Mae West impersonators are falling victim to a vampirish killer, until the legendary siren herself decides to lead in the pursuit of the murderer. By the author of The Noel Coward Murder Case.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The latest Hollywood-in-its-heyday caper from Baxt ( The Noel Coward Murder Case et al.) is long on camp but short on humor. In 1936, with the extravagantly endowed and spoken star of the title at the height of her power at Paramount, four Mae West impersonators (one a woman) are murdered. LAPD detectives Villon and Mallory, two dim bulbs, call on megawatt Mae to warn her. Accompanied by Villon and Mallory as bodyguards/musclemen, bossy and fearless Mae attends a Halloween ball at a Hollywood drag palace. After the club owner and a script girl are murdered at the ball, the star zeroes in on the killer, aided by the dull coppers. Preposterous in its resolution, laced with such anachronisms as "grope therapy" and a Superman costume three years before the man of steel was introduced, this froth is flat--and no tribute to the multi-dimensioned West.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The prolific Baxt offers up another in his series of mysteries featuring famous personalities of the past. This time flamboyant sex siren Mae West--mistress of the earthy double entendre--is the heroine. Someone's been killing off the West lookalikes who are cropping up all over Hollywood in the wake of the original's enormous popularity. Even though Mae is surrounded by comely, muscular bodyguards who'd sacrifice their lives to protect her, Detective Herb Villon and his partner, Jim Mallory, fear she'll be the killer's next victim. In a madcap race to find the murderer, Villon, Mallory, and Mae encounter plenty of odd characters, including gangsters, witches, and warlocks. Baxt has done his usual outstanding job of reincarnating his celebrity characters. West's golden-hearted bawdiness and the glitz of 1930s Hollywood come through loud and clear. A witty and entertaining satire posing as a mystery. Emily Melton
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Satire that is a murder story,
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This review is from: The Mae West Murder Case (Hardcover)
This book more than any of the others in Baxt's Hollywood series is satirical. It perfectly describes Miss Mae West as she was in the 30's - outrageous, campy and surprisingly generous. She was a very warm human being, and totally aware of what she was and what she wasn't. After all she created herself and marketed herself in a way that few actresses did in that day and age. In this book there are a series of murders of Mae West impersonators, and Detective Villon works with Mae to try to find the killer before the real Mae West became a victim. The crescendo builds up until it culminates in a bizarre Halloween party held at an infamous nightclub. More murders occur, but Mae manages to avoid it, and then gets ready to set up the denouement in the most curious place you'll ever find.
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