The Unstable Boys: A Novel

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Description

In 1968 The Unstable Boys was the name on every music-biz-insider's lips. But despite becoming reaching industry darling status, the group was also mired in its fair share of tragedy and controversy. Their lead guitarist was killed in a road accident whilst several drummers passed through their ranks. When their next album flopped, the group broke up and the band members faded into obscurity.

Over forty years later a leading computer firm runs a series of high-profile ads for their latest software featuring one of the Unstable Boys' songs and against all the odds the band are catapulted to the top of the charts. Their former manager dismisses talk of a reunion, but millionaire crime novelist Michael Martindale, an Unstable Boys fanatic as a teenager, is determined to reunite the band.

The moment Martindale invites the Boy into his house, he falls victim to an attraction that utterly overwhelms him. Unknown to Martindale though the Boy's always precarious fortunes have plummeted to an all-time low. A Russian mob have managed to coerce him into signing away all future publishing and performance royalties from all his previous recordings, including the Unstable Boys. The Boy goes on the run.

The gloves are now off. With the Boy closing in on his seventies, that big score, it is now or never. With Michael Martindale, there'd be no mistakes. He'd fished out his rod, reeled out a line fat with bait and one more time - perhaps the last - he'd land a catch. A game-changing catch...

Reviews

Entertaining * Mail on Sunday *
Enjoyable * The Times *
A wistful black comedy . . . Nick Kent's sardonic first novel is full of in-jokes about the music business, publishing and the media in London -- Mark Sanderson * The Times Crime Club *

Author Bio

Nick Kent is a legendary rock critic and author of the memoir Apathy for the Devil (Faber) and The Dark Stuff (Faber) which the Spectator called 'a mighty tome, containing some of the best music journalism ever written'. He was also an apprentice to Lester Bangs, boyfriend of Chrissie Hynde, confidant of Iggy Pop, trusted scribe for Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and early member of the Sex Pistols. The Unstable Boys is his first novel.