Customer Reviews

It Happened One Knife (A Double Feature Mystery)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hooray! IT HAPPENED ONE KNIFE has opened at a bookstore near you! Cohen's effortless, breezy and relentlessly upbeat style keeps you laughing. Nonstop. Uproariously. Slapstick, witty repartee, dry sarcasm, one-liners; Cohen has mastered them all. The mystery and the humor go hand-in-hand, seamlessly. Readers of all ages will love this book. After consuming KNIFE in one sitting, our teenage daughter actually emerged from her room demanding, and I do mean demanding, "who is this Jeffrey Cohen and why is he so funny?!". Is there any greater testimony to a tremendous talent?
Buy this book and laugh; a lot.

Life is looking up for Elliot Freed, the owner of the movie theater Comedy Tonight, which shows one classic comedy and one contemporary comedy each week. Due to circumstances beyond his control the theatre required renovation, which took four months to complete and when finished saved Elliot's nerves from a meltdown. Now it is ready to reopen, but he learns his ex-wife Sharon is leaving her current husband, which makes Elliot even more euphoric as he still loves her. The evening before the official opening, Elliot opens late to a select audience who she shows a slasher flick that Anathony his projectionist made...

When it opens, the sales rep for Klassic Comedy Distributions Vic wants to connect Anthony with a movie distributor because he believes the audience will pay to see it. He also tells Elliot that he saw his favorite comic Harry Lillis ay an assisted care living center in Englewood, N. J. Elliot writes him about his classic show Cracked Ice opening in his theatre and Harry shows for the premier. Before he leaves he tells Eliot that Townes killed his wife Vivien and burned down the evidence to hide his crime. Lillis demands justice and their efforts to obtain proof backfires at the same time Anthony cannot find the only copy of his film; he believes Elliot took it.

Jeffrey Cohen shows why he is a wonderful mystery author with his humorous yet action-packed investigative tale. IT HAPPENED ONE KNIFE is fast-paced but contains a quirky cast who insures the audience will believe they are at a comedy show instead of in an amateur sleuth novel. Elliot is the terrific star in this comedic cozy.

Harriet Klausner

Jeffrey Cohen has done it again, made me laugh out loud while puzzling my way through his newest Elliot Freed mystery. This time Elliot gets a chance to meet one of his all-time comedy hero's, one half- of the comedy team of Lillis and Townes. The meeting happens when he get a chance to show one of their best movies, Cracked Ice, at his comedy theatre. Lillis arranges to do an appearance before the showing and from there the tale is off and running. Mix in Elliot's complicated relationship with ex-wife Sharon and his motley crew of young employees and you have a wonderful read.

I love Jeff's writing style, his sense of humor and his ability to deftly mix his love of the puzzle with the outright funny. Congratulations Jeff, you did it again!

The good news, Elliot Freed is back, in Jeffrey Cohen's newest book and the second in the series, It Happened One Knife." The better news, it's just as good as the first one [and that was very, very good].

Elliot has just re-opened his theater, Comedy Tonight, also known as The State's Only All-Comedy Movie Theatre, exclusively showing comedy classics alongside newly-released films. An unfortunate incident occurs the night before the officially re-opening when Anthony, the projectionist, is showing for the first time his very own film project, called "Killin' Time" [which Elliot, who was underwhelmed by Anthony's effort, sums up by saying "They're all dead. He didn't leave any of them alive." Not exactly comic fare]: The only copy of the film disappears from the projection room. Since no one other than Anthony and Elliot had keys to that room, the suspect list is narrow. [Vic, Elliot's film distributor, has a much higher opinion of the film, saying: "It's got blood. It's got cursing. Killing, sex, cruelty, characters nobody could possibly like. It can't miss."]

But the missing film takes a backseat in Elliot's mind when he is given the opportunity of hosting his boyhood heroes, comic legends Lillis and Townes, at a showing of their greatest comic hit, "Cracked Ice." His awestruck enthusiasm is curbed, however, when Lillis tells Elliot that Townes killed his own wife [who Lillis had dated before she met Townes] in an arson fire many decades before, and Elliot decides he must figure out the truth about her death, however unlikely that seems. [He justifies it by saying:"I'm a classic comedy film fanatic. This is as close as I'm going to get to being involved with the movies I spend my life watching."]

In between the mysteries, there is Elliot and his screwy cast of regulars, his ex-wife, with whom he may be moving past their weekly lunch dates to something closer akin to what they used to have when she sort of separates from her new husband; his father; his sullen, teenage feminist snack-counter person, Sophie, et al; and there is a smile, grin or guffaw on every page. [I didn't know there were that many ways to describe a monumentally large and probably steroid-enhanced male person, for instance.] The writing is so wonderful that before you know it people's lives have been endangered [or worse], mysteries have been solved, and you've finished a terrific book. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Elliot Freed series, "Some Like It Hot-Buttered," but "It Happened One Knife" is even faster and funnier -- I laughed out loud for the first time on page 4, and stayed up past my bedtime finishing it. Elliot and the crew at his theater, along with his ex-wife Sharon and the local chief of police Barry Dutton, are a likable and appealing cast of characters, ones I'll look forward to meeting again and again in future books.

I was very happy to see the characters in this series showing with much better development in this second installment. And I was glad that the author didn't fall back on the sarcastic conversation banter as he had through much of the first novel. Because of these two features, the overall delivery of the book beat "Some Like It Hot and Buttered" by leaps and bounds.

That being said, there were certain aspects of this "mystery" that were a little lacking, so I'm unable to give it the full 5 stars. For example (without giving up spoilers), the secondary mystery was a little obvious in its development and conclusion, which is annoying at best when you read as many mysteries as I do.

The focal storyline was different than many mystery plots you many be used to reading. It didn't provide a lot of the "whodunit" intrigue of many other novels in the genre. But, that difference was oddly refreshing.

Overall, I feel like Jeffrey Cohen is just hitting his stride with this series. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what new adventures are in store for Elliot Freed and his band of merry comedy lovers.

After a rather traumatic viewing of his assistant's gore-laden directorial debut film in the normally all-comedic movie theatre Comedy Tonight, Elliot Freed is overwhelmingly thrilled to be showing the classic comedy Cracked Ice. What makes Elliot even giddier is that the showing will be attended by one of the stars of the movie, the legendary Harry Lillis. Even better though, is when Lillis is unexpectedly joined by the other half of the comedic duo, Les Townes. Nothing could dampen Elliot's joy at meeting and watching their film in his theatre; that is, until Lillis announces that Townes murdered his own wife years ago and then burned down their house. Against his will, Elliot gets himself enlisted in Lillis's plan to bluff Townes into admitting his guilt, finally giving justice to Vivian Reynolds.

As if this wasn't enough to fry Elliot's brain, his ex-wife kissed him and yet continues to attend marriage counseling with her current husband, his assistant Anthony is accusing Elliot of stealing his gore-fest film, and someone planted a fake bomb in the theatre. Elliot finds himself investigating a past crime full of adultery and betrayal and gradually sees his idols falling off the pedestal he place them
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Despite the dark twists and turns, this is an out-loud, laugh-inducing mystery that has readers truly liking and cheering for Elliot. His band of employees, which include a Tarantino wannabe and a feminist Goth girl, bring their own craziness to the theatre and yet are genuine in their loyalty - and occasional respect - for Elliot and the Theatre. Cohen again fills the mystery with movie trivia and lore, and the glimpse into the world of the movie studios is fascinating and entertaining. Witty dialogue, unique characters, and a historical and well-researched glimpse into old comedic movies make this a fun, light, and very well-written mystery series.

Elliot Freed has long been a fan of the comedy team Lillis & Townes. When he finds out that Harry Lillis lives in a retirement center near his New Jersey home, he can't resist going for a visit and asking the comic to appear at a special screening of his classic CRACKED ICE. Things get even better when Les Townes also shows up.

Elliot's soaring spirits are short lived, however, when Lillis mentions in passing that Townes killed his own wife in a fire 50 years before and got away with it. Despite the fact that all the evidence is long gone (not to mention on the other side of the country), Elliot begins poking around to see what he can find. And the response he gets makes him think that there is something to Lillis' claims.

As if that weren't enough, a student film also has disappeared from his theater. Can Elliot figure out either crime?

I was disappointed with the first book in the series, mainly because I knew the author could do better. I'm happy to report that this book is a return to form. The two plots move forward at consistent paces. The characters are highly entertaining, endearing, and real. I especially like Elliot's relationship with police chief Dutton. Their dueling wit is great. Which brings me to the humor. I didn't feel like it was forced here like in the first book. I found myself laughing quite a bit, in fact. My only complaint would be a climax that is a bit too theatrical, but it fits Elliot's character. And it sure did surprise me.

I'm glad to be able to recommend this book. It's got a great plot, great characters, and lots of laughs.

I caught the foreshadowing on this one and not only solved the mystery in advance but correctly picked out "Mr Body" in advance. The kids at Elliot's theater were more obnoxious in this than in 1 or 3, and this detracted for me. Pretty good just the same! Joke pacing was MUCH better than in the first installment. (Actually made me lol a few times.)

Still love all the comedy classic refs :D

Worth the price of admission!

This is the second entry in Jeffrey Cohen's series about a man, Elliot Freed, engaged in the Don Quixote-like quest of operating a theater devoted (almost) exclusively to motion picture comedies. Plainly, Freed is either the maddest wise man or the wisest madman in New Jersey.

Author Cohen appears to be that rarity among mystery authors, one who actually knows what a joke is and has some notion of how to tell one. Here is an example from the very beginning of the book; Freed is talking to a film distributor about a student film--not a comedy, for once--which had just been given a private showing at his theater:

"Is he dead?" Vic Testalone asked me.

"They're all dead," I said. "He didn't leave any of them alive."

"How can that be?" he asked. "Does this kid know what he's done?"

.... I shook my head. "Anthony just thinks it's cool.... He's not considering the moral implications of his actions."

"I'm not concerned with moral implications," Vic answered, snarling. "He's killing the sequel possibilities."

.... "What the h--- do you mean be 'sequel possibilities'? .... You think someone would want to distribute that thing?"

"It's got blood." Vic held up a finger. "It's got cursing." Another finger. "Killing, sex, cruelty, characters nobody could possibly like." Finger, finger, finger, thumb on the other hand. "It can't miss." [Pages 3-4]

In this outing, Freed finds himself involved with two of his childhood heroes, the fabled comedy team of Harry Lillis and Les Townes, who had flourished on movie screens in the 1950s and 60s. They are about eighty now, but still hale and hearty enough for at least one of them to contemplate a George Burns-like revival of their careers. And, oh, yes, one of them may have murdered his wife, (whom both men had loved) fifty years ago.

As I said, Jeffrey Cohen knows what a gag is and how to tell it, but he also has an unfortunate taste for inside jokes. This can even be seen in the titles of his books: "Some Like it Hot-Buttered" and "It Happened One Knife." Deplorable, just deplorable. It gets worse. Elliot Freed's father bears the moniker of Alan, leading with painful inevitability to references to the head of MGM's musicals unit during the 1950s, the producer (and composer, too) of "Singin' in the Rain," among other hits. It hits rock-bottom with the names "Harry Lillis" and "Les Townes." Lillis and Townes are clearly intended to be a sort of alternate universe version of Martin and Lewis, but their names relate to quite another comedy team, that of Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby and Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope. That there are other such snickering references in the book that I have missed is hardly to be doubted.

All that aside, this is still a pretty good book, lightweight, breezy and ... yes, fun. I, for one, will certainly be on the lookout for Elliot Freed's third adventure.

Four lightweight, breezy stars.

LEC/AM/8-08