Killer Material: A Mystery [Hardcover]

Dan Barton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2000

Some kinds of thievery cause not only material loss but outrage--Great Aunt Annie's cameo brooch, for instance. Or a stand-up comic's routine. So when Bill Kincaid, standing in at the last minute for a friend who unexpectedly cancels his gig, finds that another comic working there that night has taped his act, he is mad!

Turns out there's a lot more involved than the theft of a clutch of hilarious one-liners, no matter how important that can be to a good stand-up. A lot of shenanigans are going on on the comedy club circuit. The very bad comedian who stole Bill's material had paid the club owner to put him on the bill. Art Wescott, the friend who cancelled so suddenly, is found to have had a very good reason --he'd had a gun at his head while he was making the call, one that went off after he hung up. Bill figures he's involved in something that's not funny at all, and he'd better find out what it is before the last laugh is on him.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing for your reading pleasure, L.A.-based stand-up comic Biff Kincaid. Having accepted a last-minute request to fill in for friend Art Westcott at Chortles Comedy Club, Biff realizes that the first performer, Ned Lando, has stolen all his material from other comics. After the show, Biff learns that Lando paid the sound technician $100 to tape the routines of the gig's two other acts: Biff himself and female club-manager Kelly Malone. Biff confronts Lando outside the club and discovers, just before he's knocked out, that the thief has sold the tape for $1,000. Biff wakes up in Kelly's apartment, and by morning romance is afoot. When Biff goes to see Art, he finds his friend shot through the head. As the last person to speak to him, Biff becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Suddenly things aren't so funny, and Biff begins to put a lot of miles on his Mazda RX-7 in pursuit of Lando and the real killer. Barton, himself a former comic, writes from the heart. He knows L.A. and the comedy scene, the clubs and the unglamorous day world of the rank-and-file entertainer always looking for the next job. Barton and Kincaid certainly rate a return engagement. Agent, Matt Bialer at William Morris. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Successful standup comedian Biff Kincaid substitutes for a friend at a comedy club only to find his material recorded and sold without his permission. As he tracks the thief, Biff discovers a pattern of larceny and deception by a wealthy wannabe who will stop at nothing--perhaps even murder--to achieve fame as a comic. Biff does his best to sabotage the guy's efforts, including reporting him to police as suspect in the murder of Biff's friend. Kincaid seems to love a ruckus as well as a joke, so there's never a dull moment. Recommended.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (April 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312252226
• ISBN-13: 978-0312252229
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,734,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stand-Up Comedy is Murder, February 19, 2002

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Material: A Mystery (Hardcover)

Biff Kincaid, stand-up comic, is filling in as a headliner for friend Art Westcott at the Chortles Club when he sees something that really gets his goat. The opener is recording the entire show in order to steal the jokes. When Biff tries to confront the young man after the show, he winds up unconscious. While trying to track down the tape of his material, he gets involved in the dark side of town and finds Art's body. What did Art know that was worth killing him for? And can Biff find the answers without getting killed himself?

This book was a real departure from the cozy mysteries I normally read. I found myself enjoying it, however. The mystery moves along at a brisk pace with plenty of new information to keep the reader interested, and the characters were truly likeable. Since the book stars a stand-up comic, there are some great one-liners sprinkled throughout the book. I found myself laughing out loud several times and grinning to myself many others. Still, the suspense of the story never lags in favor of the jokes.

If you like your detectives and mysteries with more of an edge, this is the book for you. Pick it up and meet a great new detective in his first mystery.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can die other ways besides laughing, December 13, 2003

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Killer Material: A Mystery (Hardcover)

This is a sensational murder/crime thriller that never gets boring. I will definitely be checking out the sequel Heckler as Killer Material is one of the best books I have read in ages.

Biff Kincaid receives a call from his fellow stand up comedian friend Art Westcott asking if he can fill in at the last moment as the lead act at a club Biff has been meaning to perform at anyway. Biff agrees and is a hit, but discovers the MC Ned Lando, is stealing other comedian's jokes and passing them off as his own. He has taped Biff's and the act of Kelly a comedian Biff has just met and wants to get to know further. This is totally unacceptable to Biff and when he confronts Lando he discovers there's a lot more going on than he realises. When he later discovers the murdered body of Art after finding out Art was also after trying to get his material back he realises that comedy has just got deadly serious. Still he was never one to back down from a fight and no one has the right to steal another comedians jokes.

Like I said you can't put this one down. It is a very entertaining and well written novel. You have to buy it.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good book, November 11, 2000

By 

"gayeharbor" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killer Material: A Mystery (Hardcover)

I just happened to pick this book at the library and it sounded like it could be fairly interesting. It was good. I know more about the comedy store scene than I ever knew and it's a hard life!! Biff Kincaid is an unsuspecting hero and aguy who likes women and they like him a lot in return!! There's lots of twists and murders in this book and it's hard to put down. I hope Dan Barton writes more books!!