The Bullet Catch
by
John Gaspard
Eli Marks, magician, is caught in the midst of two mysteries. Neither of which caught my attention or interest as some of the other works from this publisher have in the past.
The common thread for the two mysteries is the high school reunion which brings together friends from two decades. In the years since high school graduation, Jake has developed a reputation as a TV actor, now trying to branch out to the big screen. The curious thing is that he is convinced that a member of the cast or crew want him dead even as his character is killed in the movie. Why? To help publicize a poorly written script. As the movie comes down to its final shot, literally, it looks as if Jake's fears have come to fruition. Eli may be able to step in, though not everybody thought it would work.
The other potential victim is Trish Lasalle. After the death of her husband, all those connected with his business are also found dead. Eli suspects that she will be the next victim, except that ... well that is the mystery.
Though the book is better that some, the characters never seem to come to life. There appears to this reader that they are poor actors in a community stage play, rather than the stars of a well-written cosy mystery. Each character has his or her part, but they seem somewhat dry and unimaginitive.
With a small interest in magic, the theaters, and film, I thought the book would hold my interest. It struggled to do so - I was anxious to move onto my next book (i.e. a scholarly, but lively, history of computers).
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This review is based on a free electronic copy of the book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
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