Customer Reviews

Murder at the ABA

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Actually add a star to my review if you are fan of both writers. This book is not only dedicated to Harlan Ellison but the main character is a rather broad parody of Ellison. Darius Rust is short, angry, sarcastic and funny and if you don't see the parallels to Ellison, you don't read Ellison. Ultimately the enjoyment from this book comes from the background of these two writers - Asimov and Ellison - and their amusing banter. Asimov does such a great job of writing in Ellison's voice that one almost suspects that Ellison pushed him out of the way to add material. More than once I had to make sure that I was reading an Asimov book.

As with most murder mysteries (like The Big Bow Mystery or the Sherlock Holmes series) the enjoyment doesn't come from the mystery but the characters. The mystery in this case is rather pedestrian. Rival to the narrator gets killed. Narrator runs around solving the mystery, however the ultimate denouement is rather obvious given the clues.

So it's an amusing little book and definitely buy if you like either Asimov or Ellison, but don't expect too much.

I love Isaac Asimov, and when I saw this old book at a used book store I couldn't resist! It was interestingly written, with Isaac Asimov not being the narrator - and introducing himself as a character! There are footnotes that will crack you up (the banter between Isaac and the "person" that is the narrator in the book is wonderful) and, best of all, a really great, twisted whodunit. The ending came together beautifully and unexpectedly, all written by a great (fantastic?) writer! I would highly recommend it, as well as his "Black Widower" short stories - if you can find them.

I have read many books by the esteemed Dr. A, and this is certainly one of the weakest. A none too surprising tour of a book & authors convention with workaday characters presumably based on real people (but who cares). The only lively character is Asimov himself, who is portrayed as lecherous, gluttonous and overbearing, tho still lovable. 90% of the interrogation by the amateur sleuth is dull and irrelevant and serves only as parsley to cover up the (miniscule) actual clues. But even here, the clues are introduced as clumsily as in his Lucky Starr on Mars, where out of nowhere a character flashes what turns out to be the murder weapon. Asimov wrote much better mysteries in ^A Whiff of Death^ and especially ^The Caves of Steel^, not to mention some of his superlative science fiction. Skip this one.

From the tone and presentation, it is clear that Asimov had a great deal of fun writing this murder mystery. The American Booksellers Association actually exists and holds conventions, so the setting is based on actual events. The narrator (mostly) is an author named Darius Just that is participating in the convention. His protégé is Giles Devore, a man that he gave considerable help to when Devore was writing his first book and that has now surpassed Just. Devore has so many neuroses that they are layered on top of each other and when he dies it is Just that finds the body.
Although it looks like Devore slipped and hit his head in the bathtub, Just knows about his neuroses and there are features in the hotel room that are inconsistent with how Devore behaves. Just immediately suspects murder and this is his retelling of his thought processes and actions as he conducts his investigation.
Asimov includes himself in the list of characters and he engages in some self-deprecating humor in describing himself as a joyous but lovable lecherous man. Several clear clues as to the identity of the killer are placed among the distracters and the story moves along rather well. There are occasional humorous footnotes where Asimov and Just verbally spar over what actually happened between them.
Murder can never really be lighthearted but Asimov gets as close as possible in this book. The inclusion of himself is a masterstroke and is the feature that made the book the gem that it is.

Sudden death at the publishing world's glittering annual convention. When the acclaimed protégé of writer Darius Just suddenly turns up dead at the annual convention of the American Booksellers Association, chaos and confusion sweep the autographing sessions, the buffet tables, the bars, and the famed hospitality suites. Darius is certain he can discover the murder. But only if the murderer doesn't find him first..