Old Hollywood with a Dash of Mystery
Being the movie fan I am, Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles immediately caught my attention when it came out last year. What could be better than a mystery involving classic Hollywood stars, right? Sadly, this book was lacking a well plotted mystery.
The year in 1940, and Babs Norman and Guy Brandt have set up a detective agency. But it is struggling to bring in any money, which is why Babs has just been evicted from her apartment. But the potential for positive cash flow comes when they learn that Hollywood isn’t going to the dogs since their dogs are disappearing. Basil Rathbone’s dog has been kidnapped as has the dog that plays Asta in the Thin Man movies. Since a new Thin Man movie is supposed to start production soon, the studio is desperate to get their canine star back. Can Babs and Guy figure out what is going on?
If you are looking for a book filled with Hollywood stars from the Golden age of Hollywood, this book is definitely for you. At times, I felt like actors and actresses outnumbered the fictional characters. And they are very involved in the plot since we have a bit of a competition between the actors who play Sherlock Holmes and Nick Charles to see who can solve things. Yes, Babs, as our main character, is also involved and ultimately does piece things together, but the actors do provide some important information.
Unfortunately, the plot just isn’t that good. There are lots of ideas included, but they aren’t well developed. Often, I felt like things were shoved in instead of being more organically introduced. And there are a few storylines/complications that are more about the antics of the stars than about furthering the mystery, giving us uneven pacing. Things did reach a satisfactory ending.
And we can’t forget the subplot that felt forced into things and unresolved.
While I did feel the historical aspect was mostly well done, I did find a factual error early on that made me question other things. And it was something that took me just a few seconds to learn for myself.
The writing was also only passable. It kept us outside the story, more an observer than a full participant. It also kept us from getting to really know the characters.
If you are a fan of old Hollywood and want to rub elbows with the stars of the era, you’ll enjoy Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles. But if you are looking for a well-developed mystery, you can skip this book.
I almost went to an author signing for this book as it sounded interesting but unfortunately, I ended up not being able to go. It sounds like I had a handy escape. As much as I am fascinated by old Hollywood I need a mystery book to actually contain a good mystery for me to want to read. Thanks for sharing your review!
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