Hot Shot [Hardcover]

Kevin Allman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1998

Kieran O'Connor can't scrape together enough rent, much less enough self-respect to satisfy his ego. But the overdose of a TV star on a new drug dubbed "hot shot" provides a job--writing the star's sleazy instant bio--and a case for Allman's hip, wise-cracking sleuth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hollywood reporter Kieran O'Connor makes a welcome return following the Edgar-nominated debut, Tight Shot (1996). The celebrity columnist is at a definite low, serving a three-month suspension from his L.A. newspaper and living in an apartment that, damaged by an earthquake, has been condemned. He's in no shape to turn down his agent's latest project: co-writing the memoirs of a hooker who had an affair with a dead and discredited TV star named Dick Mann. The situation is rife with satirical possibilities, and Allman scores frequently. There's Kieran's pushy agent, Jocelyn, whose hard-as-nails persona masks a genuine soft spot for Kieran; Kitty Keyes, who struck it rich with Scandal, Inc., which represents only notorious celebrities; and a private hospital?"the elective-surgery capital of Southern California"?that gives posh hotels a run for their money. Kieran manages to get through a first interview with Felina Lopez, the reformed and New Age-ish hooker, and a reading of her "manuscript." But, as innocuous as the material appears, someone seems determined to keep it from being published. Soon Kieran is on the run, dodging threats and deadlines and trying to figure out who has the most to hide.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Self-confessed celebrity journalist Kieran O'Connor--officially on hiatus from his paper after characterizing a movie mogul as "vertically challenged" --is offered the chance to ghostwrite a memoir of popular sitcom star Dick Mann, recently deceased after overdosing on the latest designer drug of choice, Hot Shot. Since the memoir's "author" is Felina Lopez, an ex^-call girl who claims to have been Mann's mistress, the whole project oozes sleaze. Still, Kieran needs the money. Then Felina turns up dead, and Kieran himself starts receiving death threats. Caught between a killer who doesn't want the Mann memoir to reach print and a host of others--publishers, agents, grieving widow--who are hell-bent on cashing in as quickly as possible, Kieran hopes to extricate himself from the mess by solving the crime. A worthy successor to Tight Shot (1995), Allman's insider view of the seamier side of Hollywood is not only hip and entertaining but also has something serious to say about our insatiable hunger for tabloid thrills. Stuart Miller

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312168667
• ISBN-13: 978-0312168667
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,789,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Salient Reflection of Our Time, April 24, 2000

By 

Kim L. Berry, M.F.A. (Huntington Beach, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Shot (Hardcover)

Is it possible to avoid the tabloid news stories of celebrities? It is forced into our lives everywhere we look: the evening news is packed with it. Are Newsweek and Time even "news" magazines anymore? Why are we obsessed with people who get paid so much for offering nothing? People used to talk about things that happened in their own lives: travel,conversation,books read, personal accomplishments. Listen to the average conversation at work today: what was seen on TV or read in the tabloid news, actors called by first names, the high speed police chase, the murderer interviewed on the evening TV "newsmagazine". We are already living in "virtual" reality. We talk about what was "seen" and "heard": Not lived. It was extremely important and refreshing to have read Mr. Allman's "Hot Shot". The author artfully mirrors our culture's "amused to death" fascination with "celebrity criminals" whether they star in a popular show or in the penitentiary.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Neat little mystery, April 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hot Shot (Hardcover)

Kevin Allman has written an entertaining book in"Hot Spot".Not only is it a coolmystery,he also includes some pointed jabs at our tabloid,celebrity culture.I enjoyed his character Kieran O'Connor,& hope to read more about him.I haven't read his other O'Connor book,"Tight Spot",but hope to soon.All in all,a worthy book from Allman.