Brutal & Strange: Stories Inspired by the Songs of Elvis Costello

One of our most prolific and creative composers, Elvis Costello has written songs in every conceivable musical genre from New Wave to a chamber opera and just about everything in between. What you may not have noticed is that a surprising number of these songs are crime stories-not mere nods toward unsavory events featuring questionable characters, but complete tales of murder and violence told in verse.

In this new edition of Brutal & Strange, an expanded roster of contemporary masters of c...