Best Murder of the Year

Rating:
Summary: tongue in cheek (not saying which one) Hollywood mystery
Review: For the seventh year, Hollywood gossip columnist Rick Domino hosts a live pre-show broadcast of the Academy Awards. Rick has mixed feelings about this year's show because his lover actor Shane Kirk is up for a Best Actor award. He is proud that Shane received the nomination, but disappointed that his beloved refuses to come out of the closet and acknowledge that he is gay let alone in a relationship with Rick. Adding to that insult is the fact that Shane is keeping a straight image by escorting best actress nominee Tara Perez to the ceremony.

Though Rick has to share the spotlight with predator Mitzie McGuire, their show goes over relatively smoothly though Rick does less clothing dissing of the attendees than usual as he mopes over Shane. Afterward Rick looks for Shane only to find his beloved near the corpse of Tara. The police arrive as Shane shouts his innocence and Rick is nearer to the corpse and holding the murder weapon that he picked off the ground. Though the police arrest Rick, homicide detective Terry Zane thinks things are too pat. He and Rick investigate the Hollywood scene as only a veteran police officer and a catty gossip columnist could do.

The who-done-it is fun to follow as the obviously gay Rick and his new partner the straight Terry make a humorous team who uncover a lot of Hollywood secrets during their investigation. However what makes THE BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR so enjoyable is not the homicide or the inquiries, but the satirical look at Hollywood at its most pompous and even more subtly strips the invincibility of the mystery genre fictional superstars. The movies that the nominees star in are hilarious and worth the read by themselves. Fans of a tongue in cheek (not saying which one) will want to read the adventures of Rick Domino in the world of make believe.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: tongue in cheek (not saying which one) Hollywood mystery
Review: For the seventh year, Hollywood gossip columnist Rick Domino hosts a live pre-show broadcast of the Academy Awards. Rick has mixed feelings about this year's show because his lover actor Shane Kirk is up for a Best Actor award. He is proud that Shane received the nomination, but disappointed that his beloved refuses to come out of the closet and acknowledge that he is gay let alone in a relationship with Rick. Adding to that insult is the fact that Shane is keeping a straight image by escorting best actress nominee Tara Perez to the ceremony.

Though Rick has to share the spotlight with predator Mitzie McGuire, their show goes over relatively smoothly though Rick does less clothing dissing of the attendees than usual as he mopes over Shane. Afterward Rick looks for Shane only to find his beloved near the corpse of Tara. The police arrive as Shane shouts his innocence and Rick is nearer to the corpse and holding the murder weapon that he picked off the ground. Though the police arrest Rick, homicide detective Terry Zane thinks things are too pat. He and Rick investigate the Hollywood scene as only a veteran police officer and a catty gossip columnist could do.

The who-done-it is fun to follow as the obviously gay Rick and his new partner the straight Terry make a humorous team who uncover a lot of Hollywood secrets during their investigation. However what makes THE BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR so enjoyable is not the homicide or the inquiries, but the satirical look at Hollywood at its most pompous and even more subtly strips the invincibility of the mystery genre fictional superstars. The movies that the nominees star in are hilarious and worth the read by themselves. Fans of a tongue in cheek (not saying which one) will want to read the adventures of Rick Domino in the world of make believe.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Deliciously Campy and Entertaining
Review: Not your usual murder mystery (in fact I do not regularly read in this genre but the book's description captured my attention)! Very clever and thoroughly entertaining. Memorable characters -- Can't wait to see more from this author.

Rating:
Summary: A fun book to read
Review: Rick Domino is a Hollywood gossip reporter. He is very gay, very out, and very funny. While he reports at the Oscars the Best Leading Actress is killed, possibly by the Best Leading Actor. Rick is accused of the crime but uses his time out on bail to track down the real killer. Various Hollywood characters come into play: the new age family man with the drug addict son, the aging Hollywood leading lady, the closeted lesbian actress, the closeted gay action hunk, the sex addict director, etc. Also, a macho cop getting in touch with his real feelings.

I found myself enjoying this book much more than the sometimes forced writing and completely unrealistic storyline would imply. Rick Domino is just too funny and full of life to put down.

Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly delightful romp!
Review: This surprising "inside" Hollywood mystery is a delightful romp through the seedy world of Hollywood. It is delightfully satirical of Hollywood and its ways and waywardness. Though very funny, it is also suspenseful and engaging. Perhaps the most delightful gay comedy/mystery since the wonderful Aldyne series and the Grant Michaels masterpieces.

Pushes close to the edge of heavyhandedness, but does not cross it. A good, fast read! Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Wickedly Funny and Surprise Ending
Review: What a treat! - a main character who is gay, out, proud and scandalously funny, without a homosexual angst ridden bone in his body.
Because the book takes place in Hollywood (generally) and the Academy Awards (specifically) there is a lot of affectionate-yet-cynical humor aimed at the entertainment industry. There are a few actual laugh-right-out-loud commentaries. If Hollywood was REALLY this much fun, there would be much better films coming out of it!
The mystery is complex - admittedly, I never in a million years could have figured it out - but the real joy is the writing style...and the welcome introduction of an outrageous gay character who is not unhappy, unsure, unclear or depressed.
This is one mystery that screams "make a movie out of me!"

Rating:
Summary: Very nice mystery--but ending is a minor let-down
Review: When the beautiful winner of the best actress Oscar is murdered outside the theater, all the evidence points to Rick Domino, gay movie gossip columnist. After all, Tara Perez just stole Rick's boyfriend, his fingerprints are on the gun whose bullets are inside Tara, and he was found standing over the body. The only problem is, Rick knows he didn't do it. Now he has one week to find out who did--and find a way to keep himself alive while he does it. Fortunately, one of the arresting cops decides to take some time off to help Rick look--or is he simply trying to get more evidence for the State? Rick sets off to investigate Hollywood and finds that there were plenty of other people with motive and opportunity to kill Tara. She cheated, lied, and slept her way to the top, and Hollywood doesn't forget. But motive isn't enough when the prosecution has all the physical evidence it needs to convict Rick.

Author Jon P. Bloch writes convincingly of a Hollywood where sexual roles are blurred by secrets and fear of being 'outed' can cause almost any crime. Rick manages to meet the standard stereotypes but in a believable and sympathetic way.

Although Rick's investigations are entertaining and believable, the wrapup to BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR was not. Frequent mystery readers might guess the killer's identity, but Bloch didn't really deliver the clues to give us a sense of satisfaction in figuring it out. The resolution of the sexual tension between the gay Rick and his straight cop-sidekick also seemed a little forced--less clever than the rest of the novel led me to hope for.

Overall, BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR is enjoyable reading--but maybe not the best mystery of the year.