Customer Reviews

The Morning Show Murders: A Novel (Thorndike Mystery)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Reading this book felt, for me, like reading a novelization of a made-for-TV murder mystery circa 1986. In style, tone, and characterization--really everything except the rather persistent pop culture references--Al Roker's "The Morning Show Murders" harkens back to Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Father Dowling, and other classic TV fare: a bit of murder and intrigue, all handled fairly comically, with a large cast of unique personalities in a pretty unrealistic situation.

Who can protest a cast of major and minor characters which includes a celebrity chef, an all-business TV executive, a security guard named after Andy Warhol, a mysterious all-knowing Yoda-like figure in a track suit, an obnoxious restaurant hostess, a lesbian comic book artist, a couple gruff and clueless cops, an ex-terrorist-turned-bestselling-author, and, of course, a faceless and legendary international assassin who leaves drawings behind at murder scenes? Yes, they're all packed in here pretty tightly, and I give this novel four big stars for sheer zany fun, even though, in the end, it's a bit like a cross-country road trip: plenty to see along the way, but nothing really matters much till you reach your destination. Clues, and characters, are introduced and come and go, and in the end, as usual, an amateurish detective finds a single, subtle clue that wraps everything up with a neat little bow. But, you know, I expected nothing less. This would be a great read on the beach or on an airplane. Just don't expect to remember any of it once you close the book.

I've read dozens, maybe hundreds of mystery novels. I've certainly reviewed my fair share of cookbooks, too. So how could I _not_ be interested in a mystery novel featuring a celebrity chef who finds himself the chief suspect when his TV producer is killed? When I saw the book among my Amazon Vine options, I grabbed it.

It's easy to write a review for a 5-star book; there's plenty to gush about. It's also easy to write a 1-star review because the faults are so many. But the 3-star reviews are painful. This isn't a bad book. Not at all. If you read it, I expect that you will finish it, and the story will keep your attention all the way through. You might even chuckle a few times. But Al Roker's foray into fiction isn't at all wonderful, not in any way. It's just... okay. The mystery is a bit contrived, but I can forgive that. This is meant to be a fun mystery, not deep literature. (Though I sure laughed more at Marshall Karp's Flipping Out.)

Foodies be warned: this isn't a mystery novel where food or even eating is a major part of the story. For the most part, the chef-ingredients are just set dressing. Chef Billy Blessing (our hero) does cook a few meals here and there, but they are no more detailed than you'd find on a restaurant menu. Such as, the music had finished "...by the time I laid out the lamb en croute on the dinner table along with potato-leek soup, hot dinner rolls, and to slosh it all down, a tasty, Bordeaux-styled Corbieres." If you're looking for cooking techniques or recipes befitting a celebrity chef, you're out of luck. That's a minor disappointment -- but not a big problem. (There's far more actual cooking in Cleo Coyle's NY coffeehouse mysteries, starting with On What Grounds.)

What did bother me was that... I never really cared about Billy. Although some of the background characters are appealing, it felt to me as though Billy was a bit-player in his own life. The story has plenty of action and derring-do, but I never felt as though any of it mattered. With a good book, you don't read it, you *inhabit* it, and The Morning Show Murders never achieved that goal.

Very few are as familiar with the ins, outs, and roundabouts of morning TV as is popular weatherman Al Roker. What few knew until recently was that he's not only engaging on camera but also an accomplished author ( Don't Make Me Stop This Car!: Adventures In Fatherhood, and several cookbooks.) Add to that description a smart fellow because when he decided to turn his pen to a mystery he wrote about what he knew - choosing as his protagonist Chef Billy Blessing who tantalizes viewers tastebuds each morning on Wake Up America!

It's a delicious treat to read Roker's book because of his ingenious use of and references to real people, places and programs. This gambit leaves readers wondering what is fact and what is fiction while enjoying every page. Don't know whether or not American Idol, Charles Gibson, Clint Eastwood, etc. enjoy their mentions, but readers surely will.

How's this for an opening line, "The big guy lumbered toward me, waving the cleaver. Weeping like a baby."? Roker pulls us in on page 1 and keeps us guessing until page 312.

Between his gigs on Wake Up America and running a vaunted NYC restaurant Chef Billy Blessing has been in tall cotton. Ooops, when the show's producer is murdered and his untimely departure is found to have been caused by coq au vin from Billy's restaurant, who is the prime suspect? None other than charming Billy. Producer Gallagher left behind a little black book filled with names and had recently been to Afghanistan, Kabul "to oversee a week of live evening news broadcasts." While there a man sharing a dinner table was murdered, his throat cut. Unwittingly Gallagher had become privy to dangerous, tightly guarded information. Worth murdering to keep secret?

Whatever the case, it's not long before some very unfriendly fellows are circling and it seems another death is in the offing. In order to clear himself Billy must not only find the killer but stay alive while doing it.

Roker has created a likable hero, spiced his story with insider quips, and woven an entertaining mystery - enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

. . . I really enjoyed this read!

Granted, this is not Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But it is a pretty darn good mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Al Roker, the long-time, well-loved TV chef and morning show personality, along with his co-author, Dick Lochte, have written an entertaining romp through the world of morning news, entertainment, and fine food, which will capture the reader and keep the pages turning.

As this is a MURDER MYSTERY, I'm trying to be very careful to avoid spoilers. Let's just say that the mystery is well-crafted, and will lead the reader guessing until the climax. I strongly suspect that Dick Lochte, an award-winning mystery author, provided much of the actual "nuts-and-bolts" (or should I say "meat-and-potatoes") of the actual "crafting" of the mystery, with Al Roker providing the "inside scoop" on both the restaurant scene, and morning-show entertainment, but for me, this is not a detraction.

The protagonist is quite the likable curmudgeon. One can surmise that more mysteries featuring "Chef Blessing" may well be coming in the future. I'd certainly read the next one . . .

Recommended at a solid 4-stars.

The Morning Show Murders is an enjoyable book and a good mystery, although it does betray a roughness around the edges that's to be expected from a first time author.

The book is written in first person in a voice that's all Archie Goodwin from Nero Wolfe, snappy, witty, and cool. Amusingly named Billy Blessing comes alive through the writing alone, and his wry take on the craziness that happens behind the cameras at news studios will make you look at those morning shows in a different way! The plot itself was quite clever, a sort of chase that developed over the course of the book. I saw the twist ending coming a long way away, but even so, I thought it was very creative.

The book does, however, drag quite a bit in the middle. My fiance read it, and complained how the plot seemed to stop moving for a while, like the author didn't know where he was going with it. Thinking back, I had the same sense, and the mushy middle does take some life out of the story.

But even so, I recommend it. The clever language, enticing characters, and maze-like plot are more than enough for a fan of detective novels to forgive a few flaws.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It was a very readable, enjoyable mystery with a few insider comments from time to time about the author's own show that made it different.

The action is fast-moving with quite a few twists and turns and covers a lot of territory. Some of the characters are recognizable and some make you wonder. And there are lots of laughs in between the action.

If you like The Today Show you might have to read this novel, just to see if you can identify any of the characters. And, if you don't , you still would like this if you like a good light fast-moving mystery. There is no gore, although there are murders - quite a few murders.

This book isn't the best ever but it is very readable and certainly fun. Would be a great airport read or waiting room read, or any other time when you want short chapters and a book to keep your attention.

Simply, not interesting enough to hold my attention. Pushed myslef to keep reading, hoping it would get better...just never happened. Would not recommend for those who like challenge and intrigue~twists and turns~the unpredictibilty of well written suspence novels.

I have been watching Al Roker for years on the Today Show. When I read The Morning Show Murders, I was pleasantly surprised at what a good story Mr. Roker told. I liked the characters and there were plenty of them. It made finding the culprit challenging. I liked the plot, which kept moving. Best of all I enjoyed the setting, behind the scenes of a New York restaturant and going backstage on a morning TV show. I would say it is as deep as a Murder, She Wrote novel. It is a good read for entertainment and escape.

I hate to say it, but this book is about just what you'd expect it is- a light mystery based around the goings-on of a morning talk show.

Lots of interesting characters, lots of little insight about the "morning news show" business, and lots of little quips.

Not a bad read for cozy mystery fans or Al Roker fans. Nice way to pass some time.

My rule of thumb is to read my age in pages before giving up on a book. I'm glad I did with The Morning Show Murders. Many other books pulled me away from getting into this murder/mystery but when I finally dedicated time to it, it was not too bad. Al Roker's humor - to anyone tuned in to the Today Show on every morning of their life - is plastered throughout the pages. He is definitely Billy Blessing, heart and soul. Quick wit, intuitive, talented with the background and mind of a sleuth -- masquerading as a chef -- all gave the hero and story a unique perspective. I would read this on a beach as dessert or choose it from the library shelves for entertainment and curiosity. A good first attempt for Al Roker!