Friday, July 26, 2013

Mayor of Hollywood

Mayor of Hollywood by M.B. Brophy
Mary-Beth Brophy; April 17, 2013
ebook for Kindle, 337 pages
ASIN: B00CF4K4SC


Description:
A Hollywood murder with eerie ties to a 75-year-old case forces Lucy Cassidy to confront her child star past as old friends and colleagues top the suspect list…that is, until they start dying.

Ten years ago, Lucy Cassidy turned away from a lucrative acting career for a life in academia. Now a tenure-track professor of history and still shooting the occasional film during semester breaks, Lucy is asked by her lover, Detective Mark Adamson, to consult on the murder of a former A-list agent who was campaigning for the honorary position of Mayor of Hollywood. Intrigued by the case’s uncanny resemblance to the infamous 1931 “Handsome Dave” murders, Lucy is quickly drawn into the investigation, even as she struggles to conceal her own personal connection with the victim. But when an old friend joins the body count, Lucy begins to suspect that her past may hold the key to solving the case.
My Thoughts:

In Mayor of Hollywood by M.B. Brophy former childhood star and current history professor Lucy Cassidy helps her boyfriend Detective Mark Adamson solve a murder in Hollywood that has disturbing parallels to another murder that happened in Hollywood 75 years ago. At the same time it seems that some sick fan of Lucy's is terrorizing her and her safety is at risk.


This is a mystery that isn't a police procedural even though the police are involved in solving the murder mystery, let alone the harassment of Lucy by her stalker. Written in the first person this is Lucy's narrative of what is happening in the investigation, as well as in her personal life. While she assists Mark as a consultant to the case, it soon becomes clear that Lucy apparently has more connections to the case than simply the academic historical information that is her specialty. While the case unfolds, Lucy repeatedly is forced to confront uncomfortable memories from her past that seemingly have some bearing on the current murder investigation.


This is an easy summer read with a moderate buildup of tension/anticipation. Admittedly, I didn't particularly love the character of Lucy, but then I didn't actively dislike her either. The problems Lucy had with Marks Catholicism could have been left out - along with his explanation about why a devoted Catholic would be living with someone. It added nothing substantial to the story and was distracting (and I'm not Catholic). Also the number of times Lucy withheld information or felt faint/nauseous seemed a bit overwrought.   
In the end, while I did have a couple issues with it, all in all it's a good murder mystery. If you enjoy mysteries set in Hollywood, than this could a great choice for you. Recommended


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the author via Netgalley for review purposes.

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