Joy begins this tale, July 18, 2003, with Dancer Stonemason, standing is his dead sons Clayton's driveway, whistling for Clayton's dog, Russell.

Dancer is known for pitching a perfect game. He had two sons Clayton and Jim. Jim is the largest GM dealer in Southern Missouri. Interestingly, Jim's wife Paula once had a close relationship with Clayton.

Ted Landis, a wealthy developer, now owns the home where Dancer had been staying. Dancer is walking downstream to visit two women, Phoebe and Lucy. They live in the ramshackle cottage and are refusing to sell their property to Landis.

At the cottage, Dancer meets Wayne Mesirow who recently returned from a National Guard tour in Iraq. Wayne will help Dancer deliver JukeBoxes to Landis. Oddly enough, we learn Wayne's wife is having an affair with Landis, while Wayne is trying to come to terms with the suicide of his buddy, Sonny.

I was captivated by the eerily quiet prologue. There are many tragic connections in this skillfully written storyline and the observable similarities between Dancer and Wayne evoke multiple senses.

In one day, we learn it is the hottest summer in years. The people in Maple Springs Missouri have secret relationships and are grieving a loss in one way or another.

We see flashbacks and life-changing incidents that afford us the opportunity to recognize we all are created to interact and support one another. And, like an impending tornado, we often leave a cloud of debris behind and are in need of rescue. Yes. Everyone dies famous.

I received a copy of this book through the generosity of Anna Sacca, Senior Publicity Manager with FSB Associates. ( )

I loved Len Joy's other three books, and I enjoyed EVERYONE DIES FAMOUS too, since many of the characters from his first novel, AMERICAN PAST TIME, are in here, because yes, it's a sequel, set 40-50 years later, in 2003, once again in the small town of Maple Springs, Missouri. Dancer Stonemason is into his seventies now, a widower and grandfather, filled with regrets, trying to make sense of his life. His son Jim is here, and Jim's adult daughter, Kayla, about to be married. And Trudy Bennett, onetime lover of Dancer's older son, Clayton, is now the local mail-carrier and EMT. And a couple new characters, Wayne,an Iraq war vet, and Anita, his estranged wife. It's an intriguing stew of characters, no question. But, because it is a sequel, and because the whole story takes place in just a couple of days' time, an inordinate effort is required in tracing the connections and relationships of the past fifty years, making the novel a bit top-heavy in backstory, slowing the forward momentum of the narrative to a near-glacial pace. This changes in the final few chapters when a looming tornado strikes and all hell breaks loose. It was indeed a gripping, compelling finale, although I must confess I was left a bit confused about Dancer's fate. That said, still a good read, with a complex, well-defined cast. Highly recommended, especially if you're already a Len Joy fan.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER ( )

I found a charm about this book. Dancer and Wayne are good. They each were "broken" but they helped each other. In regards to relatability; they were relatable. This book is one of those character driven stories.

Which you have to be right on the money with the characters in order to fully appreciate the overall tone of the story. In the case of this book, I was feeling Wayne and Dancer. However, what didn't really work for me and took away some was the pacing of the story.

I felt that the story did move at a very slow pace. There were times when I would kind of skim the paged to speed up the story. Overall, as far as this book is concerned, I may not have "loved" it but there were enough good things that I did like about it; that does make me want to read another book by this author. ( )