Customer Reviews

The Ticket Out

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This debut novel has a lot to recommend it, especially the characterization of its central character, Ann Whitehead, and the people she encounters while investigating the death of an unbalanced screenwriter-wannabe, but all the good stuff is lost in the too-busy plotting and redundant prose. Didn't anyone notice that Ann "runs" everywhere ? and that she continually asks herself a series of mental questions which seem intended to keep the plot twisting around itself. I think with judicious editing this could have been an outstanding debut, but as it is, its a bit of a mess.

I am so excited with the surge of talented authors publishing in 2003 to compliment such greats like Lehane and Pelecanos all with new titles scheduled for release in spring and early summer. Among the lot I have read so far, and definitely will be on the list of Best of 2003 is The Ticket Out by Helen Knode of LA Weekly fame. The once alternative newspaper's movie critic turns out a stylish novel of crime that plays like a movie inside the mind's internal screen, very vivid images et al.

The story opens with Ann Whitehead, movie critic for a counterculture newspaper restlessly watching a new "Hollywood Blockbuster" .starring a megastar that she has no interest in. She walks out, bored tired angry with the movies that are being made today, but worn Nordic beauty. An odd exchange takes place between them, leaving a strong impression with Ann. Later, Greta is found murdered in Ann's bathtub whilst Ann is asleep upstairs in the mansion. Her murder becomedisliki ng her job, In the same way Ann is meant to write her story, I believe this is the story Helen Knode was meant to write. It is a wonderful foundation upon which to build a fruitful lengthy career.

Knode knows well the turf she speaks of and the roads of Los Angeles she travels down. She surrounds Ann with real flesh and blood both literally and figuratively, her family and friends, the LAPD and detectives, using the chase to catch the murderer to show Ann's growth. I personally enjoyed Knode's mention of my old alma mater, along with places I know & go, and enjoyed seeing them through Ann's eyes.

This thriller has all the ingredients of an instant winner, among readers collectors and surely the Hollywood in-crowd, and without a doubt some producer will come knocking.
This is another of those: DO NOT MENTION THE ENDING!! I am waiting to read whatever this woman writes next, with a secret hope there's more to The Ticket Out.

And one more thing, Helen Knode doesn't need any help from her talented world -renowned husband James Ellroy for whom the work is dedicated. This novel is fabulous!

As a fan of both mystery/crime fiction and movies/movie history, I had high hopes for this book, but must admit that I was quite disappointed. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't think it was too long; indeed, I felt it read quickly and really had me engrossed, waiting for a big payoff. Where I do agree with other reviewers, however, was on the ending: it was a complete headscratcher for me. Were we meant to be left believing that that the main character's father was somehow involved in the murders? I also agree that there were a few too many characters that didn't contribute meaningfully to the plot, e.g. Penny Proft, whose witty repartee (or what was supposed to be witty) really grated, and the LA cop wielding a rubber chicken for laughs when on duty.

Some of the writing was too hyperbolic for me. Example: "I cried for the rest of the night. I cried when I was awake, and I cried in my sleep. I cried so hard in my sleep that I woke myself up again. I hurt my rib crying. I soaked the sheets and blankets crying, and soaked my pajamas crying. At one point I crawled off the couch to find a dry place to lie down." And one thing that really bothered me, given the 2001 setting of the action: Knode refers to a character dialing the phone, and going back and forth all night during the course of a party to use the phone. What Hollywood player wouldn't have a cellphone, to which one wouldn't need to walk back and forth?

Having said all of this, if Knode delivers a sequel, I'll have to read it, if only to understand what happened at the end of this book

This book started out with lots of action and excellent character development of main charaters, Ann Whitehead and Doug Lockwood, however, it fell flat in the middle to end. I could not believe the ending and kept turning pages - albeit blank ones to see if some fool had torn out the ending. This author's first attempt is to be commended, but the ending is not even quite subtle, but blatantly disappointing.

While I have read many criticisms of Knode's first novel, I really enjoyed reading it. Although the ending may have been disappointing, I don't think Knode wants you to know the end of the story yet, or she wants you to imagine your own ending. I think it's true that there will probably be a sequel. I did find some of the characters hard to keep straight sometimes, but I think the story of the murder was woven together very thoughtfully and I was always looking forward to find out what happened next.

...limits quality of new mystery/thriller. Some good moments here, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of the secondary cop character, Doug Lockwood. The author falls into the all too common trap of making her heroine so tough as to be less than believable, and so violent as to be a caricature.

Meet Ann Whitehead. A Hollywood movie critic with a problem or two. She hates all modern Hollywood movies. And there's a voluptuous corpse in her bathtub. That's just for openers. It gets better. Hollywood noir updated to the new millenium. A female protagonist with attitude, and an astonishing new voice. To all the actresses moaning that no one ever writes good parts for women these days, read this book. To anyone wondering what it's like inside the head of the woman who tamed James Ellroy, read this book. To every fan of LA crime stories, read this book. Helen Knode's first novel is a gem. Dig it!

Ann Whitehead is a movie critic for an entertainment weekly in L.A. She is the caretaker of a mansion and lives in the pool house. The morning after a party given by the owner of the house, Ann finds a body in her bathtub. It is the body of a woman Ann met the night before who had written a script she hoped would be made into a feminist movie. Ann works with LAPD Detective Douglas Lockwood to solve the crime. Their investigation takes us endlessly from one character to another.
This is the second mystery novel published by Harcourt that I have read in the last few months. (The other being NIGHT MUSIC by Harrison Gradwell Slater). The books are large attractive products but trying to read them will take a tremendous effort by the reader. In this case, one uninteresting character after another is introduced at a rate that will keep the reader's head spinning. Ann Whitehead is only a mildly sympathetic main protagonist but will grate on the reader's nerves after awhile. The plot gets increasingly confusing and is way too long. First time authors should stop trying to write the Great American Novel the first time out of the starting block. It is probably more than they could handle whether they realize it or not. They should live by the adage KISS- keep it simple stupid. In Helen Knode's case, her husband, James Ellroy, probably served as an example for writing the long pretentious Hollywood novel. This one is well worth skipping.

In the tradition of Chandler and Marlowe this is a great read-a modern noir novel for chicks. I couldn't put it down. The narrator is a wonderful, complex character and the plot and subplots keep the novel moving. Knode paints a vivid picture of Hollywood-then and now- and leaves the reader wanting more. For fans of mysteries and suspense, it doesn't get much better.

I'm going to review this book by "borrowing" from some of the other reviews that have been posted because I think that taken all together, they actually do paint a fairly accurate picture of the book.

For starters, yes, Helen Knode shows some appreciation for her audience by not dumbing down the plot and requiring at least some kind of peripheral knowledge of Hollywood history to fully appreciate it, but at the same time it tends to take on too much of a "wink wink" subtley that I imagine the casual mystery reader would find annoying and confusing.

On that note as well, the plot is complicated. I won't say it's convoluted because Knode deserves some credit for not taking any short cuts, but there's a lot of information to digest, a lot of it red herrings, and there are so many characters that it's very difficult for even the most involved reader to keep them straight, especially when they may disappear for forty or so pages and reappear, requiring some quick back referencing to remind oneself of who that person is.

The ending is also very unsatisfying. After investing so much in the story and characters, the author does her readers a great disservice. I won't give it away - some other reviews mention this as well - but it bothered me a lot. I guess I can understand the desire to throw yet another curve and to not fall into cliche, but I think it was safe to say that there was very little danger of doing so anyway given what had come before.

The other main flaw is that the protagonist is somewhat infuriating in her actions and choices. Again, there's no rule that says this can't be the case, but it certainly doesn't help. Interestingly, I was often reminded while reading The Ticket Out of another book that had many similarities - first time female novelists writing mysteries centered around a very specific location and time period with main characters that were not up to snuff. I don't think it means anything except to say that it serves to illustrate how the dissatisfaction of the first book stayed with me to be harkened back to from reading this one.

I would recommend getting The Ticket Out from the library if you find the subject matter interesting rather than purchasing it.