Hot Rocks: A Nick Hoffman Mystery (Nick Hoffman Mysteries) (Paperback)

by Lev Raphael (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
At the start of Raphael's entertaining seventh Nick Hoffman mystery (after 2004's Tropic of Murder), the State University of Michigan English professor stumbles on a corpse in a steam room—Vlado Zamaria, the ruthless head trainer at the Michigan Muscle health club. Nick and his pal, Juno Dromgoole, team up once again to ferret out the killer, for whom there's no shortage of suspects: Vlado's bland, dutiful wife plus a plethora of actual and wanna-be lovers and jealous trainers. Nick manages a too-easy sneak peek into Zamaria's unlocked office, finding secrets that eventually reveal the murderer. He half-seriously considers becoming a private eye, much to the chagrin of his lover, Stefan Borowski, who has been stewing in his own troubles. The many amusing and eclectic literary references that alternate with salacious gossip and humorous philosophical rants partially compensate for the novel's lack of tension and action. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Raphael's series hero, Nick Hoffman, is in midlife crisis when he and partner Stefan Borowski return from their Caribbean vacation (marred by murder, of course; see Tropic of Murder, 2004) to resume teaching at the State University of Michigan. Nick's musings over getting older halt abruptly when he realizes that his companion in the health-club steam room is head trainer and all-around stud Vlado Zamario, and he's dead. Before you can say "smoldering temptress," series regular Professor Juno Dromgoole is on the scene, spreading the news that it's murder and proposing to solve it with Nick, the obvious suspect because of his previous involvements with homicide. Given Vlado's encounters with the women at Michigan Muscle, the plot quickly and deliciously thickens into layers of domestic discord highly seasoned with compromising photos. Raphael's latest smoothly delivers a satisfying mystery while providing insight into the middle-aging of America, gay marriage, the excitement of sleuthing as a means of exercising control over our lives, the "Orwellian" Patriot Act, and more. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Perseverance Press (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880284839
• ISBN-13: 978-1880284834
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #690,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot ,"Hot Rocks", June 28, 2007

By	Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Raphael, Lev. "Hot Rocks: A Nick Hoffman Mystery", Perseverance Press, 2007.

Hot, "Hot Rocks"

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

The Nick Hoffman series has always had social observations and "Hot Rocks" is no different. This time the venue is a health club for the wealthy and the observations are wittier and funnier than ever. The seventh in the series, Lev Raphael does not disappoint a bit--in fact he outdoes the others. The club is brimming with those obsessed with toning their bodies and what an ideal setting for a murder.
If any of you belong to a health club, you are familiar with the types there as well as the aura that pervades, The personalities run the gamut and what a wonderful setting for a crime like murder. We know that health clubs foster jealousy and envy which can become rage quite easily. Raphael is, of course, aware that not everyone is into fitness so he gives us descriptions that are explicit.
Nick Hoffman a SUM professor, like myself, is an academic. Perhaps that is why I enjoy reading his adventures when he acts as a detective.
After the murder has been committed, the list of suspects includes trainers, wives whose bodies need work, club members who are possessed of arrogance and other wealthy characters. None of these are what they appear. Nick does not act alone. He has a fellow detective, Juno Dromgoole. Together they are quite a team--especially when they banter and show how ambivalently they feel for each other.
Nick has just returned from a Caribbean vacation and he knows he has to get back in shape afterwards. He goes, with his partner Stefan to Michigan Muscle but his workout routine suddenly is interrupted when he finds a dead body in the steam room.
What a perfect book to read at the beach. Raphael looks at the culture of the health club as well as American society using Nick Hoffman to satirize the rich. Stylishly written, you will be taken on a series of twists and turns through the world in which we live and you will be turning pages quickly. The writing is clear and probably some of the best that Raphael has done. Nick and Juno manage to get a good look at the life of the wealthy and as they do so, secrets are no longer secret and deceptions cease to deceive. Nick also has to deal with his own secrets and those of his partner who has a complicated past. The book is not just a story but a puzzle that the reader has to solve. Peppered with human characters that are identifiable as people we know, "Hot Rocks" is a fun romp. It isn't just a story, it's a trip. Nick is our driver and quickly becomes a friend who gives a social commentary which is honest and real. As excitement increases and we near a climax and think we have everything figured out, things change and the ride gains speed. I was somewhat sad t close the covers of the book because it meant I would be saying goodbye to friends I had made. But knowing that Raphael is a writer who just doesn't quit, I also know that I will be with Nick again in the eighth of the series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent even for those not familiar with Nick Hoffman., September 23, 2007

By	Fisher Stevens "- Fish" (Hollywood, California) - See all my reviews

I had never read any Nick Hoffman story - nor anything, in fact, by Mr. Raphael - so it was with some apprehension that I picked up Hot Rocks. My fears were quickly put to rest: it's a welcoming introduction to the series for anyone, irrespective of their familiarity with Hoffman, Raphael, the State University of Michigan, Michigan Muscle or any of the other wickedly satirical devices Raphael uses. It's terribly funny and the mystery itself holds together and keeps your attention throughout. I plan on reading more by Raphael based on my enjoyment of this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot Rocks rocks!, May 31, 2007

By	Readingbunny (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This book is a page turner! If you have spent any time at all in a health club, you will easily identify these "gym" types and the unique atmosphere that a health club/gym creates. I found the book to be very creative, amusing, and a twist as the mystery is solved makes it all the more enjoyable.