There is much to love in DEAD GIRL WALKING. If there is a downside to this latest offering by Christopher Brookmyre, it’s that it takes a while to ultimately get to it. Though the story and its memorable, spot-on characters will keep one reading through the night, there are occasional passages that seem a bit too close to the literary equivalent of a stiff-legged march.

DEAD GIRL WALKING features the return of investigative journalist/gadfly Jack Parlabane, who starts the book in a familiar role: being interrogated by the police. He is still in a spot of trouble, if you will, with the residual tendrils of his past actions, however noble, clinging to him. Parlabane gives as good as he gets --- better, actually --- and his send-ups are worth the price of admission all by themselves. The problem, though, is that it does not look like he is going to get any journalism work --- freelance, employed, investigative, or otherwise --- at any point in the immediate or distant future.

Parlabane gets a career life raft of sorts thrown to him in the form of Mairi Lafferty, the younger sister of an old but deceased friend. Mairi is working as the manager of Savage Earth Heart, a hot (and growing exponentially hotter) folk rock band that is storming Europe and is on the cusp of taking on the rest of the world as well. There is a problem, though. Heike Gunn, the lead singer and focal point of the band, has gone missing near the close of their European tour, just as Savage Earth Heart is about to embark on what is sure to be an extremely profitable string of high-profile gigs in the United States on the heels of releasing their third album. There is a bit of controversy surrounding the band, which may be the reason behind Heike’s disappearance. But the point is that she is, in the words of the classic rock song, gone gone gone.

"DEAD GIRL WALKING will keep you guessing from beginning to end. What is truly amazing here is how Brookmyre captures the lives and personalities of a band on the rise."

As Parlabane conducts his investigation, he keeps crossing paths (and occasionally swords) with a couple of disreputable-looking characters who may be policemen assigned to shadow him before arresting him, or individuals who are far, far worse. He knows why the police are after him. Why, though, would he be warned off looking for Heike when no one is supposed to know that he is doing so? We slowly learn the reason why as the narrative alternates between Parlabane’s actions in the present and the events leading up to Heike’s disappearance. The latter are relayed primarily in the third person from the point of view of Monica Halcrow, the newly recruited violinist for Savage Earth Heart, whose chemistry with the band --- and one band member in particular --- indirectly unleashes a chain of events that extend far beyond the performing stage.

Monica seems to have disappeared as well, making matters even more interesting for Parlabane. It appears that the band has its uses for things other than music, and someone is using it as a vehicle for more nefarious purposes. Heike has her own secrets, which leave her open and vulnerable as well. Parlabane has to sort things out, even as he dodges the police and some far more dangerous individuals. There are twists and turns along the way, and before all is sorted out, Parlabane will almost get himself in the clear. However, there is a surprise waiting.

DEAD GIRL WALKING will keep you guessing from beginning to end. What is truly amazing here is how Brookmyre captures the lives and personalities of a band on the rise. Anyone considering life as a traveling musician would do well to read this book before passing on college in favor of a G chord; it’s that spot-on.

The problem with the narrative is that Brookmyre tends to go off on rants that have little or nothing to do with the actual story. For one, he seems to have some sort of personal animus towards a particular British newspaper, which he brings up so frequently that by the time one is halfway through the story, one is tempted to phone him up and say, “Okay, we got that part. Can we get back to the story?” It’s a distraction from an already thick and complex plot that isn’t necessary.

What is necessary, however, is that you become acquainted with Parlabane; it appears that he is about to enter a new chapter in his life that will be even more confounding than his last. Jump on now.