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Song of the Chimney Sweep Kindle Edition

by Tamatha Cain (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
See all formats and editions

Love is a song played on repeat…
​
A cryptic blog post leads cold case podcasters Melody and Dorian on a twisty journey back in time to uncover the mysterious story of a forgotten missing woman.
 
In 1969 near the Florida/Georgia Line, idealistic young Betty Langdon and fast-rising R&B singer Dominicus Owens begin an irresistible but dangerous interracial romance that ends under mysterious, heartbreaking circumstances. Betty is forced to return to her rural home to care for her manipulative mother, while Dominicus goes on to mega-stardom with his band The Downtown Sound. She follows his skyrocketing career from behind the front desk of a dying highway motel--until one day decades later, she disappears.
 
Now, a popular true crime podcast produced by college friends Melody Hinterson and Dorian Santos takes on the cold case of a missing local woman. The duo’s carefully-balanced workplace dynamic is weirdly off-kilter lately, but they can't take their eyes off the investigation as the intriguing new story suddenly boosts the show into the national spotlight. When the investigation uncovers the missing woman's diaries full of family secrets and the local legend of a fortune hidden in an old chimney somewhere in town, the truth behind the podcast's mystery becomes personal, and Melody must make life-changing choices before the final episode airs.

But who owns the rights to a secret?

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  1. Print length
    361 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Orange Blossom Publishing
  5. Publication date
    August 30, 2022
  6. File size
    2309 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Kirkus Reviews:


In Cain's debut mystery, a pair of podcasters investigate an unsolved crime involving a once-famous singer.
The action of this Florida-set novel is divided between the modern world of podcasts and social media and the world of working musicians in 1969. In 2019, Jacksonville-based Melody Hinterson and her producer, Dorian Santos, are the creators of the Tabs and Blanks Podcast, dedicated to piecing together the facts of cold cases. As the story opens, the case in question is that of Betty Van Disson, who disappeared in Northeast Florida in 2001 without a trace. Her husband, Randell, refused to cooperate with authorities, and she was never seen again. When the team learns of the existence of Betty's diaries, the narrative splits to dramatize the tale of her romance with charismatic R&B musician Dominicus Owen and his band, the Downtown Sound. Cain does a deft job of balancing the past and present threads of her narrative, investing each with its own drama, whether it's the escalating romantic tension between Melody and Dorian in the present or the story of Betty, starting when she was 17-year-old Betty Langdon at a concert on the Florida/Georgia line, back in 1969, and following her life through the ensuing years. Throughout, Cain effectively evokes the atmosphere of rural Florida and Jacksonville ("It has its problems, people hate its name, progress sometimes gets buried in a quagmire murky as any Florida swamp"), as well as the local R&B and rock music scene. This latter is embodied in the tale of the rise of the Downtown Sound and the early days of Dominicus' stardom, and Cain ably and steadily ratchets up the suspense as more revelations come to light. Overall, the novel manages to get across the flavor of Florida's music and the grimness of Betty's life with smooth skill.

A compulsively readable story of a long-buried disappearance.


Southern Literary Review:


If you like music, you'll want to grab a copy of this novel and ride down memory lane with some fine musicians-and you'll learn some fascinating facts about Jacksonville, which Cain expertly develops as a vibrant character in its own right.


Read the full review at https: //southernlitreview.com/reviews/song-of-the-chimney-sweep-by-tamatha-cain.htm


"Attempting to solve a forgotten cold case, Melody finds more answers than she's looking for. SONG OF THE CHIMNEY SWEEP captures a city in time, with a well-researched, atmospheric story of love, sacrifice, family, and loss, told against the backdrop of the sixties music scene in Florida. Tamatha Cain's deftly woven dual-timeline novel poignantly combines mystery, romance, and a search for identity."

-Liza Nash Taylor

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Tamatha Cain writes about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. She believes that before giving up a thriving business to pursue writing full-time, her most compelling lines of prose were probably found in the pages-long love notes she wrote to bewildered boys back in middle school. Her writing has appeared in The Experience Art and Literary Magazine, The Florida Writer, American Cake Decorating, and others. She won the 2020 Royal Palm Literary Award for Unpublished Literary Mystery and The Experience Poetry Competition. She writes reviews for Southern Literary Review and serves as a judge in the RPLA Awards. She is a member of WFWA and FWA. She did eventually hone the love notes enough to impress her high school sweetheart, and now they have three grown kids. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B199K7PW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orange Blossom Publishing (August 30, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2309 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 361 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

About the author

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Tamatha Cain

Tamatha Cain

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Tamatha Cain is a former musician and bandleader. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in English. Her work has appeared in national and international publications. Awards include: 2022 Florida Book Award, 2020 Royal Palm Literary Award, and grand prize in The Experience Poetry Competition. She writes reviews for Southern Literary Review, and is a member of Women's Fiction Writers Association, Women Writing the West, WFWA Historical Fiction Affinity Group, and Florida Writers Association. She is a wife and mother of three and lives in a hundred-year-old bungalow in North Florida, in close proximity to the historic locations found in her novel Song of the Chimney Sweep.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
22 global ratings
Perfection ❤️
5 Stars
Perfection ❤️
Tamatha Cain is my new favorite storyteller. After the first few chapters I couldn't put this book down. I live in Jacksonville, FL and I love how she highlights so many great things about this city. She is able to weave the different timelines in a way that really works. I can't wait to read more from this author. It's a MUST read!!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Danny
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly entertaining!
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
Tamatha Cain does an amazing job of weaving the musical history of the region with a touching love story and a compelling mystery. This rich tapestry kept me on the edge of my seat and I recommend this book to history buffs and true crime podcast lovers alike.
4 people found this helpful
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Sheila Cribb
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
Great storyline. The historical facts woven throughout this story make it a fun read. You question whether the "brick" is fact or fiction and if it's out there!
One person found this helpful
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HTS
4.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely loved the book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
I loved the references to places I'm familiar with in Jacksonville, FL. A great read. It was hard to put the book down.
One person found this helpful
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Marie W. Watts
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
Cain combines the mystery of a missing woman, regrets of paths not taken, and romance into one beautifully written novel.
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B. Lynn Goodwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Cold Case Podcasters Discover More Than They Imagined
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2022
According to Melody the narrator of Song of the Chimney Sweep, “The thing about devoting yourself to investigating a person is that you find yourself coming out the other side feeling as if you know them.” Wise words for any investigative reporter. Who do the secrets of a relationship belong to and how does a journalist acquire the rights to the contents of a private journal? These are just two of the questions that Tamatha Cain explores in Song of the Chimney Sweep.

Melody Hinterson and Dorian Santos are a pair of cold case podcasters with a show getting more downloads than they ever imagined. A blog post suggests they investigate the story of Betty Langdon, a woman who fell in love with an amazing Black musician in 1969, returned home to care for her sick mother, married a chimney sweep, had an unhappy marriage, and disappeared right before 9-11. Her case also disappeared because of crucial breaking news about the loss of the twin towers until Melody and Dorian unearthed it.
Their interviews give us firsthand views into the life of Betty, her husband, and those who remember her. They also make us wonder whether life is random, or events happen in a specific order for a reason. That question is enhanced by the quirky relationship between Melody and Dorian who insist on remaining good friends for the sake of the podcast despite their deepening attraction for one another.
The author shares Betty’s story in alternating points of view, so that we see the story from the interviews on Melody’s podcast as well as Betty’s diary and experiences. This is a cleverly plotted story about falling in love and hiding behind denial. I found myself more and more intrigued as these podcasters delved into Betty’s story while deliberately avoiding their own.
Before her career as a novelist, Cain’s “most compelling writing was probably found in the pages-long love notes she wrote to bewildered boys back in middle school” according to her website. Her writing has appeared in “The Experience Art and Literary Magazine,” “The Florida Writer,” “American Cake Decorating,” and other publications. She won the 2020 Royal Palm Literary Award for Unpublished Literary Mystery and The Experience Poetry Competition. She writes reviews for Southern Literary Review and serves as a judge in the RPLA Awards. She is a member of WFWA and FWA.

She’s a writer worth watching, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
3 people found this helpful
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Josie
5.0 out of 5 stars It is a well written and thoughtful piece.
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2023
I liked the fact that I couldn’t put it down from page one. I couldn’t stop until I had finished reading it.
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Grace R.
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful story
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022
engaging story and relatable characters.
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margieachambers
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection ❤️
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022
Tamatha Cain is my new favorite storyteller. After the first few chapters I couldn't put this book down. I live in Jacksonville, FL and I love how she highlights so many great things about this city. She is able to weave the different timelines in a way that really works. I can't wait to read more from this author. It's a MUST read!!!
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margieachambers
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection ❤️
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022
Tamatha Cain is my new favorite storyteller. After the first few chapters I couldn't put this book down. I live in Jacksonville, FL and I love how she highlights so many great things about this city. She is able to weave the different timelines in a way that really works. I can't wait to read more from this author. It's a MUST read!!!
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One person found this helpful
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