The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald [Paperback]

David Handler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2002

Wildly bestselling first-time novelist Cam Noyes writes with a lyrical voice like F. Scott Fitzgerald and looks like he leapt right out of a Ralph Lauren ad. The media's latest darling, he's having a ball running with the brat pack, posing for magazines, rolling in and out of beds, brawling in bars, swigging tequila, and snorting cocaine. But with such a busy schedule, Cam simply can't find the time to write his long-overdue second book. Enter Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag-ghostwriter of celebrity memoirs and reluctant amateur detective-to tackle Cam's tell-all expose of the dirty business behind megabuck book deals. But "cutthroat" takes on a whole new meaning as the bodies start piling up faster than the pages of the manuscript. If Hoagy doesn't act fast, there'll be no one left in publishing to tell the tale.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a wickedly amusing tale, Handler ( The Man Who Died Laughing ) pokes fun at wunderkind authors, unscrupulous agents, shady publishers and, of course, surly reviewers as he continues the adventures of his hero, ghostwriter Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag. Cameron Sheffield Noyes published his first novel, Bang , to great acclaim just before his 20th birthday, making him an instant celebrity--"a troubled young genius blessed with James Dean's looks and John McEnroe's personality." Unfortunately, he's also a celebrity with writer's block, says Noyes's agent, who hires Hoagy to help this hot property whip his life into a bestselling autobiography. Inteviewing him, Hoagy finds Noyes an appropriately melodramatic subject: a blue-blooded youth, orphaned young and thrust suddenly into the New York publishing scene. But clearly somebody doesn't like the story: Hoagy receives ominous warnings to quit the project. Just as his research reveals Noyes's touching memoirs as complete fabrication, both Noyes's publisher and ex-lover are murdered, and Noyes himself vanishes. New York's finest are on the case, but it's Hoagy with his sidekick, the delightful basset hound Lulu, who learns if Noyes's autobiography has a happy ending.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: I Books (July 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743445082
• ISBN-13: 978-0743445085
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,523,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

These days, I live in a 200-year-old carriage house in a quaint, ultra-WASPY little historic New England village. Not surprisingly, I've taken to writing a series of five (and counting) retro-cozy murder mysteries set in a quaint, ultra-WASPY little historic New England village. I call it Dorset. It's a place where everyone knows everything about everyone ' or at least they think they do. Trust me, they don't. Dorset is a place full of secrets, many of them deadly. That's where my deliciously mismatched heroes come in, both of them strangers in a very strange land. Mitch Berger, a pudgy Jewish widower, is the lead film critic for the most prestigious and therefore lowest paying of New York's three daily newspapers. Desiree Mitry is an alluring beautiful Connecticut State Trooper who happens to be black, a gifted artist and strangely drawn to Mitch. Under normal circumstances, these are two people whose paths would never cross. But absolutely nothing about Dorset is normal.

I started the series in 2001 with The Cold Blue Blood , which was nominated for a Dilys Award. My most recent hardcover, The Sweet Golden Parachute came out in the spring of 2006. The latest paperback is The Burnt Orange Sunrise , which I'm happy to report made a few bestseller lists. You absolutely don't have to read the Berger-Mitry books in order, but you'll find it a kick to follow the unfolding romance if you do. Personally, I've found them to be a real treat. I get a chance to dissect the village and the people where I actually live. Absolutely everyone in town reads them. And I have fun bringing my own subversive contemporary edge to the classic old-school village murder mystery. The books feel real fresh to me. I hope you like them.

The Berger-Mitrys are my second crime series. My first foray, which you may remember, featured the dapper celebrity ghostwriter Stewart 'Hoagy' Hoag and his faithful, neurotic basset hound Lulu. I wrote eight novels about Hoagy, a fallen literary wunderkind turned pen for hire who travels the underbelly of show business helping famous stars tell their life stories, secrets and all. Generally, there are plenty of people who wanted those secrets to stay safely buried. Generally, our jaded hero knows how to dig them out. My first Hoagy, The Man Who Died Laughing , was nominated for an Anthony Award. My best known in the series, The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald , won an Edgar and an American Mystery Award. Sadly, several of the Hoagys are out of print right now -- so you may have to do a little on-line detective work to track them down. But go for it. You'll never find another wise-cracking hero quite like Hoagy.

Do you like political thrillers? If so, I took some time off between series a few years back to co-author an international bestselling page-turner called Gideon under the name Russell Andrews. I promise you it'll knock your socks off.

I've also taken the time to write some short fiction. Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine has published several of my short stories since 2001. Two have been included in anthologies ' Opening Shots Volume Two , edited by Lawrence Block, and A Hot and Sultry Night for Crime , edited by Jeffrey Deaver.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a read!, January 22, 2000

By 

J. Villeneuve "jayvil" (Newtown, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (Mass Market Paperback)

I have never been shooshed so much while reading a book - I was chuckling at Handler's wit every other page! Hoagy is a great character and the plot is a pretty twisty one as well. A great read! I've said it many a time to emphasize how good a book was, but this is the first time I actually FINISHED A BOOK IN ONE SITTING! I couldn't read it fast enough. GOOD STUFF!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing & Interesting Read, July 22, 2007

By 

YankeeChick "Yankee" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (Paperback)

After the last couple of crappers I've read, this book was like a cool breeze on a hot day. Snappy writing, interesting characters, great plot, funny repartee--what more can you ask for? Love this author and plan to read more Stuart Hoag books based on my excellent experience with this one.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handler is a scream., June 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (Mass Market Paperback)

Handler is a scream. His stories are orginal and his characters are very lively. No trends are spared from Handler's savage pen. I hope Handler enjoys writing the Hoagy series as much as I enjoy reading it