Hollywood and Crime: Original Crime Stories Set During the History of Hollywood

Hollywood and Crime: Original Crime Stories Set During the History of Hollywood
Robert J. Randisi, (Editor)
Pegasus, Sep 2007, $25.00
ISBN: 9781933648286

The underlying theme to these fourteen wonderful crime capers is the corner of Hollywood and Vine. All the contributions are strong with a few deserving of award nomination status as this may be the crime anthology of the year. Especially powerful Harry Bosch’s "Suicide Run" by Michael Connelly and Moe Howard proves he is no stooge as an amateur sleuth investigating the death of Three Stooges founder Ted Healey in “Murderlized”. With homage to Jack Webb and Hedder Hopper amongst other notables, readers will appreciate Hollywood and Crime; however the highlight to this reviewer is the return of private investigator Leo Bloodworth (by Dock Lochte) working a case while listening to the sound of Dinah Shore singing Johnny Mercer on an MP3. As Gar Anthony Haywood’s character Danny Floyd says in “Moving Pictures" claims he knows movies as he has seen the “Matrix trilogy six times and both Kill Bills twice apiece”; “who gives a F**k” about classic film noirs especially black and white”. Readers will hooray for Hollywood and Crime as the show must go on.

Harriet Klausner