Hi! My name is Adam Parrall. If you’re old enough, you might remember the big (and only) hit my band Parallax had back in the Eighties, “Knife to the Heart.” My wife, Shawna, handled the electrifying lead vocal. Now we’re (gasp) “retired” and living an easier life in Cordoba, a town on the mid-California coast. Our life isn’t as hectic as our days on the road, but we keep busy. Shawna sells real estate part-time, and I keep my hand in music by running a vinyl record shop (B-Sides at the Seaside) and hosting a twice-a-week radio show.
We love our small-town life, but it isn’t all Mimosas and lounging on the beach. To our surprise, Cordoba has its share of crime, including the occasional murder. My nephew Matt (son of my sister Eve) is a new deputy on the town’s small police force, working with my friend Chief Teri Cortez. When murder strikes, I’m reminded of the times I listened to the stories told to me by my father, who was a policeman back in Baltimore. It’s a nice challenge to use tips he shared to help the police solve a crime. That is often complicated, however, by Jess Tillerson, the over-anxious reporter (and editor) of the Coastal Clarion, the local newspaper.
Oops–I just realized. Shawna and I need to leave for a performance at a local club. The featured act is Barry Haddon, a semi-talented singer who impersonates both (yes, both) members of the classic singing duo The Righteous Brothers. It should be an easy, early night. I’m not expecting anything to happen. Certainly not…murder.
YOU’VE LOST THAT LIVIN’ FEELIN’
Series Name: An Adam Parrall Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: January 2026
Format: Print, Digital
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Introducing Adam Parrall—retired drummer, vinyl record store owner . . . and amateur sleuth!
Adam Parrall’s wild days as a drummer in a rock band are far behind him. Now semi-retired and running a record store in the sleepy town of Cordoba on the mid-California coast, life is considerably calmer, with pleasant surprises such as winning a lifetime achievement award (which Adam learns, depressingly, is intended for deceased artists).
There’s plenty of life left in Adam yet, though sadly the same can’t be said of Righteous Brother tribute artist Barry Haddon, whose dead body is discovered by Adam outside a nightclub. Suddenly Adam discovers an exciting new hobby—sleuthing! Is a knife-wielding robber terrorizing the locals responsible for Barry’s murder? As panic and confusion sweep through the town, Adam can’t rule anything—or anyone—out. Unfortunately, his meddling may mean that he’ll qualify for that lifetime achievement award sooner than he thought!
The first in an irresistibly charming cozy mystery series featuring a retired drummer seeking to recapture the excitement of his rock band heyday by solving crime. A page-turning must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman and J.M. Hall!
About the author
Nicholas George is the author of the Walk Through England mystery series, featuring retired police detective Rick Chasen. The first book in the series, A DEADLY WALK IN DEVON, was termed “a winning debut” by Publishers Weekly, and “a satisfying mystery with a well-drawn protagonist” by the Washington Post. The second book in the series, A LETHAL WALK IN LAKELAND, will be published in paperback in January 2026. His news series, featuring retired rockstar Adam Parrall, launches in January also. When not writing, Nicholas enjoys both walking and listening to classic rock in Pasadena, California, where he lives with his husband Bert.