Book review: Pop stars and pirates drive Grippando’s ‘Goodbye Girl’
‘Goodbye Girl’ by James Grippando. Harper, 352 pages, $30
James Grippando has built a much-respected reputation for weaving contemporary issues into intense, believable thrillers that accelerate suspense with each chapter. “Goodbye Girl” revolves around piracy — not the kind of pirates who sail the high seas, robbing ships of treasure.
Instead, Grippando builds “Goodbye Girl” on digital pirates — those who illegally download music, films and more, robbing artists and companies of profits. Grippando then delves into the current saga of who owns that entertainment property.
Enter Miami criminal attorney Jack Swyteck, whose 18th outing has him wading into this contentious situation that has global repercussions.
Jack agrees to defend Grammy-winning pop star Imani Nichols, who has become one of the most popular singers. Despite her fame, and, granted, fortune, she is underpaid compared to other superstars. When she was a teenager — and newly married — she signed an ironclad contract with her now ex-husband, music mogul Shaky Nichols. He earns a fortune off each of her songs while she earns much, much less.
Even if it means she might earn nothing, Imani has been telling her fans at the end of her concerts and on social media to “go pirate.” Go ahead, thieves, illegally download her music as it drastically cuts into Shaky’s share. At stake are multi-billion dollars. Her ex-husband doesn’t take this well, suing Imani to stop, repay his lost profits and for defamation for her public denouncements of him.
The case spirals into a war between ex-spouses, an unsolved murder and myriad issues surrounding piracy. An evocative sense of place permeates “Goodbye Girl” as Grippando, who lives in South Florida, takes the plot to several Florida locales, then seamlessly moves the story to London and Russia.
The debate over intellectual property makes terrific fodder for a thriller, having been in the news, especially involving Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun. Grippando, a trial lawyer who was involved in the lawsuit for ownership of EMI Records, brings a sense of realism to “Goodbye Girl.”
Jack continues to grow as a character as Grippando delves into his personal life, with real problems. Jack’s marriage to Andie Henning is strong and they are devoted parents to their 7-year-old daughter. But their life together has challenges, not the least of which is the potential for conflicts between Jack’s job as a criminal defense attorney and Andie’s career as an FBI special agent. They are forced to keep many secrets from each other, especially when their cases overlap.
Grippando’s sturdy grasp on his characters and involving plots continue to excel.
Meet the author
James Grippando will discuss “Goodbye Girl” at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the West Boynton Branch Library, 9451 Jog Road, Boynton Beach, 561-734-5556, as part of the annual Writers LIVE! program. Registration is free but required. Visit pbclibrary.bibliocommons.com/events to register. The in-person “An Evening with James Grippando” will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, 305-442-4408. Visit booksandbooks.com.