City of Dreams by Don Winslow

May 5, 2025

City of Dreams by Don Winslow

After double-crossing the Moretti crime family in Rhode Island, Danny Ryan flees the east coast for California with his father, his toddler son, and the remnants of his Irish crew. He just wants a quiet life, to start over with his child. But federal agents contact him about doing them a favor; in return, they will help his problems from his old life go away. But then Danny learns that one of the film studios is making a movie based on the crime wars back in Providence, and he decides he wants in on the project.

The second book in the Danny Ryan trilogy, sequel to City on Fire, picks up exactly where the previous book leaves off. Loosely based on Vergil's Aeneid, which is the sequel to Homer's Iliad. Danny insists (a little too much) that he wants to go straight and live a quiet life, but just like the leopard, Danny can't change his spots: crime and bad decisions just seem to find him. All of the characters except Danny's son display some moral ambiguity - no one is all bad or all good. Furthermore, there is a pervading sense of tragedy that affects all the characters. Doesn't work as a stand-alone novel - you need to read the previous book to really understand what is going on here. I can't wait to get the final book in the trilogy, City in Ruins.

The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan

September 14, 2024

The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan

After being nominated for an Academy Award, starlet Mercy Welles suddenly vanished without a trace from Hollywood. Sixty years later, Kit O'Neil and her sister are cleaning out their late grandmother's house on Martha's Vineyard when Kit comes across photos of her grandmother that look suspiciously like the missing actress.

I didn't love this as much as many other readers have. I thought this was going to be a really good end-of-summer read, and I usually love books about old Hollywood, but something about this one didn't sit right with me. Maybe because it was written by a man, and he was fixated on what the women in the story look like, especially whether they are slim or frumpy or the kind of woman a man (like him) wouldn't look at twice. Also, there are a lot of familiar over-used tropes, like the struggling unknown actress who is suddenly nominated for an Oscar and catapulted to stardom, the wealthy dysfunctional family, the pile of family secrets in the attic that somehow no one else has discovered, among other things. The story is also overly long and the plot drags. Although billed as a mystery, there isn't much mystery and a lot more romance. Recommended for readers of romantic suspense.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Martha's Vineyard

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

June 26, 2024

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A mid-level  movie studio decides to make a film called The Seventh Veil of Salome. Every actress and starlet in Hollywood auditions for the role of Salome, but everyone is surprised when the director selects an unknown Mexican actress for the part. A struggling actress believes the part was stolen from her and is convinced that if she can get rid of the other actress, she will be able to step into the part.

This is a different direction for Moreno-Garcia, purely historical fiction with nothing mythical or supernatural. Three women, all struggling to find their identities and be heard in a male-dominated world: Salome, daughter of Herodias, niece of Herod Antipas, Princess of Idumea; Vera, a Mexican actress and newcomer to Hollywood; and Nancy, a struggling extra who has been trying to get her big break in Hollywood for ten years, convinced that she could be a major star. Two parallel storylines, one the life of Salome, the other the movie being made about her. Although there are multiple POV and narrators, I did not find it at all confusing. We are supposed to hate Nancy, the villain of the piece, but really she is her own worst enemy, sabotaging herself at every turn, so it's hard not to feel sorry for her for her dumb choices. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially about the golden age of Hollywood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional depiction of Salome

Miss del Rio by Barbara Mujica

June 4, 2024

Miss del Rio by Barbara Mujica

Dolores del Rio was one of the first Latina movie stars. Beautiful and elegant, she was a star in both Hollywood and Mexico. This fictional biography follows her life from her childhood in Durango, Mexico, through her rapid rise in Hollywood as a silent film star, told from the viewpoint of her childhood friend and hair stylist Mara. She made the successful transition to sound films and along with Marlene Dietrich and Rita Hayworth, epitomized the Hollywood standard of beauty in the 1930s. Her popularity in Hollywood began to decline in the early 1940s, and she returned to Mexico where she was a star in Mexican cinema.

Overall a very enjoyable read. Dolores led a fascinating if tumultuous life, but by the third section, the story lost some of its momentum. The narrator Mara is a fictional character, and the third part of the novel focuses on Mara's search for her family in Mexico. An editor could have cut 50-75 pages out of this section and tightened up the story. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent. Will appeal to readers who enjoy the novels of Marie Benedict and Fiona Davis, and anyone interested in the golden age of Hollywood.

Dolores del Rio

 

A Murder in Hollywood by Casey Sherman

December 27, 2023

A Murder in Hollywood by Casey Sherman

Lana Turner and her boyfriend Johnny Stompanato had a tumultuous relationship. Actually, Lana had tumultuous relationships with almost all of her eight (!) husbands and many boyfriends. She had notoriously bad taste in men. The story of Johnny's murder has been overshadowed by many other sensational Hollywood crimes, such as the Black Dahlia murder. Lana was a victim of the masculine privilege and misogyny that so many actresses were victims of, and continues to the present day. At least women are speaking up today about how male studio heads, agents, actors, producers and others abuse their positions of powers.

Things you probably don't know about Lana Turner:

- Evita Peron, wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Peron, was obsessed with Lana and modeled her look after Lana, to an extent that bordered on creepy;

- Lana was indirectly responsible for the death of actress Carole Lombard: Lana was doing a film with Clark Gable, Lombard's husband, and Lombard was afraid that Gable was having an affair with Lana (he had a well-known weakness for blondes); Lombard was in the Midwest doing a war bonds tour, and instead of traveling home with the rest of the tour which would have taken 2-3 days, she decided to fly home which would get her back to Los Angeles by that evening; Lombard's plane crashed into a mountain killing everyone on board; 

- Lana was rumored to be bi-sexual and to have had a steamy affair with Ava Gardner, one of her best friends;

- Sean Connery's first major film role was in a movie produced by Lana's production company, Lanturn Productions; the movie was a flop, but Sean's career took off;

- Lana was Rh-positive; although she was pregnant at least three times, only her daughter Cheryl Crane survived.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Lana Turner, Johnny Stompanato, and Lana's daughter Cheryl Crane

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

December 15, 2023

Being Henry: the Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

Memoir by Henry Winkler, best known for his role as the Fonz on the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. He talks honestly about his dyslexia (unheard of when he was a child), his unhappy childhood with his demanding, social climbing parents, and the consequences that made connecting with his wife and children a constant effort, as well as the difficulty of moving past an iconic role and finding other acting work.

Henry Winkler is reputed to be the nicest man in Hollywood, and this memoir bears that out. Sweet and easy to read. (Note: Henry at 70+ bears a striking resemblance to my best friend from a high school, who is now a retired judge and frequently gets mistaken for the Fonz.)

Henry Winkler in his iconic role as the Fonz

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

December 8, 2023

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Legendary actor Sir Patrick Stewart writes about his long acting career as well as his personal life. This is a wonderful memoir, one of the best that I read in 2023. While he takes his craft seriously, he doesn't take himself too seriously and tells wonderful anecdotes about his life and career. Patrick Stewart has been one of my secret crushes since I saw him as Sejanus in the BBC production of I, Claudius in the 1970s (my other secret crush for the last 40 years is Joe Montana, the star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers). I was never that much of a Star Trek fan (I know - gasp!) but I saw enough of ST: TNG to be familiar with the characters and the storyline.

Lots of great pictures. He is very honest about losing his hair by the time he was 20, his love affairs and marriages, and his relationships with other actors and directors. Highly recommended to fans of Star Trek or Sir Patrick's other work.

Patrick Stewart as Sejanus in I, Claudius

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

November 30, 2023

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is having his first play produced in London's West End theatre district. It's a crime comedy (think Deathtrap) set in a psychiatric hospital. Although it has a good cast and did well outside of London, on opening night, the Times theatre critic pans the play. The next morning, she is stabbed to death at her home. The police arrest Anthony because his fingerprints were on the weapon, a souvenir dagger. After his detective friend Hawthorne bails him out of jail, they have 48 hours to figure out who killed the critic.

This is the fourth book in Horowitz's Hawthorne mystery series, in which the author himself is a character. This one has a definite Agatha Christie vibe: there are interviews with the suspects which reveal a surprising number of people who had a motive, seemingly irrelevant clues and information, and a final grand reveal at the end with all of the suspects gathered together. These are fun literary mysteries with Horowitz playing Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Recommended for readers who enjoy clever mysteries.

London's West End theatre district, where much of the action is set

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

August 22, 2023

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

In a community theater production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Lara Kenison played the role of Emily when she was 16 years old. It becomes her defining role, and led her to a brief acting career that included commercials, a short-lived TV series, and a motion picture. While doing the part of Emily in summer stock in Tom Lake, Michigan, Lara met struggling actor Peter Duke, who would go on to become a famous movie star. Her adult daughters return to the family farm during the COVIC-19 lockdown and while they are picking cherries, the girls ask Lara to tell them about her acting career and her romance with Duke.

Multi-layered narrative that ponders the meaning of the past and how it shapes who we are. I usually run like crazy from books that are selected for one of those TV book clubs but I decided to give this one a try because I have read the author in the past. I loved the fact that Lara didn't regret or apologize for any of her choices. While Lara's story fascinates her children, it forces them to think about their parents' lives before they married and had children, and also about the direction of their own lives. I love Ann Patchett's writing, and while nothing can beat The Dutch House, Tom Lake is very good indeed. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys literary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Cherry orchard in bloom in northern Michigan

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

April 6, 2023

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Set in post-World War II Paris, American expatriate Tabitha meets budding chef Julia Child, who lives in the building across the street. Tabitha lives with her grandfather and "uncle" and tutors students in French and English while enjoying the Parisian nightlife. When an actor is found murdered in the basement of Julia's building after a late-night party at Julia's apartment, Tabitha feels compelled to find the killer.

Since I credit Julia Child's television show and cookbook with the fact that I can cook well, the title of this book screamed my name (my mother didn't allow anyone in the kitchen while she prepared meals, although I did learn from my grandmother how to boil canned asparagus for 45 minutes until it was gray slime as a special Thanksgiving treat). It's a decent mystery but unfortunately the narrative is slow-moving. The main character has to explain everything in detail, usually more than once. It's more interesting to show the action rather than describe or explain. I started skimming about halfway through. The author does get Julia's voice right - you can almost hear her talking - and there are fun cooking tips along the way (like how to make the perfect mayonnaise).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Julia Child in the tiny kitchen in her tiny Paris apartment, circa 1949

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

January 10, 2023

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Camille and Caleb Fang are performance artists who present their interpretations of literary classics. They drag their two children, Annie and Buster, along to assist them. Their goal is to disrupt a normal situation, such as a wedding, a visit to a fast food restaurant, or a school play. Fast forward 20 years and Annie is an actor while Buster is a freelance journalist struggling to write his third novel. As adults, both Annie and Buster make bad decisions: Buster takes an assignment to interview a group of army veterans who have modified army weapons to make a potato cannon and agrees to let them shoot a potato off his head, while Annie's career goes up in flames after she agrees to do a topless scene in a movie but takes things too far by wandering around the set topless while the crew takes pictures of her and then getting involved with another female actor. They both return to the family home to find their parents missing. The police think something really happened to the Fang parents, while Annie and Buster are convinced it's just another performance stunt. Guess who's right?

Not as good as Wilson's other novels, especially Nothing to See Here. The Fang family are quirky and have an unusual world view. The adult Annie and Buster make a lot of decisions/choices that seem like a good idea at the time. Or maybe not, considering their parents' careers. The phrase that forms the basis of Wilson's novel Now is Not the Time to Panic originates in this book. In the movie version, Buster's name was changed to Baxter.

An example of performance art - sometimes nothing happens, while at other times, the audience is involved

An Act of Foul Play by T. E. Kinsey

December 18, 2022

An Act of Foul Play by T. E. Kinsey

Lady Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong return for another adventure, this time investigating the murder of an actor in Bristol. Posing as a pair of socialites wanting to open an artsy theater, they go undercover to learn about the members of the company and who might have had a motive for wanting the man dead. They learn that just about everyone did, so they have to sort through the conflicting stories to get at the truth.

Such a fun series with two appealing heroines. This isn't Holmes and Watson - Flo is just as capable at solving a mystery as Lady H. Very enjoyable cozy read, highly recommended.

Bristol, England

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

October 28, 2022

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

As a child actress, Jennette McCurdy appeared in iCarly on Nickelodeon as well as guest appearances on dozens of network TV shows. Her mother had always wanted to be an actress but was unable to fulfill her dream, so she pushed Jennette into acting. Jennette hated acting but kept at it to please her mother, who suffered from recurring bouts of cancer. After her mother's death, McCurdy found herself floundering, abusing alcohol and descending deeper into bulimia. Giving up acting and with the help of therapy, she slowly began to return to the surface.

In this memoir, McCurdy talks frankly about how her mother abused her sexually, verbally and physically, urging her to starve herself, ignoring Jennette's eating disorders, and insisting on washing her daughter in the shower until she was 17, as well as examining her breasts and vagina daily. McCurdy also reveals the abuse that young actors in particular are subjected to in order to satisfy the studios. I'm not that familiar with McCurdy's work but this memoir is both riveting and horrifying.

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett in iCarly

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

July 1, 2021

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

Mia Eliot is an English starlet looking for her break-through role. She has had some success in England and her agent arranges for her to audition for several potential roles during pilot week in Hollywood. While at one of the auditions, she meets another actor named Emily, who leaves some personal items with Mia and then disappears. Mia is the last person to have seen her and the more she tries to track her down, the more she begins to wonder if Emily really exists or if it is all a hoax.

This one had an interesting premise and usually I really like books about missing persons, but I had problems with the plot almost from the start. The main character is TSTL (romance novel-speak for Too Stupid To Live). She makes the worst possible decision at every turn. Yes, I realize that if characters in novels made sensible choices, there would be no story and the book would be four pages long. But come on - characters need to exercise SOME brain power for the reader to feel something for them - you have to feel like they're trying. For example: if you knew someone intended to kill you, would anyone agree to meet that person at a remote location and then follow them to a place where there is NO chance anyone can help you or even hear you? I mean, seriously, suspense is one thing, pure undiluted stupidity is another.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Actors waiting to audition

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

February 3, 2020

Today is National Golden Retriever Day!  Go hug a golden (or any dog)!

My Luke

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Willis Wu works as an extra in a TV police drama called Black and White, as Generic Asian Man.  Even in his personal life, he sees himself as Generic Asian Man.  His career goal is to become Kung Fu Guy, which he considers to be the pinnacle for an Asian actor.  He lives in the SRO (single room occupancy) housing above the Golden Palace Chinese restaurant along with other Asian Americans who are bit players for the TV show, since many of the scenes are filmed at the restaurant.  Willis works in the restaurant when he needs to (such as the times when his character “dies” and he can’t work on the show for 45 days).  Inside his head, Willis lives in an interior Chinatown:  although he is American-born and educated, he can’t seem to find his place in the world, except against a Chinatown backdrop, and he sees himself and the Asian Americans around him as stereotypes that America has cast for them (such as Old Asian Man or Restaurant Hostess).

The plot blends the storyline of a television drama with Willis’ life, written in a script-like format with a Courier font that mimics an old-fashioned typewriter, and eventually the two storylines get tangled into a single jumble.  The narrative style forces the reader to look at stereotypes both “on” and “off” screen and consider the stereotypes in our own lives and how we see others.  Should appeal to readers who enjoy Dave Eggers or Paul Beatty.

(When we were kids, there was a TV program for a few seasons called Kung Fu – I think the whole Carradine family acted in the show.  The main character was a half-Chinese monk being played by a white guy.  My brothers didn’t care much about the story line but really got into the martial arts fighting.  My youngest brother convinced my mother to buy him a kimono style robe, and he would leap out of his bedroom wearing it, give a kung fu yell, and kick-box his way down the hall.  Just a fond memory, grasshopper.)

Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer

December 19, 2019

Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer

My last holiday book of the season.

Nathaniel Herriard owns a country manor in rural England.  His brother Joseph and Joseph’s wife Maud, both former actors, live off of Nathaniel’s generosity.  Nathaniel tolerates having them live with him until Joseph gets it into his head to organize a Christmas house party consisting of a variety of people who, general speaking, detest each other.  When Nathaniel is found murdered in a locked room, the guests realize that there is a killer in the house.

Envious Casca was written in 1941 and also published under the title A Christmas Party.  This is a perfectly acceptable holiday mystery that ticked a lot of boxes for me:  English country house, locked room murder, Christmas, a clever crime.  It has the usual suspects:  the old rich curmudgeon who hates Christmas and house parties, the meddling uncle, poor relations, the pushy niece, the heir apparent and his airhead fiancée, the put-upon detective.  If you are interested in a little light reading over the holidays, this is a good choice.