Murder Unscripted

2013 Shamus Award Finalist, Best First Novel. Booklist: "Blasting out of a time warp, straight from the 1940s. It's set in modern Hollywood, but it's old-time California noir, right down to its Bakelite heart. Luscious." Long-time character actor Clive Rosengren (Cheers, Seinfeld, Ed Wood) pens a sprightly tale of Hollywood sex and homicide in Murder Unscripted. Nobody is going to mistake part-time actor, part-time sleuth Eddie Collins for a movie star. Playing in a chicken commercial,...
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2013 Shamus Award Finalist, Best First Novel. Booklist: "Blasting out of a time warp, straight from the 1940s. It's set in modern Hollywood, but it's old-time California noir, right down to its Bakelite heart. Luscious." Long-time character actor Clive Rosengren (Cheers, Seinfeld, Ed Wood) pens a sprightly tale of Hollywood sex and homicide in Murder Unscripted. Nobody is going to mistake part-time actor, part-time sleuth Eddie Collins for a movie star. Playing in a chicken commercial, Eddie is almost relieved when he gets a call from a bonding company on the hook for an unfinished film called Flames of Desire. The movie's female lead is dead under mysterious circumstances-which would be bad enough. Worse, the actress is Eddie's ex-wife. As a second body turns up, Eddie scrambles to expose one of Tinseltown's dirty little secrets: what some people will do to sleep with a star. If Eddie isn't careful, his next "exit, stage left" will be permanent. Says Michael Connelly: "I like this character Eddie Collins. He's tough, funny, and has a classic private eye's world-weary wisdom. I hope to see more of him." Adds Mystery Scene's Betty Webb: "So entertaining I wished it had continued for at least another hundred pages. . . . Purrs along fast and smooth, and the ending delivers a sweet surprise."