I just finished reading 'Ungrateful Dead' and I get it. I finally understand the drug culture of Haight-Ashbury. They took it for fun, for the same kind of harmless escape that I take while I play D&D. But given my upbringing and an ingrained sincere belief that drugs are the refuge of the weak-minded, I couldn't get past it to enjoy much of the music of the sixties, except for the bubblegum pop/rock. SHE EXPLAINED IT in such a way that my sheltered little self could get it. For some of the bits I didn't get, my husband used to do some work with the DEA so he explained the technical terms to which I had no previous exposure. I admire Patricia most for her elegant prose. Aside from her ability to tell a riveting story, I love her prose. In the Keltiad, her prose comes across like a mediaeval epic, wide in scope and romantic in the extreme. I can't compare this book to the Keltiad and once I got over the spoiled indignation of 'How dare she write something other than what I want?' I decided to buy it. I didn't check it out from the library. Based on her word alone and some teasers in her blog, I bought the book. And read it in a matter of hours. I found her prose just as elegant and the story just as riveting. Patricia lived and became an adult in the 1960s. It shows. If you enjoy rocknroll and mysteries, she puts M. Night Shyamalan to shame in the twist department, check it out.

I have been a long time fan of Ms. Morrison's books. Doing a little happy dance when finding a new one on the shelves at the book store. I was very excited to get my hands on her newest title. And I was not disappointed.

As a murder mystery Ms. Morrison keeps you guessing right till the end. The story is thoughtful and creative.

Strength of character, especially female characters has always been a strong point in Ms. Morrison's books. Rennie Stride doesn't disappoint. She is a brilliantly multi-faceted women with the stones to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

This novel makes me wish I lived in that time. That I knew those people and heard that music when it was first performed. The texture Ms. Morrison gives this novel is wonderful. You want to live in Rennie's apartment. You want be there beside her as she watched the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane play that the Avalon Ballroom.

I can't recommend it enough. It is a read that adsorbs you from start to finish. Once picked up you won't want to put it down.

Wow! Born in the mid-Fifties, I was just too young to fully understand or enjoy the new-found freedoms of the Hip generation. But I do remember the wonderful music and a longing to be part of it all. Well here's a chance to do just that. Ungrateful Dead delivers a blast of Sixties rock culture, from the emerging West Coast music scene to the drug-fuelled sexual revolution. And hey, its a damn fine murder mystery, too.
Patricia Morrison is a class act . . . and so is her reluctant detective Rennie Stride. Murderers, mothers-in-law, randy musos, she deals with them all with a steady nerve and a killer wit. I was left wanting more, more, more, and there are hints aplenty of what may come. Rennie has bags of promise and I for one can't wait to see where she's heading.

I was so excited when I heard that Patricia Morrison was publishing a new book, and I must say, this one did not disappoint! What an original idea -- murder in the hippy-dippy, "all you need is love" era. This book combines a detailed look at the music scene in San Fran in the late 60s with a classic whodunit murder mystery. Just don't expect this murder mystery to be of the James Patterson/CSI type -- Mrs. Morrison relies more on finely woven narration than blood and guts. The insight, descriptions and humor she uses when dealing with her characters and the rock scene are refreshing and entertaining, and I love the mix of historical and fictional people. It kinda makes me feel like an insider.

As a longtime fan, I was delighted to see a new book by Patricia Morrison. I have just one warning, though: don't start the book unless you have some uninterrupted reading time available. You're not going to want to put this one down quickly.

The plotting, as usual for Morrison, is well done, with lots of twists you didn't see coming. The characters are people you care about, so you really want to know what happens to them. I enjoyed spending time with her heroine, Rennie Stride, and Rennie's friends, acquaintances and even enemies -- I look forward to the next chance.

As a journalist, I appreciate Morrison's look at what life is like for a reporter. Her own background in journalism shows -- Rennie's experiences and her feeling about writing ring very true. Every young journalist should be gifted with an editor like Rennie's, who combines tough standards with support for a talented writer.

And every reader should be gifted with writers like Morrison to spend time with. Welcome back, Patricia.

Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore is the first of Patricia Kennealy Morrison's new Rock & Roll Murders series. In it we meet Rennie Stride, journalist by trade and detective by chance who finds herself looking to solve a murder and clear her friend's name -- all in the socio-artistic crucible of the Haight Ashbury music scene. In the fine tradition of amateur sleuths, Rennie's drawn into the murder mystery in part because she's smart and observant, and in part because she has a knack for eliciting confidences from people who would otherwise never be talking.

Rennie is a welcome presence in the genre: she's tough and intelligent, as we would expect, but she shows refreshing vulnerability and depth of character as she grapples with the difficulties facing young women in the 1960s as they balanced personal ambitions with traditional expectations -- and sometimes had to make some very hard choices. Thankfully, this is portrayed with honesty and heart, sans moralizing (in any direction). Throughout the story, the author doesn't shy away from the politics or the issues of the time -- marriage and career, drugs, sex, and oh, yes, rock and roll. The music so loved by Rennie (and by Kennealy Morrison) is a pulsing thread of cohesion, deftly woven throughout the story and bringing everything together.

Patricia Kennealy Morrison has a gift for immersing readers in the universe of her books, whether it's the far-off interstellar kingdom in her rich Keltiad series, or the far-out world of 1960s rock-and-roll. All her trademarks are here: tight plotting, vivid characterization and whip-smart dialog blended brilliantly with rich, detailed descriptive passages that place us firmly in the story without hindering the plot.

Ungrateful Dead is a great read; it's engaging, sharp, funny, and full of atmosphere. Satisfying in itself, it makes an intriguing beginning for what promises to be a highly entertaining series.

...G. Adair

I loved, loved, LOVED this book!

The characters are smart and funny and well thought out; the plot was fun and intriguing with many twists and turns. It was not at all predictable, and I loved that - so many mysteries are (frustratingly so).

A very engaging story, all against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, and chock full of rock history tidbits!

I am SO champing at the bit for the next one!

What a fantastic novel . . . this fascinating tale set in the age of sex, drugs and rock n' roll kept me turning the pages in anticipation of whatever wonderful and intriguing moment would undoubtedly next occur. Well-written characters, along with great description and a highly original storyline make it well worth reading.
This one rates way up high on my "all-time favorites" list. Can't WAIT for the next installment. Rock on Patricia!

Mrs. Morrison returns with a terrific read in the mystery genre...a bit of a departure from her usual realm of Science Fiction/Fantasy. As with her Keltiad series, she writes strong female & male characters which are so layered and muti-faceted the reader just can not wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next to her main protagonist.



Mrs. Morrison uses her background as one of the first ladies of rock n' roll journalism to create Rennie Stride who is, one really cool chick...and smart...and funny...and has a killer wardrobe. The era of the 60's during the first part of the counter-culture revolution feels so realistic and well written that for a bit you forget that you're really sitting at home in Wisconsin in the year 2007. Her writing is so crisp and witty that it is easy to lose yourself in the novel.



The main mystery is very well plotted out (Rex Stout couldn't have done better) and the twist at the end was lovely. If you are fond of murder mysteries & historical fiction, I can not see why you wouldn't enjoy this book.



Compared to the latest by Cornwell & Grafton, this mystery is like a breath of fresh air (please do forgive the overused phrase!) to this mystery-a-holic.



Having Mrs. Morrison's literary voice back in print has been one of the best things to happen to fiction all year. I personally hope she keeps up the Lulu publishing with many more Rennie books and, one can only hope, maybe a few new Keltia novels as well....

If you're a serious fan of science fiction and fantasy, the name Patricia Kennealy Morrison will not be a stranger to you. Her incredibly successful, brilliant series, The Keltiad (The Copper Crown, The Throne of Scone, etc) told the story of the long lost Atlanteans who left Earth and created a Celtic world of magic and intrigue in the stars. If that name still doesn't ring any bells and you're a fan of the rock band, The Doors, then the title of Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison will definitely ring a bell. Ah, yes; that Patricia.

After a self-imposed hiatus from writing, the Lizard Queen has returned in all her glory. Steering away from the fantasy world—for now—Ms.Morrison has created a world that she truly knows best; life in the rock world and all that goes with it. Only this time, we're treated to the genre of murder mysteries with The Rennie Stride Series.

Rennie Stride, is at the beginning of her life in San Francisco in 1966. Her life crashing around her in a failing marriage, she gets her first job in the new field of "rock journalism." She also meets Prax McKenna, an up and coming musician, and the two become fast friends. But the world of peace and love is short-lived as Prax is arrested for two murders—a double homicide in Rennie's own apartment. The police have their suspect and the evidence is fast mounting against Prax. Rennie takes the situation into her own hands, to help clear her friend's name and find the real killer. And it will almost cost her everything, including her life.

Ms.Morrison has recreated the sixties as only an insider would remember; the fast paced music scene, the laid back existence of the beginning of the hippie movement. The scene is set so realistically that I feel as if I were actually there. The flavor of the dialogue, the realism in the actions and the verbiage, and the fashions are all here. Ms.Morrison has set the backdrop in real places that resound throughout the story, becoming another character and dropping the story in place and time.

The characters are superbly realistic and multi-dimensional. Rennie is a soul in transition, complete with warts and insecurities. She's stuck in a dead end marriage that never should have been, with in-laws that would make you want to run screaming into the middle of the night.And yet, she still feels the pain of inadequacy--the perfect woman of the sixties at the beginning of what will be the women's movement. No one is perfect. No one is all bad. Just like real people are supposed to be.

The story is tight, full of action and suspense; the plot is fast paced and full of twists and turns that keep you guessing and then surprised when it goes another way than what you expected. You'll want to read as fast as you can because you just gotta know how it's gonna turn out. . .but you want to take your time and savor every word.

Exposition and back story are hard to write without being boring. Ms. Morrison manages to get you hooked, writing hers with life. It never gets stodgy in the telling, moving along into the present story, seamlessly and with just as much fire as the story itself. It fully prepared me and kept my interest going.

Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore is an excellent comeback vehicle for Morrison's wit and ability. The lady is pure talent and the story is sure to make you clamor for more. The following two titles will be released next year. And I can't wait to read them. If they are half as good as this one, they'll be well worth the read!

I fully recommend Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore as a fast paced, gut wrenching thriller/murder mystery.

I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Patricia Morrison's earlier novels, and/or a good murder mystery. She writes her characters so well; you get a feel for them right from the start, and that draws you into the story itself. They're authentic people, not just flimsy stereotypes of hippies you might expect from a novel set in this era. This may sound strange, but I also appreciated the fact that the characters are up front and matter-of-fact about their drug use and romantic/sexual relationships; these things are treated as just another part of any normal life, which of course they were, but you don't always see that expressed as well as it is here. Everything about the book (characters, settings, etc.) just feels real (for lack of a more eloquent word); it's easy to really see the people and places in your mind's eye. On a final note, it's sometimes too easy to figure out "whodunit" before the last chapter, but this time I was way off base, which made the mystery all the more satisfying.