Part mystery, part meditation on the demands of the music industry, Indie Darling by Lauren Nossett is a fresh addition to the private detective genre.
It basks in the feel of an indie contemporary novel. However, the murder mystery elements have the advantage of delving into the middle of Kelly Williams’ established career. The novel champions a confident Nashville private investigator who helps vulnerable women whom the police are quick to overlook.
When victim Sarah Owens approaches Kelly to help with a string of violent threats, she whisks the detective into the glitzy world of celebrity music artists. It is then that the book reveals Sarah is actually Seraph, the captivating lead singer of indie band The Garden Snakes. Suddenly, the pool of suspects expands to include hordes of rabid fans and online trolls as the female artist’s bewitching image draws negative attention from her family and followers. Then, before Kelly can begin investigating the threats, the singer is shot onstage and mysteriously disappears in the aftermath.
The novel follows Kelly as she races to uncover a list of suspects and lock up Sarah’s presumed killer before they come for her next. Through a lens of Kelly’s soothing maternal instincts and confident southern drawl, we are endeared to a woman detective who is bold and brave in her crusade to help even the most controversial of women. Her sincere moral compass is an excellent foil to Sarah’s formidable persona throughout this mystery as Kelly unravels the motives that often paint her victim in an unflattering and antagonistic light.
A devilish Nashville music scene ripe with seedy characters and glitzy Hollywood-type extravagance is the perfect accessory to Kelly’s fabulous aura. The setting is as unique as our hoot of a protagonist and shines through even in the bleakest of moments during this investigation.
Additionally, music in a fictional world is incredibly difficult to incorporate in a way that suggests The Garden Snakes are a phenomenal indie band worthy of this gross fame. Most novels featuring bands would avoid lyrics altogether. However, Nossett makes these lore-filled lyrics the centerpiece of this thriller. They are so intriguing and captivating at times that the need to have a real album produced and released grows stronger with each note. The ache to see The Garden Snakes come to life outside of this novel is palpable because their band as a concept is so fully fleshed out and hypnotizing.
Looks aren’t important, but appearance is everything. Small details can be the difference between love and loathing, friendship and animosity, and in some cases, even life and death.
— Lauren Nossett, Indie Darling
The novel does, unfortunately, rush headfirst into the mystery. It would be ideal to have more time and grace to understand who Sarah is and why she hired Kelly to investigate her stalker. Nonetheless, the risk is intriguing and continues to plant this book firmly in “out of the box” territory with its plot twists.
Many of the events leading up to this mystery are relayed through snippets of conversation with suspects and found video footage. That ultimately paints Sarah in a very one-track-minded pursuit for greatness that clashes with the lyrical genius the story establishes her as.
Additionally, there’s the incorporation of an influencer throughout the book that feels unnecessary. There are a thousand ways Kelly could come across evidence, and an influencer having stolen an old video camera comes across as oddly convenient. The constant cutaway to videos of the band from the stolen camera also disrupts the flow of the mystery, and it would benefit the reader to establish this information in another way. Between the reliance on lyrics and TikTok-style influencer videos, this mystery unveils its clues through multiple forms of media, and that can be tedious at times.
Because of this, the whodunnit does start to lag in the back half of the novel. There are tons of input from new suspects and evidence, but little movement in the mystery of Sarah’s missing body.
That said, the twists and turns of this thriller make for a fast devouring.
Mystery thrillers rarely have “happy endings.” Yet Indie Darling showers the reader with satisfying conclusions and wraps up this mystery. It leaves no stone unturned, making for a rather spectacular ending and a desire to see the spunky Dolly Parton-worshipping Kelly turn this gig into a series. Her self-righteous agenda to help the women no one believes, and the exploration of women under the lens of fame’s scrutiny, make this a layered, poignant tale.
This mystery is a perfect blend of grit and glitter, integrity and corruption. Indie Darling, with its biting brutality and breezy detective shegrin, carves out a unique corner of the detective genre for its outlier persona to thrive.
—
Want more cool content? Follow us on our socials here:
Want to add this book to your TBR pile? You can find more information and purchase a copy of Indie Darling by Lauren Nossett here!
