The Singing Dead — Ron Ellis

Liverpool private investigator, Johnny Ace, buys an old cassette player at an auction and realised he has stumbled on a potential goldmine when he finds inside it a tape featuring previously unheard songs performed by a young John Lennon. But the previous owner has had his house violently ransnacked and Johnny soon discovers there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the songs and it is only a matter of time before they track him down.
Meanwhile, Johnny has two other cases in hand. Mrs. Skidmore is convinced her husband's fatal car accident was murder whilst Owen Jenna needs to convince the police that he hasn't killed his missing wife.
As if that wasn't enough, Johnny has been fired from his job as a local radio presenter after playing an 'unsuitable' record by American country singer, David Allan Coe.