In 1931, while most of Los Angeles is struggling to survive the Depression, the business of Hollywood is booming. And everyone wants a piece. The movies have always been cutthroat and, as girl Friday Kitty Pangborn is about to find out, that’s more than a metaphor.
Kitty’s boss, private detective Dexter Theroux, has been asked to help leading man Laird Wyndham prove his innocence. The actor was the last person to be seen with a young actress who died under very suspicious circumstances, and the star has fallen from the big screen to the big house. Wyndham’s a dreamboat, but that isn’t the only thing that has Kitty hot under the collar. Dex has already signed a client---one who’s hired him to prove Wyndham’s hands are not as clean as they look.
Mixing Hollywood glitz with hard-boiled grit, Death Was in the Picture captures the essence of life in Depression-era Los Angeles: a world where times are tough, talk is cheap, and murder is often just one scene away.
Death Was in the Picture: A Mystery
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Set in Hollywood in 1931, Richardss swell follow-up to Death Was the Other Woman (2008) finds ace-in-the-hole secretary Kitty Pangborn still lifting as much of the load as her PI boss, Dex Theroux, who has a tendency to spend his afternoons with all the boys: Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo. Fortunately, Dex is sober when a mysterious man hires him, on behalf of a group of concerned citizens, to observe movie star Laird Wyndham, whose morality is suspect. Dex senses a setup, confirmed when Wyndham is arrested for a starlets murder. The turnaround is complete when Wyndham hires Dex to clear him. Richards handles the slang and patois of the period neatly. Likewise, she paints a vivid picture of the contrast between those just scraping by during the Depression and those living high on the hog. Kitty has plenty of moxie, and while Dex gets top billing on the office door, shes no second banana in this class act. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Kitty Pangborn was once a child of privilege. The crash of 1929 destroyed that illusion when her father committed suicide and left her with a fine Los Angeles home and no money. She makes do with boarders and a job as the secretary for competent, if alcoholic, private investigator Dexter Theroux. Hollywood star Laird Wyndham has survived the transition from silents to talkies, thanks to his regal bearing and deep voice. A mysterious man hires Theroux to tail Wyndham. No details. Just follow him. The first assignment is a Hollywood party, where a young ingénue is murdered. Wyndham, seen leaving the room in which her body was found, is quickly arrested. Complications with the original client loom when Wyndham hires Dex to find the killer and determine who set Wyndham up and why. The second Pangborn-Theroux caper builds nicely on the hard-boiled 1930s milieu established in Death Was the Other Woman (2008). Readers will unconsciously set their mind’s eye to play in black and white as they follow the sometimes funny, often melancholy adventures of two savvy Depression-era survivors. --Wes Lukowsky
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More About the Author
I am the editor and co-founder of JanuaryMagazine.com, one of the Web's leading magazines about books and authors. As a journalist, I've written extensively about books, authors, high tech and business for a number of publications. I am the author of five novels, including the widely acclaimed Mad Money, new in e-book formats. I live in the north Pacific, right in the middle of a rain forest, with my partner, the artist and photographer David Middleton and an Australian Kelpie named Jett.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kitty's hot on the trail,
This review is from: Death Was in the Picture: A Mystery (Hardcover)
Kitty Pangborn, shamus's assistant to Dex Theroux (Death Was the Other Woman: A Mystery), gets to meet the man of her silver screen dreams while on a case: Hollywood leading man Laird Wyndham is accused of murder, and it's up to Kitty, Dex, and Mustard (their driver and "procurement" specialist) to get to the bottom of the accusations. Kitty finds it hard to distance herself professionally; she's terminally star-struck at meeting Laird in person, so much so that she forgets to take notes (she's seen every film he starred in). But Kitty and Dex quickly dig up some unsavory truths on Laird's offscreen persona; an estranged wife, a jilted lover and several employees paint a less-than-glowing picture of a man with a hot temper and lusty appetites that know no boundaries.
The behind-the-scenes views of the 1930s-era film studios (and Production Code politics) are fascinating, and there's a moment of sheer comedic genius as Kitty goes undercover as an extra in a futuristic sci-fi film. Depression- and Prohibition-era LA play less of a starring role in "Death Was In The Picture," although architecture is still described in detail, and there are frequent mentions of Okies and the down-and-out. Kitty's own domestic life is largely absent, other than Marjorie's attempts to create dishes out of unappetizing substitutes when cash is low. She has her moment to shine in a designer Jean Patou silk beaded dress at a swank party, and does a lot of detective work trying to sniff out the truth behind Laird Wyndham and the sinister Xander Dean. Richards' novel is full of film noir touches and 1930s jargon that make it a pleasure to read. If you enjoyed "Death Was In the Picture," you might also want to check out Ghost of a Chance: A Marjorie McClelland Mystery, The War Against Miss Winter, This Dame for Hire: A Novel and Too Darn Hot.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Silver Screen,
By
This review is from: Death Was in the Picture: A Mystery (Hardcover)
Set in glamorous Hollywood deep in the Great Depression Era, just after the 1929 crash, this old-fashioned detective novel is the second featuring PI Dexter Theroux and his secretary-Girl Friday, Katherine (Kitty) Pangborn. Initially, Dex is retained to follow and observe a movie star. The target is arrested for the murder of a woman at the party at which Dex is observing him.
And in a twist, Dex drops the original client and now represents the movie star who hires him to find the real murderer. There are vivid descriptions of life during the Depression years, with shortages of money and food, as well as observations and background on the movie industry. The author includes a couple of things this reader never knew, i.e., Los Angeles had a subway system in 1931, and while the infamous Hays Office was established with the help of the studios, it was ignored until strong-arm tactics forced compliance. The plot is well-told and -written, and lovers of the genre will not be disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fine 1930s whodunit,
This review is from: Death Was in the Picture: A Mystery (Hardcover)
In 1931 Hollywood secretary Kitty Pangborn continues to work for dissolute private investigator Dex Theroux even though she stepped into all sorts of trouble (see DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN) while her employer spent time toasting the J brothers (Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo). She is grateful that Dex is clean and sober when a paying client arrives. He says he represents interested nameless concerned citizens who want to hire him to conduct surveillance of movie star Laird Wyndham, as they think his morality is dubious at best.
Although he has doubts about the surveillance, he needs the money so accepts the case. However, his gut instincts prove right when the police arrest Laird charging him with murder. Desperate to clear his reputation, Wyndham hires Dex to find the real killer. The latest Dex-Kitty Depression Era Hollywood investigative thriller is a superb period piece. Once again Kitty does yeoman work to keep Dex away from the J crowd. Dex is at his best in a one thing leads to another scenario with his gut constantly telling him to drop the case and turn to alcohol to numb the feelings of being a loser. Historical mystery fans will enjoy this fine 1930s whodunit as well as the previous Panghorn-Theroux case (see DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN). Harriet Klausner
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