,” was his reply.

“Where is everybody?”

“Mostly gone,” Lamaj replied, “joined other riders, drifted off, made new friends.”

“The Wizard?” Reg wondered. He noticed Lamaj shake his head slowly. “Gone?” Reg asked.

“For good,” his friend answered and took a sip of beer.

“When? How?”

“While ago now. Got in a fight and forgot to watch his back. Somebody blindsided him with a business end of a Louisville Slugger.”

“Jesus,” Reg said.

“Wasn’t around that night,” Lamaj said before drinking another sip of beer. “Or maybe he was,” he added.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Wiz was sick, man. Cancer. Probably didn’t have much longer to live anyway.”

“My God,” Reg gasped.

“There you go again,” Lamaj scolded, “God weren’t there either. Wiz didn’t tell nobody but CT said they found his body riddled with the cancer when they cut him open.”

“I bet the boss was sick about it,” Reg lamented.

“Not as sick as The Wizard,” Lamaj said as he crossed himself, “God rest his soul.”

“Amen to that.” Reg raised his bottle. “Where is CT?” he asked.

“He’s around but not around here much anymore. He’s a grandpa now. Daughter had a baby girl and brought it with her to Pueblo to live.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Wish I was,” Lamaj drank, “I miss the way it was.”

“Me too, my friend. Me too.” They both polished off their beers.

“You in trouble?

“Seems I’m always finding myself in some kind of trouble,” Reg answered honestly.

“I’m supposed to talk to him later tonight,” Lamaj said. Reg knew he meant Mascaro. “There’s still a little bit of business needing to get done around here. I’ll tell him you’re back in town.”

“Please do,” Reg said, “I got a room at the Round ‘em Up Motel. Number 116.”

“Know it well,” Lamaj said with a smile. “Know it well.”

The next morning a knock on the door woke Reg from a fitful sleep. He rolled out of the bed and took a peek out the window from behind the curtains. CT Mascaro stood at the door, hands in the pockets of his faded blue jeans.

“Open up, Tweety,” he called. “I know you’re in there, Lamaj told me. Plus, I see that old piece of crap motorcycle in the parking lot.” Reg obliged and Mascaro walked into the motel room. “What are you doing back here, Reg?” Mascaro asked before Byrd could close the door.

“Didn’t know where else to go.”

“How about your home, with the girl you told me was crazy about you?”

“Things changed,” was all Reg said in response.

“As they often do,” Mascaro said, “but if I remember correctly you weren’t ever very good with change, were you?”

“Guess not,” Reg admitted.

“So, what now?” his old boss asked.

“No idea. I guess I was hoping things could just pick up where they left off.” Mascaro just stared at him for a good ten seconds.

“You’re kidding, right?” he finally said.

“I wasn’t,” Reg said sadly.

“That train left the station a while ago, son,” Mascaro said with his gaze still on Reg. “There is no more ‘where they left off.’ There’s only where we are now. And where we are now is nowhere near where we left off.” They both stood in silence until Mascaro broke it. “Look, here’s 500 bucks and another new ID,” he said pulling out a roll of bills and a plastic card from his pocket. He also dangled a set of keys. “And these are the keys to the old Commandos van. Take it all and get going.”

“CT, you already done so much for me,” Reg started to protest, “I couldn’t take any more from you or the Commandos.”

“You can and you will.” It sounded like an order to Reg. “But this is it, Tweety. Nothing personal but I don’t want to see your mug again.”

“Understood,” Reg said. “Thank you.”

“Where is the key to the bike?” he asked and Byrd walked over to the bedside and grabbed it. He turned and tossed the key to the biker boss. In turn CT dropped the cash, the card and the van keys on the bed. “Godspeed, Reg.”

“Thanks boss. Oh,” he remembered The Wizard. “So sorry to hear about the Wizard,” he said to Mascaro.

“Me too son, me too. That sucked.” Mascaro turned and headed for the door. Before he got there, he turned back to Reg. “Harry,” he said.

“Beg your pardon?” Reg said back.

“Harry. The Wizard’s real name was Harry.” Mascaro was out the door before Reg could tell him he knew. Seconds later Reg heard what used to be his motorcycle start up and peel away. He went back to the window. Parked in the spot next to where his bike was sat an old Dodge van. It was orange with a white stripe running along its middle. He closed the curtain and turned back to the items on the bed. He picked up the ID. It was a Colorado driver’s license made out to someone named Larry Holm. The picture didn’t look anything like Reg. That made him laugh.

Guest Review by Nora S.

Clever, steadfast, and thorough—the three attributes that make up the backbone of any good fictional detective. Of course, not every detective (not even the fictional ones) win 100% of the time.

Enter Kieth Hirshland’s fictional policeman, Marc Allen and the case that changed everything. Marc is a detective working for the Raleigh, North Carolina police when he receives information that one of his cases, a double homicide, has just been solved.

A man named Hank Hickox has admitted to committing the murders right before killing himself with a gunshot to the head. Most detectives would be happy to see the case solved, but Marc is underwhelmed. He feels that the confession was staged and that it was actually Hank’s daughter, Teri who committed the crime.

Unable to get his superiors to look into it any further, Marc decides to look for a change of pace and moves out to Colorado Springs to begin working for the police department there. Almost immediately, Marc is inundated with cases ranging from a double kidnapping of two teenagers, to the murder of a local homeless man, but it is the strange accident of a friend of a friend that takes his notice most of all.

The girl suffered brain damage in the accident and can now only speak in song titles. A quirky case for sure, and one that Marc comes to believe may not have been an accident at all and may bear a connection to the case that made him leave Raleigh behind.

‘Song Girl: A Mystery in Two Verses,’ has the heart of a mystery with the storytelling of a high-level thriller. Every chapter reveals something new about these characters that help drive the story forward and leave the reader on the edge of their seat. This novel is not to be missed for sure!

About the Author

Keith Hirshland is an Emmy Award–winning sports television producer with more than three decades of experience producing live and pre-recorded programs that aired on ESPN and ESPN2. Among the first forty people to be hired by the Golf Channel in 1994, Hirshland was in the middle of the action when that network debuted in 1995. He provided his talents for Golf Channel, as its live tournament producer, for two decades.

Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat is a memoir about his experiences in the television industry. Published by Beacon Publishing Group, Cover Me Boys was recognized as the Book Talk Radio Club Memoir of the Year. Hirshland’s second book, and first work of fiction, Big Flies, was published in 2016 and is the recipient of the New Apple Awards “Solo Medalist” in the True Crime Category. Hirshland followed that success with his third book, The Flower Girl Murder. In 2020 Beacon Publishing Group released Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis, Hirshland’s third mystery novel. It was a Top Shelf Magazine First Place award winner and was named the Book Talk Radio Club Book of the Year for 2020.

Song Girl Hirshland’s fifth book is the sequel to The Flower Girl Murder and was released in January 2022. 

Keith Hirshland lives in Colorado with his wife and their Pyredoodle Mac.

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