This April, Titan Books are due to publish UNDERSCORE, the highly-anticipated eighth Vinyl Detective novel by Andrew Cartmel! Here’s the synopsis…

Some of the greatest (and grooviest) music ever committed to vinyl has come out of Italy.

And some of the greatest music to come out of Italy can be found on the soundtracks composed for its lurid, gruesome and some might say nonsensical thrillers known as gialli. The maestros who composed for these include Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armand Trovajoli…

… And Loretto Loconsole.

No one disputes that Loconsole was a genius, but was he also a murderer?

The composer’s mistress was killed in 1969 while the pair were on location in Cool Britannia for the shoot of lurid giallo Murder in London – also known as Bikini of Blood and sometimes even The Black Dog Murders (don’t ask). There wasn’t enough evidence to lead to a prosecution, but the stink of scandal never went away. Loconsole’s career never recovered, the mastertapes of his work were destroyed and he died with a dark stain on his legacy.

Now, his granddaughter Chloe has come to England to hire the Vinyl Detective. Not only does she want him to find immaculate vinyl copies of all her grandpa’s soundtracks for a series of reissues she’s putting together to resurrect his musical reputation, but she wants him to clear his name too.

Can the Vinyl Detective and the usual gang – Nevada, Tinkler and Agatha – find out the truth of what happened in Swinging London more than half a century ago? Or might there be someone out there who’d prefer the events of the past to be left well alone, and is prepared to kill to keep their secrets safely in the Sixties?

Titan Books also publishes the first seven novels in the series, in the UK and North America: WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX, THE RUN-OUT GROOVE, VICTORY DISC, FLIP BACK, LOW ACTION, ATTACK AND DECAY, and NOISE FLOOR.

Here are just a few of the great reviews the series has received so far…

‘This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend.’ — Kirkus on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘… fast-paced, lighthearted adventure… marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating…’ — Publishers Weekly on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘Author Cartmel has combined the tropes of the several genres into a surprising, refreshing story centered around old-fashioned records… the story delivers multiple chuckles per chapter… Based on this volume, the series will be a hit.’ — New York Journal of Books on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘… entertaining second record-spinning mystery… Cartmel treats music and records seriously, plays his strange characters for laughs, and provides a bit of danger and some unexpected twists in this affectionate nod to the vagaries of rock stardom.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE RUN-OUT GROOVE

‘THE RUN-OUT GROOVE does a fantastic job of making its fictional history of music so fascinating and authentic that you’ll forget it isn’t all true… This a follow-up every bit the equal of its highly memorable predecessor, presenting a mystery you’ll be eager to solve and characters whose company you won’t want to leave. Written with infectious charm, the Vinyl Detective has more than proven he’s no one-hit-wonder.’ (9/10) — Alternative Magazine Online on THE RUN-OUT GROOVE

‘Cartmel at his best… an exciting and atmospheric mystery and a good addition to the Vinyl Detective’s casebook.’ — Blue Book Balloon on VICTORY DISC

‘This book was such a blast! It was a great addition to this hilarious series and I’m so impressed at how entertaining these books are.’ — Divine World of Books on VICTORY DISC

‘… an interesting and intriguing history for the series’ latest MacGuffin… the writing is sharp, funny and engaging throughout, and the main characters have never been more likeable… it’s wonderful; it’s a book filled with warmth and good humour – despite a touch of murder – that often feels like reacquainting yourself with old friends… The latest Vinyl Detective novel continues the series’ fine tradition of telling fictional stories that seem entirely plausible. There hasn’t been a dud note in the Vinyl Detective’s oeuvre to date and FLIP BACK is no exception; in fact, it might just be his greatest whodunnit yet.’ 9/10 — Alternative Magazine Online on FLIP BACK