I was intrigued by this book; it’s totally out of my reading box as I generally don’t like mysteries. Something about The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes called to me and I’m glad that TLC Book Tours sent me a copy at no charge to read.
About The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes:
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 15, 2017)
HARLAN COBEN calls it “One of my all-time favorite series! …David Handler is so good at writing one smart, funny page-turner after another that he makes it look easy.”
Fans of JANET EVANOVICH and CARL HIAASEN, get ready. If you haven’t yet discovered wisecracking sleuth Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag and his faithful basset hound Lulu, you’re in for a sharp, hilarious treat.
Once upon a time, Hoagy had it all: a hugely successful debut novel, a gorgeous celebrity wife, the glamorous world of New York City at his feet. These days, he scrapes by as a celebrity ghostwriter. A celebrity ghostwriter who finds himself investigating murders more often than he’d like.
And once upon a time, Richard Aintree was the most famous writer in America — high school students across the country read his one and only novel, a modern classic on par with The Catcher in the Rye. But after his wife’s death, Richard went into mourning… and then into hiding. No one has heard from him in twenty years.
Until now. Richard Aintree — or someone pretending to be Richard Aintree — has at last reached out to his two estranged daughters. Monette is a lifestyle queen à la Martha Stewart whose empire is crumbling; and once upon a time, Reggie was the love of Hoagy’s life. Both sisters have received mysterious typewritten letters from their father.
Hoagy is already on the case, having been hired to ghostwrite a tell-all book about the troubled Aintree family. But no sooner does he set up shop in the pool house of Monette’s Los Angeles mansion than murder strikes. With Lulu at his side — or more often cowering in his shadow — it’s up to Hoagy to unravel the mystery, catch the killer, and pour himself that perfect single-malt Scotch… before it’s too late.
You can purchase The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes at Harper Collins
About the Author:
David Handler has written nine novels about dapper celebrity ghostwriter Stewart Hoag, including the Edgar and American Mystery Award–winning, The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as eleven novels in the bestselling Berger & Mitry series. He lives in a 230-year-old carriage house in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Find out more about David at his website, and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
My Opinion:
When I started reading this book it really had the feel of the noir mysteries of the ‘4oies. The plot could easily be moved from time period to time period with adaptations made with the surrounding atmosphere. Remove the cell phones and other more modern references and I could easily see this being a more historical mystery.
As it is the hero of the tale, Hoagy and his faithful dog Lulu, were last seen many years ago and Mr. Handler resurrected him for this tale. I must admit that I wasn’t aware of this character and that is my loss because I really like him. And Lulu - she is one of the funniest animal characters I’ve encountered in a while.
There is a pretty big list of characters in the story but they are all distinct and ,mostly well developed. It was easy to keep track of them all. The story was fun and new readers like me will be entertained and old fans will find much to appreciate. The plot starts out with a small mystery about a long lost writer and it turns into a Hollywood divorce/murder mystery with the revelation of family secrets no one knew anyone was keeping.
Once I started reading that was it, I was hooked and I didn’t want to stop. This book is a perfect example of why it’s good to step away from what you usually read and try something new. If this IS what you usually read it will be a good afternoon’s entertainment for you.
Rating:
4.5
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