The Wicked and the Dead
Robert Weibezahl
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
Robert Weibezahl has taken us to the heart of Hollywood in his new book
The Wicked and the Dead. And a cold black heart it is! It is an
insider's look at the business of films and film makers. Since he
himself worked seven years in film production for major studios he is
able to show the reader this world fine detail. It is this
setting that makes this book
unique within the current market for crime fiction.
Billy Winnetka is an script writer who has worked in Hollywood for a
long time, maybe too long. He has survived in the business, knows a lot
of people, but the times are changing. He still gets an occasional call
for a "meeting" but they are getting farther apart. On the other hand,
Billy still has money coming in, a place to live and a nice Saab. With
Joanie Mitchell in the tape deck, a good used book store near by and an
ex-wife who still speaks to him, life is not too bad. Maybe this
is why the murder of Harold Clausen hits him the wrong way.
Clausner a producer acquaintance of his, meets with an
accident on the way to a meeting with Billy, but the accident is a bit
suspicious. As other old acquaintances are also permanently edited out
of life Billy gets to work to figure out who is the final editor.
This book is just plain fun. Billy Winnetka is a character you hope to
meet again. He is not the brightest crime solver ever introduced, but
he tries and cares- what else can be asked for in the bad, bright world
of Hollywood? This book is for anyone who just wants to spend a few
hours lost in the fake glitter of Tinseltown, absorbed in a well
constructed murder mystery. A throw back to the style of the 50s, it is
a pleasant addition to the modern crime over easy novels.