Murder by Design

Rating:
Summary: Funny and charming--Terry tries to get Rick on track
Review: Gay gossip columnist Rick Domino feels the need for a new design for his living room--but his budget is a bit short. When his boss comes up with the idea of Rick's living room being a venue for the popular do-it-yourself cable show, My House, Your House, Rick agrees--assuming he can specify the designers, his partner, and the other home to be designed. Instead, he gets a bit of a nightmare--a designer whose central idea is crochet. But at least 'Aunt Fern' doesn't believe in pulling up the hardwoods or turning a home into a prison and that's what the other designer, beautiful Helena Godiva has in mind for Rick's friend, recently out-of-the-closet police detective Terry Zane.

When Helena Godiva is found murdered and Terry's cousin, Ann-Margaret, is the chief suspect. Rick and Terry decide they need to clear Ann-Margaret's name and, with luck, get Rick some great insider gossip and Terry a conviction credit with the LAPD. Pretty clearly, the killer has something to do with the show. Even more clearly, the two men discover as they investigate, just about everyone has good reason to have killed Helena. She had slept with the women's fiances, threatened to out the gay men, exposed embarassing secrets, and generally been a hateful witch. Even Ann-Margaret has a motive despite Rick and Terry's moral certainty that she is innocent. But with such a wealth of suspects, how can they track down the actual killer?

Author Jon P. Bloch develops charming characters in the cynical Rick and the straight-arrow Terry. Rick (first person protagonist) can be critical of everyone (except himself), which can be offputting until you realize that this simply reflects his personality. Terry proves an effective foil, reminding Rick that there is more to life than empty perfection--and why not have a television in the living room anyway. Bloch's examination of the gay lifestyle in Los Angeles rings true--although the complete lack of worthwhile straight guys is a bit disconcerting.

MURDER BY DESIGN pokes fun at the nations fascination with design makeover shows and provides a charming mystery as well. Nicely done.

Rating:
Summary: Wickedly Funny Send-Up of Popular Cable Decorating Show
Review: I loved Bloch's "Best Murder of the Year"- and what he does for a switching-homes-make-over show is every bit as funny and on target as his take on the Hollywood Oscars. Though the book isn't specifically about "Trading Spaces," it's impossible not to make comparisons between the 'real' show and Bloch's hysterical version of it...and it's impossible not to see Bloch's affection and skepticism of the cable decorating show's concept.

The mystery is more defined than the first Rick Domino book - and it's fun trying to catch the clues between the laughs - which are plentiful. Several times I actually put the book down and laughed out loud.

For a light-hearted, easy read, I recommend it wholeheartedly. It works as both mystery and comic satire.

You'll never want to go on a tv decorating show again!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious send-up of Trading Spaces with terrific writing!
Review: I read this book in three long sits because I couldn't put it down. As a murder mystery it has great substance and plot -- very difficult to figure out the murderer - which kept me fascinated. But the best thing about Murder By Design is Jon Bloch's terrific writing. Every sentence is sparkly with wit. The jokes are insightful and hilarious all at the same time - and Bloch's unexpected turns of phrases, and his overall originality, are SO MUCH FUN. He writes in a visual word-picture style that will have you running the book as a movie in your head. Wonderful!

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Suspenseful
Review: MURDER BY DESIGN
By Jon P. Bloch
Reviewed by Jak Klinikowski

MURDER BY DESIGN is the second installment in the Rick Domino Mystery series. This time around, Hollywood TV gossip reporter, (think, Steve Kametko) Rick, has been asked to be a participant on the wildly popular program, My House, Your House, a sort of Trading Spaces knock-off. On the program two couples exchange addresses and with the help of a member of the show's design team, redesign a room in the other's home. Of course being on this show is not Rick's idea but rather that of his ratings obsessed boss, Max Headroom. Rick is financially strapped at the moment, and, as he would really like to change his living room, reluctantly agrees to the project. Rick is currently single, leaving him without a partner for the show, so he is forced by Max to team with his TV co-host Mitzy McQuire, whom he can not stand. It's bad enough that he has to work with her every week, but now this? The other couple, chosen by Rick, is recently out cop, Terry Zane, (Rick's crime solving partner in the first book of the series, BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR) and his ex-wife, Darla Sue. During the course of the "house swap" the designer working with Rick and Mitzy, Helena, is murdered and the show's carpenter, Ann Margaret Wochinsky, is accused of the crime. Ann Margaret just happens to be Terry's cousin. You got all that? Believe me, there's more, and it gets sillier and sillier.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, it was pleasantly over-the-top, had a nice catty take on the Hollywood scene, and was a great little diversion as far as murder mysteries go. The relationship between Rick and Terry showed promise, and I looked forward to the next installment. Unfortunately, this second book has lost the sophisticated edge of the first novel. The characters here are totally unbelievable, and the plot twists are just plain ridiculous. Where the first book was amusing, this one is absurd and completely contrived. I couldn't put the first book down, and I had to force myself to pick this book up and finish it. The relationship between Rick and Terry (the best part of both books) still crackles with sexual tension but it doesn't move much beyond what was established the first go round, a big disappointment for me. I sincerely hope the next book spends a little more time advancing their special bond.

If you read BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR, and enjoyed it, than certainly, give MURDER BY DESIGN a try. Despite its shortcomings, the writing still maintains that tongue-in-cheek quality that made the first book so much fun. However, if you are expecting the same level of entertainment achieved the first time, I'm afraid you too will be extraordinarily let down. Perhaps it can be blamed on the subject matter, or maybe the complete lack of sympathetic supporting characters, but this novel simply does not live up to its predecessor. One can only hope the next installment will be much improved.

Rating:
Summary: No one to root for!
Review: This was an occasionally funny book. Sadly, there was no one in the book I particularly liked, including the lead character, Rick Domino, himself. He was snobbish and intolerant, if periodically amusing. His sidekick, the cop, was so dense as to strain credulity. None of the suspects were pleasant; I wanted them all to be guilty. A weird book.

Rating:
Summary: This is one funny book!
Review: This will be my shortest review:

This book makes you laugh right out loud!!!

Rating:
Summary: Amusing who-done-it
Review: Though he knows better than to trust a TV show team, television entertainment reporter Rick Domino reluctantly agrees to participate in the My House, Your House redecoration of his home on the air. Rick's partner for the contest is his odious backstabbing co-hostess Mitzi McGuire. Their opponents are his gay protégé cop Terry Zane and his trailer trash ex-wife Darla Sue.

Besides the headache caused by the TV crew and the hemorrhoids caused by his so-called partner, Rick soon finds something else to concern him aside from being a survivor. Someone killed one of his rejected design consultants, Helena Godiva with the suspect being Terry's cousin hippie like carpenter Ann-Margret Wochinsky. Teaming with Terry, they investigate the homicide because both believe his relative may be crazy, but is innocent of wrongdoing

The wild purposely stereotyped staff is satirically impaled in this amusing who-done-it. The story line is loaded with puns, double and triple entendres, and bon mots as the casts' interactions take center stage. That also reduces the impact of the murder investigation to a second class design yet fans of Monty Python with no taut plot restrictions will laugh loudly at Jon Bloch's slice and dice of a variety of icons like reality shows and the overstuffed fuss of sexual preference.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Can Anything Be Added
Review: to the reviews already posted here?

Laugh-out-loud funny. Witty. Clever. Scathing humor. Wonderful satire of Trading Spaces (the silliest show ever) and the cast members.
Good mystery and satisfying ending.

I enjoyed it from start to finish.