The darkly humourous tale of Jimmy Wayne and his musical journey is back in the second installment of Guy Hales Comeback Trail series “Blood on the Tracks.”

About the Book

Jimmy Wayne is headed for LA to make the new album that will hopefully make him a star. In a quiet, deserted canyon a few miles outside Blackjack lie the bodies of his victims who inspired each song – all his secrets are buried in that dry and arid ground. Can he leave his past behind or will the ghosts of his past come back to haunt him?

Can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.

My Thoughts

I read the first one a while back, and I’d never sympathized with a serial killer before. I never watched Dexter or anything like that. But, Jimmy Wayne, is just trying his best to make a living in an industry that eats you up and spits you out. Everyone has their own best interests in mind, and poor ol’ Jimmy Wayne has borne the brunt of some bad people.

This second installment actually has a lot less murdering, at least by Jimmy Wayne. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. The book is still wildly violent and not for the faint of heart. But Hale manages to weave a hilarious story with almost every character offering witty one-liners that will have you literally laughing out loud.

My favorite character remains Kid. We learn a lot more about him this time. I’m excited to see the third one and see even more of him. I also enjoy the relationship between Wendy and Jimmy, lovely even beyond the grave. The introduction of the mysterious John R. Deal was quite a twist, and I loved it!

I’m so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour. You can catch my review of the first in the series here. Also, my review for his third book in the series is set for Nov. 27.

Who’s It For?

If you enjoy dark humor, and can appreciate the cut-throat nature of show business, you’ll love this book. It can be read as a standalone, but I never advocate that personally. I always feel lost if I don’t start at the beginning. Plus, characters are my love, and you miss out on a lot if you don’t read the whole story.

Content Warnings: Graphic Violence, Torture, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Murder, and More.

Question of the Day

Have you ever been to Las Vegas?

About the Author

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two-handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.

When no call from Hollywood came, he went back into golf until his mid-thirties. Having met and married the love of his life, Lou, he was encouraged to get a proper job … by the boss. This led to him getting into construction and the design and supply of light gauge steel, really exciting stuff!

Surprisingly, this surf bum, ex-rugby player, ex-golfer, keen motorcyclist and cyclist turned out to be pretty good at business and he and his partner, Matt, built a hugely successful company which they sold in 2018. Instead of doing the sensible thing and retiring he started Gulf Coast Records with Mike Zito and then started songwriting. One night in a bar in LA, Mike told him a story about a dream he’d had. That story turned into the Jimmy Wayne saga and Guy was off and running.

Strange how you can drift into some things. Now the Jimmy Wayne Comeback Trail Trilogy is complete, it’s had great reviews and Mike and Guy have done a soundtrack, with the great Kid Andersen, to go along with the books.

Are you reading this Netflix?

Guy is working on a new trilogy based in 1970s Stratford Upon Avon. It promises lots of Shakespearian references and plenty of darkly humorous serial killing – is there any other kind? Jimmy Wayne will return in a second trilogy in 2024.

---

---