Advance Praise for Sweet Man Is Gone
"In Sweet Man Is Gone, Peggy Ehrhart gives us Maxx Maxwell, blues band lead singer who doesn't return phone calls from her mother, owns more exotic outfits than Barbarella and has a fatal weakness for guitar players. In an evocative, stripped-down writing style, Ehrhart drops us smack dab in the middle of the New York indie music scene and Maxx's struggle to solve the mystery surrounding the death of a bandmate, never sparing the grit, humor and hand-to-mouth nature of this intriguing world she clearly knows firsthand. A satisfying debut that reads as much like memoir as a work of fiction-so effective is Ehrhart's voice and narrative skill."
Mark Coggins, Shamus and Barry award-nominated author of Runoff
"Peggy Ehrhart has musicians -- and the contemporary blues scene -- down cold, and in Maxx Maxwell she's created a singer/sleuth who can call her own tune."
Clea Simon, Author of the Theda Krakow Mystery Series
"Turn up the amps for this fun and intriguing mystery set amidst the world of blues musicians struggling to make it in the Big Apple. Sweet Man Is Gone is the perfect cure for anyone's case of the blues!"
Cynthia Baxter, Author of the Reigning Cats and Dogs Mystery Series
"Peggy Ehrhart has created a memorable sleuth in rag-tag blues singer Maxx Maxwell, and New York City's scenes and rhythms are the perfect accompaniment to a percolating drama that melds music with mystery. Ehrhart succeeds with a tightly knit plot and a cast of characters a person can care about. My heart folded completely around one of Ehrhart's secondary characters, the crusty soon-to-be-retired cop Walter Stallings, who, in concert with the twists of plot, surprises in the end. Do yourself an extreme favor-settle into a comfy chair, play some mellow music, blues maybe-and delight in this debut novel, Sweet Man Is Gone. You won't be disappointed."
Gammy L. Singer, Author of the Landlord's Tale Mystery Series
"Peggy Ehrhart's understated but vivid look inside the New York blues scene reveals the tough, gritty world of fifty dollar gigs, chaotic rehearsals and murder that accompanies the music. Maxx Maxwell, smart, sexy and resourceful, pursues her music and the killer with the same determination."
Bill Moody, Author of Shades of Blue (Evan Horne Mystery Series)
"Maxx Maxwell is a spunky heroine well worth knowing, as is the world of music in which she lives. Ehrhart's novel is always sharp, never flat, until the last note is played!"
Robin Hathaway, Sleight of Hand (Jo Banks Mystery Series)
"Quirky and compelling, Ehrhart's debut digs deep into the seedy side of the blues. Maxx Maxwell is an intriguing heroine, and Ehrhart is definitely a writer to watch."
Meredith Cole, Posed for Murder, Winner Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery Contest
"Maxx has gutzz, confronting murderers and keeping her blues band together.
A sweet mystery accompanied by sweet echoes of the blues."
Chris Roerden, Agatha Award-winning author of Don't Sabotage Your Submission and Don't Murder Your Mystery