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Best Murder of the Year: A Rick Domino Mystery [Hardcover]

Jon P. Bloch (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 17, 2002
Rick Domino is one of the most sought after men in Hollywood but he's not an actor, director or even a film producer. He's a popular gossip columnist covering the Hollywood scene and a word from him can be very influential. Normally, Rick loves his job and the scene itself but tonight it's different. Tonight he's hosting a live telecast of the Academy Awards and his secret lover, young heart-throb Shane Kirk, is one of the nominees for Best Actor. But there has been trouble brewing between the two, not helped by the fact that publicly Shane portrays himself as "straight", even bringing an actress as a date to the awards ceremony, and Rick can hardly focus on the task at hand.

The ceremony itself goes relatively smoothly until Shane actually wins the award for Best Actor and is nowhere to be found. Surprised and worried, Rick goes back stage to look for Shane and lured by an open access door and a hunch, checks the back alley. He does indeed find Shane but Rick also finds himself in perhaps the most deadly situation in his life. By the time the police arrive, they find Rick standing over a corpse, holding a gun and looking not-so-innocent. The truth of what happened in that dark alley, and who was responsible, is tightly intertwined with some of the darkest of Hollywood's secrets and if anyone knows about ferreting out secrets, it's Rick Domino.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This may not be the best mystery of the year, but this debut is a clever, witty, campy and amusing Hollywood mystery, as gay gossip columnist Rick Domino becomes the prime suspect in an Oscar night murder. Bloch sets a fast pace with his on-target Oscar nominations: "Kevin Spacey played to perfection a priest with an obsession for flashing himself at nuns in the Coen Brothers' newest quirky comedy, Saint Thang." And he sends up the awards show, where Jewel is to be joined by Meat Loaf and Placido Domingo to perform "I Can't Find Me Anywhere" from the animated feature Where's Waldo. When a famous star is murdered backstage at the Oscars, there are plenty of suspects, but Domino is the one found holding the gun. Despite the assurances of his high-priced lawyer, Rick figures using his own skill at ferreting out secrets is his best bet. Naturally, the sexual proclivities of the various suspects and their personal and professional entanglements tend to complicate matters as every suspect had reason to want the victim dead. The actors, producers and other Hollywood types who populate Bloch's zany tale are wonderfully outrageous and may obscure the fact that underneath the craziness is a serious mystery. The comic whodunit is a difficult feat to pull off, particularly when the author goes for broke as Bloch often does. This debut mystery won't win an Oscar, but it deserves consideration for best first mystery.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jon P. Bloch is a professor at Southern Connecticut State University and author of Finding Your Leading Man. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (May 17, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312280904
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312280901
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,701,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly delightful romp!, November 7, 2002
This review is from: Best Murder of the Year: A Rick Domino Mystery (Hardcover)
This surprising "inside" Hollywood mystery is a delightful romp through the seedy world of Hollywood. It is delightfully satirical of Hollywood and its ways and waywardness. Though very funny, it is also suspenseful and engaging. Perhaps the most delightful gay comedy/mystery since the wonderful Aldyne series and the Grant Michaels masterpieces.

Pushes close to the edge of heavyhandedness, but does not cross it. A good, fast read! Recommended!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly Funny and Surprise Ending, May 16, 2002
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This review is from: Best Murder of the Year: A Rick Domino Mystery (Hardcover)
What a treat! - a main character who is gay, out, proud and scandalously funny, without a homosexual angst ridden bone in his body.
Because the book takes place in Hollywood (generally) and the Academy Awards (specifically) there is a lot of affectionate-yet-cynical humor aimed at the entertainment industry. There are a few actual laugh-right-out-loud commentaries. If Hollywood was REALLY this much fun, there would be much better films coming out of it!
The mystery is complex - admittedly, I never in a million years could have figured it out - but the real joy is the writing style...and the welcome introduction of an outrageous gay character who is not unhappy, unsure, unclear or depressed.
This is one mystery that screams "make a movie out of me!"
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars tongue in cheek (not saying which one) Hollywood mystery, February 1, 2004
For the seventh year, Hollywood gossip columnist Rick Domino hosts a live pre-show broadcast of the Academy Awards. Rick has mixed feelings about this year's show because his lover actor Shane Kirk is up for a Best Actor award. He is proud that Shane received the nomination, but disappointed that his beloved refuses to come out of the closet and acknowledge that he is gay let alone in a relationship with Rick. Adding to that insult is the fact that Shane is keeping a straight image by escorting best actress nominee Tara Perez to the ceremony.

Though Rick has to share the spotlight with predator Mitzie McGuire, their show goes over relatively smoothly though Rick does less clothing dissing of the attendees than usual as he mopes over Shane. Afterward Rick looks for Shane only to find his beloved near the corpse of Tara. The police arrive as Shane shouts his innocence and Rick is nearer to the corpse and holding the murder weapon that he picked off the ground. Though the police arrest Rick, homicide detective Terry Zane thinks things are too pat. He and Rick investigate the Hollywood scene as only a veteran police officer and a catty gossip columnist could do.

The who-done-it is fun to follow as the obviously gay Rick and his new partner the straight Terry make a humorous team who uncover a lot of Hollywood secrets during their investigation. However what makes THE BEST MURDER OF THE YEAR so enjoyable is not the homicide or the inquiries, but the satirical look at Hollywood at its most pompous and even more subtly strips the invincibility of the mystery genre fictional superstars. The movies that the nominees star in are hilarious and worth the read by themselves. Fans of a tongue in cheek (not saying which one) will want to read the adventures of Rick Domino in the world of make believe.

Harriet Klausner

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Even before all the fuss about murder, I knew that it just wasn't going to be my night. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brother Dennis, Shane Kirk, Officer Zane, Tara Perez, Best Actor, Rick Domino, Truman Shea, Darla Sue, Bob Raflowitz, Cinda Sharpe, Terry Zane, Connee Kellogg, Francine Quick, Zeke Raflowitz, Chauncey Riggs, Connie Kellogg, Don't Leave Me This Way, Tara's Oscar, Best Actress, Best Picture, Academy Award, Cleo Simone, Marion Goober, Best Song, Beverly Hills
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