Where the Truth Lies

Rating:
Summary: Great Characters, Great Plot, Great Book
Review: I was so curious to read Rupert Holmes first novel being a child of the seventies and hearing "The Pina Collada Song" repeatedly, as well as being a big fan of the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." It's a fantastic novel. Set in the entertainment business in the seventies, it's the story of a young journalist writing a tell-all novel about one half of a comedy team ala Martin & Lewis. K.O'Connor is sexy, very funny, and whip smart. She unfolds her story in a first person prose that through much of the book will have you laughing out loud. But at the heart of the novel is a murder mystery the boys might have been involved in which is what O'Connor really is digging for. What unwinds is unpredictable, fun, and completely surprising. I look forward to whatever this man writes next.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Crafted Pieces of Mystery, Comedy and Drama
Review: In Rupert Holmes' debut novel WHERE THE TRUTH LIES K. O'Connor, a 26 year old female journalist who specializes in penetrating celebrity interviews, is working on an as-told-to autobiographical book on the lives of one of the most famous comedy teams of the 40s and 50s Vince Collins & Lanny Morris. Soon O'Connor becomes involved -- maybe a little too involved for her own good -- with both members of the legendary comedy team, one of whom may be a murderer.

Much of the book takes place in the 70s with some flashbacks to the 50s as the comics look back on their careers and lives. In this one book Holmes takes you from LA to New York to Miami. With stops along the way at the Warner Brothers studio back lot, the hidden 'Club 33' at Disneyland, backstage at a Mets game, and so many great restaurants your mouth is likely to be watering throughout much of the ride.

Holmes describes his settings so well it is hard not to imagine yourself right there along with 'K' throughout the whole novel. There are many splendid twists and turns as the story unfolds in a lively narrative and I don't want to ruin it for anyone out there by giving away too much more of the story line. Readers of Holmes' WHERE THE TRUTH LIES will enjoy his clever wordplay, wry observational narrative, sparklingly realistic dialogue, and his remarkable attention to detail throughout the book.

Two or three times in the novel Holmes gets more explicit, sexually, than I expected him to (based on his many other works which I am familiar with). Whenever Holmes does this it is part of the plot of the book, what drives the characters and what moves the story line along and not just thrown in to make the novel sensational (remember much of the story takes place in the world of showbiz during the over-the-top decadent 70s). (I mention the sex only because this book is not appropriate for everyone -- i.e.: I wouldn't give it as a gift to say my Grandmother or a 14 year old relative -- you can use your own judgement in each case as to who the book is right for and who it is wrong for).

After reading Rupert Holmes' debut novel from cover to cover I must say that although Holmes may not have set out to write a comedy... the TRUTH is you will definitely find yourself enjoying many a silent smirk of humorous recognition and quite a few hearty laughs as you journey through the pages of WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. But don't try to fit Rupert Holmes into any ONE genre with this book. For it is pieces of mystery, pieces of comedy and pieces of drama. Just like real life Holmes takes parts of all these things and rolls them into one -- the GREAT news is Holmes is brilliant at writing ALL THREE -- mystery, comedy and drama!

Rating:
Summary: Compelling debut novel
Review: O'Connor is a journalist who has written exposes on Hollywood stars. Her current assignment is to work on a book about a famous comedy team duo the handsome singer Vince Collins and the comedian Lanny Morris. (Think Martin and Lewis) There are secrets in their past that O'Connor must uncover including a murder. The way to the truth lies in her multiple series of interviews she will have with Vince Collins who for one million dollars will tell all. A problem develops, however, when she meets Lanny strictly by coincidence on a trip to New York. He is writing his own autobiography so he is not interested in O'Connor's project. Under an assumed name she develops a relationship with him but is always under the threat that either Vince or Lanny is a murderer. The question is who?
Rupert Holmes has written a delightful first novel. One cannot help but think of Martin and Lewis when reading about this comedy team that broke up many years ago. Richly detailed characterizations and settings make this novel stand out. This is, however, a problem with the book in that details can be so painstakingly described (such as a trip to Disneyland by Vince and O' Connor), that pacing and plot progression suffer as the pages add up. The book, however, is quite compelling and the mystery puzzling enough to keep the pages turning. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Another Terrific Story from Holmes
Review: Rupert Holmes is a storyteller at heart. He's told stories through popular songs (love it or hate it, but "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" is a 3-minute story), television (the lovely "Remember WENN"), stage (the funny and suspenseful "Accomplice," as well as "The Mystery of Edwin Drood") and now tackles the novel.

"Where the Truth Lies" is a satisfying page-turner with terrific period detail and well-drawn characters. The main character, a young woman named O'Connor (she never shares her first name), is smart and competent, and if she's a little devious sometimes, it's well justified by the behavior of everyone around her.

It's hard to say much about the plot without giving away too much. Rupert Holmes is a master of sneaky plot twists, and it would be criminal to leak them to someone who hasn't read the book. ("Accomplice," his Edgar award-winning play, was similarly twisty.)

But in a nutshell, O'Connor is investigating Lanny Morris and Vince Collins, a former comedy duo (think Martin and Lewis) with a shared skeleton in the closet: twenty years earlier, a young woman was found dead in their hotel suite. The crime was never solved, and now O'Connor is writing a book about Collins with the promise that the truth will finally be exposed.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of the entertainment world in the 1970s, a rich environment that Holmes, as a young singer-songwriter, probably experienced for himself in much the same way as his heroine. O'Connor is the outsider, the guest, taken to wondrous places she could never go on her own.

Holmes' writing is funny and well-paced, and completely entertaining. He describes his settings so well, it feels as if we're there (especially the scenes that take place in Disneyland ... and could I be more jealous of O'Connor in those scenes?)

Songs, plays, TV shows, novels ... regardless of the form, I hope we'll see many more stories from Rupert Holmes.