Murder Hurts: A Fiddler and Fiora Mystery [Hardcover]

A.E. Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 1993

Mexico's criminal underworld and Hollywood's elite mingle in the latest case for California detective Fiddler and his ex-wife and sleuthing partner Fiora, as they investigate the twenty-year-old murder of his uncle, an adventurous marijuana smuggler.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Southern California's stylish PI team of Fiddler and Fiora returns in their eighth adrenaline-propelled adventure. Hard-driving, gun-toting Fiddler is seduced by the possibility of avenging the death of his beloved Uncle Jake, a small-time drug dealer and smuggler who was gunned down south of the border years before. Fiddler, who was there at the time, shot one of the killers; now he gets an anonymous call offering information about the other. Fiddler encounters the second "executioner" and barely escapes a manslaughter charge. But important questions are raised about Jake's last job and his former associates as Fiddler receives some old photos showing his uncle with sundry Tinseltown powers who are now expiring at an alarming rate. As the body count climbs to double digits, Fiora, a sexy financial maven who talks horny and dresses like a hooker, occasionally rescues Fiddler, who drives exotic cars, uses exotic firearms, waxes hardboiled and existential and is, in the end, pretty much of a doofus. Maxwell, a husband-and-wife team, also wrote Just Another Day in Paradise.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

It hurts, sure, but it doesn't kill you--not if you're shamus/ adventurer Fiddler (The King of Nothing, 1992, etc.), who survived a shooting that left his raffish Uncle Jake dead. Fiddler killed one of the hired guns years ago; now an anonymous caller offers to sell him the name of their employer for $50,000, and throw in the other gunman for free. The deal isn't really that simple, of course, and soon Fiddler realizes that he's gotten caught in the crossfire between Hollywood producer Aileen Camp, who used to buy dope from Jake, and agent Barry Franklin for control of Visual Arts Pictures. By the time Fiddler is sure who he wants to kill, somebody else has beaten him to the punch, using Fiddler's signature Detonics, and leaving Fiddler on the run and his ex-wife/lover Fiora in the pokey. More woolly revenge (was Jake selling coke or only harmless weed?) than mystery, with Fiddler's customary strong points--his running love/hate with the law, the ingenious final sting--less impressive than usual, and far too much coitus interruptus with Fiora. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 279 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (August 24, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679418172
• ISBN-13: 978-0679418177
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Farewell to old friends., August 19, 2000

By 

L. S. Tucker (Port St. Lucie, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Hurts: A Fiddler and Fiora Mystery (Hardcover)

A mysterious phone call brings back the nightmares of Fiddler's Uncle Jake's death and Fiddler's own near fatal shooting. As he digs into the ambush, with Fiora's reluctant help, he learns some ugly truths about his beloved rebel uncle. All hell breaks loose when Fiddler is framed for murders he didn't commit and Fiora is caught in the police trap.

It was with a heavy heart that I began the last book in Fiddler and Fiora series. It was a glorious conclusion, returning full circle to thrillseeker Jake and his murder. Benny, the Ice Cream King, and federal agent Matt Suarez are also in this farewell tale.

Do yourself a favor and buy all eight books in the series and read them in order, savoring the highs and lows, the vibrant descriptions, the multi-dimensional characters, the poignant love Fiddler and Fiora share. It's worth the time.