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Algonquin Round Table #2
You Might as Well Die
When second-rate illustrator Ernie MacGuffin's artistic works triple in value following his apparent suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, Dorothy Parker smells something fishy. Enlisting the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini, she goes to a séance held by MacGuffin's mistress, where Ernie's ghostly voice seems hauntingly real...
312 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 6, 2011
4 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Murphy
11 books90 followersWhen not writing the Algonquin Round Table Mysteries, J.J. Murphy is an award-winning health care writer and very busy parent of twin daughters in suburban Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 27, 2014
What a great book. The author is a genius!! (Oh, did I mention I wrote it?)
OK, to anyone who's reading this, here's some fun background about this book you won't find anywhere else!
The idea for the mystery in this book comes from these three unlikely facts:
- Tupac Shakur released more albums after his death than during his life.
- Elvis Presley earned $55 million in 2012—thirty-five years after his death.
- Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime (for 400 francs), yet In the late 1990s, his “Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear” sold for an estimated $80-$90 million!
Now what if a mediocre yet clever artist decided to fake his own death? Would his career actually improve? And if it did, would he even really need to remain alive for his benefactors to profit from his works?
And that's just one aspect to this book. I didn't even mention all the interesting background stuff about Harry Houdini!
Hope this helps you enjoy this story. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you have a lot of fun reading it.
J.J.
OK, to anyone who's reading this, here's some fun background about this book you won't find anywhere else!
The idea for the mystery in this book comes from these three unlikely facts:
- Tupac Shakur released more albums after his death than during his life.
- Elvis Presley earned $55 million in 2012—thirty-five years after his death.
- Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime (for 400 francs), yet In the late 1990s, his “Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear” sold for an estimated $80-$90 million!
Now what if a mediocre yet clever artist decided to fake his own death? Would his career actually improve? And if it did, would he even really need to remain alive for his benefactors to profit from his works?
And that's just one aspect to this book. I didn't even mention all the interesting background stuff about Harry Houdini!
Hope this helps you enjoy this story. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you have a lot of fun reading it.
J.J.
December 20, 2011
J.J. Murphy’s second mystery, You Might As Well Die, starring Dorothy Parker, is a zany, screwball comedy delight set in New York in the 1920’s. People die (well, that’s debatable but I’ll say no more), but you will never feel sad. The witty jokes and cynical appraisals of life’s foibles fly as fast as you can read.
Along with the hilarious members of the Algonquin Round Table we met in Murphy’s first book, Murder Your Darlings, including Dorothy’s closest friend Robert Benchley, the characters in this book include (and “characters” is the right word) Harry Houdini the famous escape artist. We also meet a very bad artist named Ernie MacGuffin, whose dreadful art gets a sudden rise in value when he jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge, and another dubious “artiste,” strip tease dancer Viola Sweet, who claims to be channeling the dead Ernie as a clairvoyant. Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott croquet through it all—yes, their wild game of croquet uses all of greater New York as their playing field. Dorothy does solve a murder or two and manages to make enough money in the process to pay off her debt to Tony Soma and regain access to her favorite speakeasy. But I won’t tell you how she earns that money—that would give too much away and you’ll want to enjoy all the fun. If life has been getting too dreary lately, pick up You Might As Well Die because you might as well laugh.
Along with the hilarious members of the Algonquin Round Table we met in Murphy’s first book, Murder Your Darlings, including Dorothy’s closest friend Robert Benchley, the characters in this book include (and “characters” is the right word) Harry Houdini the famous escape artist. We also meet a very bad artist named Ernie MacGuffin, whose dreadful art gets a sudden rise in value when he jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge, and another dubious “artiste,” strip tease dancer Viola Sweet, who claims to be channeling the dead Ernie as a clairvoyant. Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott croquet through it all—yes, their wild game of croquet uses all of greater New York as their playing field. Dorothy does solve a murder or two and manages to make enough money in the process to pay off her debt to Tony Soma and regain access to her favorite speakeasy. But I won’t tell you how she earns that money—that would give too much away and you’ll want to enjoy all the fun. If life has been getting too dreary lately, pick up You Might As Well Die because you might as well laugh.
June 21, 2012
Oh dear, Mrs. Parker. You and Mr. Benchley are at it again.
No, not that! The Algonquin Round Table gang is up to their necks in another mysterious death. But this death is one that involves noted wit and writer Dorothy Parker before it even happens.
Second-rate artist and illustrator Ernie MacGuffin slips Dorothy Parker an envelope during one of the famed Round Table lunches at New York’s Algonquin Hotel. Shortly after giving Mrs. Parker the envelope, he jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge and is presumed dead. And the sharp-tongued Mrs. Parker discovers that the envelope from Ernie contains his suicide note.
Ernie’s mediocre artwork skyrockets in value as a result of his supposed suicide, and Mrs. Parker’s best pal, and fellow member of the Round Table, Robert Benchley, is assigned to write a story about the late artist for the fledgling New Yorker Magazine. And the pay is just enough to pay off the bar bill he and Mrs. Parker have run up at a local speakeasy.
Something doesn’t seem right to Mrs. Parker about this whole business, so she enlists the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini (yes, that Harry Houdini) to accompany her to a séance being held by a clairvoyant who supposedly channels Ernie from the great beyond. Ernie’s voice sounds surprisingly, well, life-like. Hmm. Is he dead? Or not?
Leave it to Mrs. Parker to get the real story, with the help of her Round Table buddies and other legendary celebrities like Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott—who criss-cross Manhattan in a madcap croquet game that never ends. And Harpo talks!
“You Might as Well Die” is a great read. I can’t wait to see what mischief J.J. Murphy has planned for book three in this series.
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine
No, not that! The Algonquin Round Table gang is up to their necks in another mysterious death. But this death is one that involves noted wit and writer Dorothy Parker before it even happens.
Second-rate artist and illustrator Ernie MacGuffin slips Dorothy Parker an envelope during one of the famed Round Table lunches at New York’s Algonquin Hotel. Shortly after giving Mrs. Parker the envelope, he jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge and is presumed dead. And the sharp-tongued Mrs. Parker discovers that the envelope from Ernie contains his suicide note.
Ernie’s mediocre artwork skyrockets in value as a result of his supposed suicide, and Mrs. Parker’s best pal, and fellow member of the Round Table, Robert Benchley, is assigned to write a story about the late artist for the fledgling New Yorker Magazine. And the pay is just enough to pay off the bar bill he and Mrs. Parker have run up at a local speakeasy.
Something doesn’t seem right to Mrs. Parker about this whole business, so she enlists the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini (yes, that Harry Houdini) to accompany her to a séance being held by a clairvoyant who supposedly channels Ernie from the great beyond. Ernie’s voice sounds surprisingly, well, life-like. Hmm. Is he dead? Or not?
Leave it to Mrs. Parker to get the real story, with the help of her Round Table buddies and other legendary celebrities like Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott—who criss-cross Manhattan in a madcap croquet game that never ends. And Harpo talks!
“You Might as Well Die” is a great read. I can’t wait to see what mischief J.J. Murphy has planned for book three in this series.
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine
February 28, 2015
I enjoyed this second in the Algonquin Round Table series.
All the elements from the first that I loved: the members of the vicious circle, lots of Keystone-cops-ish sleuthing, snappy repartee, and murder and mayhem are in this book too.
The addition of Harry Houdini adds some extra fun and flash to this one, which has the gang investigating the apparent suicide of a sometime-member of the round table group. As always there's much more to it, and all kinds of confusion and behind the curtain shenanigans going on.
The one thing that was missing for me in the outing was more conversation [with rapiers!] among the members of the round table. Because the gang were all spread out doing different things at different times in the various sleuthing activities, they weren't together quite as much as in the first book. But that's a minor quibble.
I loved Wollcott and Harpo Marx with their kamakazie croquet games in the weirdest possible places in New York. It was a hilarious sideline feature and it made me laugh out loud.
Dorothy Parker is mostly her usual pithy self, although some of the angst between her and Benchley in this one I could have taken or left. I understand why it's in there, and it makes perfect sense that it is, it just doesn't interest me. I love Parker as a thoroughly modern 20's woman and I like her best when she is being her smart, sarcastic independent self.
Overall, a very enjoyable second book in the series. I will definitely read the others. I love these characters and the author has perfectly captured both the sense of these real life people within his fictional circumstances. He completely does the characters justice. He also provides a fun peek at the time-period - you can almost smell the gin! These are fun reads. Recommended!
All the elements from the first that I loved: the members of the vicious circle, lots of Keystone-cops-ish sleuthing, snappy repartee, and murder and mayhem are in this book too.
The addition of Harry Houdini adds some extra fun and flash to this one, which has the gang investigating the apparent suicide of a sometime-member of the round table group. As always there's much more to it, and all kinds of confusion and behind the curtain shenanigans going on.
The one thing that was missing for me in the outing was more conversation [with rapiers!] among the members of the round table. Because the gang were all spread out doing different things at different times in the various sleuthing activities, they weren't together quite as much as in the first book. But that's a minor quibble.
I loved Wollcott and Harpo Marx with their kamakazie croquet games in the weirdest possible places in New York. It was a hilarious sideline feature and it made me laugh out loud.
Dorothy Parker is mostly her usual pithy self, although some of the angst between her and Benchley in this one I could have taken or left. I understand why it's in there, and it makes perfect sense that it is, it just doesn't interest me. I love Parker as a thoroughly modern 20's woman and I like her best when she is being her smart, sarcastic independent self.
Overall, a very enjoyable second book in the series. I will definitely read the others. I love these characters and the author has perfectly captured both the sense of these real life people within his fictional circumstances. He completely does the characters justice. He also provides a fun peek at the time-period - you can almost smell the gin! These are fun reads. Recommended!
September 8, 2014
Dorothy Parker is confronted at the Algonquin by painter Ernie MacGuffin. It appears he wants to entrust an envelope to Dorothy with the request she not read it until midnight. Now that request was mysterious in itself but that it was the follow-up to a short discussion on suicide made Dorothy all the more anxious.
Robert Benchley by her side Dorothy opens the envelope a few minutes ahead of schedule and finds it to be what she feared...a suicide note.
While all this is going on Tony Soma , manager at their favorite speakeasy, confronts them with their unpaid bill. They take in the amount they've accrued and try stalling tactics that just don't make it. That's when Mrs. Soma and Tony Jr. begin a madcap chase after our duo.
Dorothy and Robert make a dash to the Brooklyn Bridge in an effort to stop Ernie from jumping. Their worst fears are realized when they find one of Ernie's paintings leaning on the railings just above the water.
This story was non-stop with a smooth weaving between Dorothy's adventure and Robert's. The excitement never seemed to let up and then... Harry Houdini enters the picture. The characters were more than colorful and zany doesn't measure up to this standard of comedy. Each character is detailed as well as their part in this mystery. The seance with Dorothy and Harry in attendance, with Harry in disguise as he tries to reveal the work of frauds.
Reading this series proves to be a more than pleasurable experience. It's exciting and it's FUN!
Enjoy
Robert Benchley by her side Dorothy opens the envelope a few minutes ahead of schedule and finds it to be what she feared...a suicide note.
While all this is going on Tony Soma , manager at their favorite speakeasy, confronts them with their unpaid bill. They take in the amount they've accrued and try stalling tactics that just don't make it. That's when Mrs. Soma and Tony Jr. begin a madcap chase after our duo.
Dorothy and Robert make a dash to the Brooklyn Bridge in an effort to stop Ernie from jumping. Their worst fears are realized when they find one of Ernie's paintings leaning on the railings just above the water.
This story was non-stop with a smooth weaving between Dorothy's adventure and Robert's. The excitement never seemed to let up and then... Harry Houdini enters the picture. The characters were more than colorful and zany doesn't measure up to this standard of comedy. Each character is detailed as well as their part in this mystery. The seance with Dorothy and Harry in attendance, with Harry in disguise as he tries to reveal the work of frauds.
Reading this series proves to be a more than pleasurable experience. It's exciting and it's FUN!
Enjoy
January 28, 2012
This wonderfully amusing book is a great sequel to "Murder Your Darlings." The wisecracking Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and the other members of the Algonquin Roundtable get to work solving another mystery with the help of famous contemporaries, Harry Houdini and Harpo Marx.
Ernie MacGuffin, an annoying second-rate artist who hung on the fringes of the Round Table Group slips Ms. Parker a suicide note, instructing her not to read it until after midnight. Hours later he apparently leaps to his death from the Brooklyn Bridge. As a result, his artwork triples in value and Dorothy experiences pangs of guilt for not preventing the suicide.
Something smells fishy, however, and Dorothy and friends investigate, encountering a cast of zany characters along the way.Like Murphy's first book, this one was a pleasure to read, providing humor, mystery and a vivid taste of New York City during the Roaring Twenties.
Ernie MacGuffin, an annoying second-rate artist who hung on the fringes of the Round Table Group slips Ms. Parker a suicide note, instructing her not to read it until after midnight. Hours later he apparently leaps to his death from the Brooklyn Bridge. As a result, his artwork triples in value and Dorothy experiences pangs of guilt for not preventing the suicide.
Something smells fishy, however, and Dorothy and friends investigate, encountering a cast of zany characters along the way.Like Murphy's first book, this one was a pleasure to read, providing humor, mystery and a vivid taste of New York City during the Roaring Twenties.
August 15, 2013
This is the second in the Algonquin Roundtable Mystery series featuring poet Dorothy Parker and writer Robert Benchley. Second-rate illustrator Ernie MacGuffin slips a suicide note in Dorothy's purse that leads the amateur sleuth to the scene of his death on the Brooklyn Bridge. Dorothy is full of remorse that she didn't arrive in time to prevent his death. Along with Benchley, Dorothy agrees to write an article about the deceased for the fledgling New Yorker magazine. When Dorothy begins to doubt that Ernie is dead, hijinks ensue, Dorothy enlists the help of Houdini, and all are pursued by gangster Micky Finn. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the chase.
January 11, 2012
Dorothy Parker and crew are back! This time they get mixed up in the nutty world of art as a friend of their kills himself jumping of the Brooklyn Bridge, only to see his so/so art jump up in price! Their quest to find out what happened to him takes them to the den of Mickey Finn and Harry Houdini performances at the Hippodrome. A fun adventure with Parker and Benchely coming to the rescue yet again!
November 20, 2014
I enjoyed it as much as the first
February 6, 2016
Another great read by J.J. Murphy. The story was very interesting. Looking forward to the next book.
August 26, 2018
A delightful mystery set in the 1920's. This is definitely a book to check out if you are a cozy mystery fan and looking for something different from the norm.
June 26, 2012
Ernie MacGuffin is a truly bad artist. No one likes his art and no one much likes him. He decides to end it all and gives his suicide note to Dorothy Parker figuring she'll understand. Yet Dorothy feels that something is not quite right when she sees the scene of the crime on the Brooklyn Bridge. Something doesn't add up, and to top it off, New York seems to be going cuckoo, now they all love MacGuffin and his work! The paintings values have skyrocketed. Ernie's ex mistress decides to make a little extra for herself claiming that she's a medium and starts holding seances to talk to the deceased Ernie. Parker has Benchley benched for most of her investigation because she has a real seance skeptic to aid her, none other than Harry Houdini! He would give anyone good money to prove that there was contact with the other side. And who's Dorothy to turn up her noise at good money when her credit is no longer good at the local speakeasy.
Detective work is hard, detective work while sober is even harder. Racing around the city trying to figure out all the crosses and double crosses, Dorothy feels like she's in Harpo and Woollcott's famous game of croquet, being played anywhere and everywhere, football fields to rooftops to theatres! While solving the mystery of what truly is going on with MacGuffin is well and good, getting enough money to pay off her bar tap is the final solution.
Again JJ Murphy has delighted me beyond measure. Witty banter, shenanigans, antics, croquet and the sheer joy of a 1920s or 1930s screwball comedy. With the addition of Houdini as a stronger foil than Faulkner in the first installment, the book just hummed along. Also, addressing, even in a sideways manner, Dorothy's struggle with depression and her several attempts at suicide was a nice nod to the fact that Dorothy's life was much more than it appeared on the surface. What really made the book work for me though was two things I have a very strong interest in: art and spiritualism. The whole idea of an artists work being more valuable after their death has led, I am sure, to many artists thinking of pretending to die, I know, I've thought of it, but then, creating a new identity and all that rigmarole, too much effort, especially if the market is soft at the time or if they don't go up in value till a significant time after your "death."
The spiritualism is what also gripped me. I find it interesting that the next book will have Arthur Conan Doyle as the literary guest star, who was a huge proponent of spiritualism, and who in fact was good friends with Houdini, until they clashed over the idea of life after death. Houdini wanted to believe, desperately, but as a showman, he could see through all the hoaxes and tricks better than anyone else. The whole history of this time period, the Cottingly Fairies, the unexplainable versus the people obviously tapping at tables just enthralls me. I went to an exhibit a few years ago at the MET where they showed all these original pictures as "proof" of spirits... while the pictures where interesting, much like Houdini, I think I need some more solid proof. I don't need more proof though as to how much I love this series. It's going to be a long hard wait for that next book, much like Dorothy waiting for a drink.
Detective work is hard, detective work while sober is even harder. Racing around the city trying to figure out all the crosses and double crosses, Dorothy feels like she's in Harpo and Woollcott's famous game of croquet, being played anywhere and everywhere, football fields to rooftops to theatres! While solving the mystery of what truly is going on with MacGuffin is well and good, getting enough money to pay off her bar tap is the final solution.
Again JJ Murphy has delighted me beyond measure. Witty banter, shenanigans, antics, croquet and the sheer joy of a 1920s or 1930s screwball comedy. With the addition of Houdini as a stronger foil than Faulkner in the first installment, the book just hummed along. Also, addressing, even in a sideways manner, Dorothy's struggle with depression and her several attempts at suicide was a nice nod to the fact that Dorothy's life was much more than it appeared on the surface. What really made the book work for me though was two things I have a very strong interest in: art and spiritualism. The whole idea of an artists work being more valuable after their death has led, I am sure, to many artists thinking of pretending to die, I know, I've thought of it, but then, creating a new identity and all that rigmarole, too much effort, especially if the market is soft at the time or if they don't go up in value till a significant time after your "death."
The spiritualism is what also gripped me. I find it interesting that the next book will have Arthur Conan Doyle as the literary guest star, who was a huge proponent of spiritualism, and who in fact was good friends with Houdini, until they clashed over the idea of life after death. Houdini wanted to believe, desperately, but as a showman, he could see through all the hoaxes and tricks better than anyone else. The whole history of this time period, the Cottingly Fairies, the unexplainable versus the people obviously tapping at tables just enthralls me. I went to an exhibit a few years ago at the MET where they showed all these original pictures as "proof" of spirits... while the pictures where interesting, much like Houdini, I think I need some more solid proof. I don't need more proof though as to how much I love this series. It's going to be a long hard wait for that next book, much like Dorothy waiting for a drink.
January 16, 2016
Second rate illustrator, Ernie MacGuffin, slips dear Dorothy a note that she later finds out is a suicide note. Seems he threw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight and Dorothy found the note too late to save him. Soon after his works of art have tripled in value and no one really seems sad that the man is even dead.
Dorothy believes there is more to the story and enlists the help of Harry Houdini, magician and skeptic. They attend a séance where the dead artist is expected to be contacted from the great beyond. The haunting voice sounds just a little to real to Dorothy which leads her to believe something illegal is definitely afoot. With the help of her friends she is going to solve this mystery and maybe another one too.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I love everything about this story, the setting, the characters, the mysteries. Traveling back in time with real people, to real places, with fictional drama is so much fun. Dorothy Parker was quite a woman. She led quite a life. She was a book reviewer herself.
Miss Parker laced her wit with heady truth as a book reviewer, first for The New Yorker as Constant Reader and then for Esquire as book review editor for many years. "Her notices were written with a chatty trenchancy, as though she were talking informally to the reader; but she could (and did) impale authors who displeased her, either by synopsizing a pompous plot in all its ludicrousness or by pulverizing the book with a phrase."*
I don't think J.J. Murphy would "displease" her at all, but she would probably wonder why anyone would write stories featuring the people at "The Round Table".
"These were no giants. Think of who was writing in those days - Lardner, Fitzgerald, Faulkner and Hemingway. Those were the real giants. The Round Table was just a lot of people telling jokes and telling each other how good they were."*
I am sure my reviews wouldn't pass muster with her though because with her great wit she was a master.
I am glad J.J. Murphy has chosen to write these captivating mysteries with these feisty characters. There is definitely plenty of material in their histories to make me hope there will be many, many more installments to this series. Be sure to vote for the next special guest that will appear in Book 4 of the series. Arthur Conan Doyle will be the special guest in the third book in the series, A FRIENDLY GAME OF MURDER (2012). I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan so that one is definitely on my "Can't Wait To Read" list. If you have an e-reader there is also a short story available now featuring Dorothy, Hair of the Dog. I just ordered it myself.
I highly recommend You Might As Well Die!
* excerpts from the New York Obituary of Dorothy Parker (1967)
Dorothy believes there is more to the story and enlists the help of Harry Houdini, magician and skeptic. They attend a séance where the dead artist is expected to be contacted from the great beyond. The haunting voice sounds just a little to real to Dorothy which leads her to believe something illegal is definitely afoot. With the help of her friends she is going to solve this mystery and maybe another one too.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I love everything about this story, the setting, the characters, the mysteries. Traveling back in time with real people, to real places, with fictional drama is so much fun. Dorothy Parker was quite a woman. She led quite a life. She was a book reviewer herself.
Miss Parker laced her wit with heady truth as a book reviewer, first for The New Yorker as Constant Reader and then for Esquire as book review editor for many years. "Her notices were written with a chatty trenchancy, as though she were talking informally to the reader; but she could (and did) impale authors who displeased her, either by synopsizing a pompous plot in all its ludicrousness or by pulverizing the book with a phrase."*
I don't think J.J. Murphy would "displease" her at all, but she would probably wonder why anyone would write stories featuring the people at "The Round Table".
"These were no giants. Think of who was writing in those days - Lardner, Fitzgerald, Faulkner and Hemingway. Those were the real giants. The Round Table was just a lot of people telling jokes and telling each other how good they were."*
I am sure my reviews wouldn't pass muster with her though because with her great wit she was a master.
I am glad J.J. Murphy has chosen to write these captivating mysteries with these feisty characters. There is definitely plenty of material in their histories to make me hope there will be many, many more installments to this series. Be sure to vote for the next special guest that will appear in Book 4 of the series. Arthur Conan Doyle will be the special guest in the third book in the series, A FRIENDLY GAME OF MURDER (2012). I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan so that one is definitely on my "Can't Wait To Read" list. If you have an e-reader there is also a short story available now featuring Dorothy, Hair of the Dog. I just ordered it myself.
I highly recommend You Might As Well Die!
* excerpts from the New York Obituary of Dorothy Parker (1967)
December 10, 2011
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was released on December 6th. As I mentioned in the disclosure I received a copy in advance. My goal was to have my review posted on the release day, but life got in the way. My husband and I were involved in a bad car wreck and that combined with the schedule at school totally messed up my blogging schedule.
Summary: When second-rate illustrator Ernie MacGuffin's artistic works triple in value following his apparent suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, Dorothy Parker smells something fishy. Enlisting the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini, she goes to a séance held by MacGuffin's mistress, where Ernie's ghostly voice seems hauntingly real...
Here's where I gush and go all fangirl: I love this series. About a year ago I had to adjust my book buying habits due to lack of shelf space and a decrease in funds available for buying books. As a result I had to buy less and check out more from the library (got to love libraries.) However, I do have certain authors/series that I "collect" - these are authors that I MUST have on my shelves. J.J. Murphy is one of those authors.
What I liked about the book: Everything. I love the setting, the characters, the plot! I like that even though it's a mystery, the mystery is not the only essential element of the story. Dorothy Parker and her interactions with her fellow members of the Algonquin Round Table are also a big part of the story. Murphy has created a story where the reader truly feels as though they have stepped back in time. I love the type of mystery this is - though I'm not really sure how to categorize it. It's not a thriller and it's not a cozy. I think I'd call it a Christie Mystery. (Rhyming not intentional.) Agatha Christie was the author that got me hooked on mysteries when I was a kid. When I read Murphy's mysteries, I get that same good read feeling I always get when I read one of Dame Agatha's books.
Another reason this series appeals to me is that I enjoy fiction that includes real people. I like that Murphy includes famous/infamous people from the past. I always find myself doing a little research on the famous characters in the books. As an educator, any book that inspires the reader to learn more is a gem.
What I didn't like about the book: There wasn't a thing I didn't like about the book. If you like mysteries, you have to add this series to your must read list.
This book was released on December 6th. As I mentioned in the disclosure I received a copy in advance. My goal was to have my review posted on the release day, but life got in the way. My husband and I were involved in a bad car wreck and that combined with the schedule at school totally messed up my blogging schedule.
Summary: When second-rate illustrator Ernie MacGuffin's artistic works triple in value following his apparent suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, Dorothy Parker smells something fishy. Enlisting the help of magician and skeptic Harry Houdini, she goes to a séance held by MacGuffin's mistress, where Ernie's ghostly voice seems hauntingly real...
Here's where I gush and go all fangirl: I love this series. About a year ago I had to adjust my book buying habits due to lack of shelf space and a decrease in funds available for buying books. As a result I had to buy less and check out more from the library (got to love libraries.) However, I do have certain authors/series that I "collect" - these are authors that I MUST have on my shelves. J.J. Murphy is one of those authors.
What I liked about the book: Everything. I love the setting, the characters, the plot! I like that even though it's a mystery, the mystery is not the only essential element of the story. Dorothy Parker and her interactions with her fellow members of the Algonquin Round Table are also a big part of the story. Murphy has created a story where the reader truly feels as though they have stepped back in time. I love the type of mystery this is - though I'm not really sure how to categorize it. It's not a thriller and it's not a cozy. I think I'd call it a Christie Mystery. (Rhyming not intentional.) Agatha Christie was the author that got me hooked on mysteries when I was a kid. When I read Murphy's mysteries, I get that same good read feeling I always get when I read one of Dame Agatha's books.
Another reason this series appeals to me is that I enjoy fiction that includes real people. I like that Murphy includes famous/infamous people from the past. I always find myself doing a little research on the famous characters in the books. As an educator, any book that inspires the reader to learn more is a gem.
What I didn't like about the book: There wasn't a thing I didn't like about the book. If you like mysteries, you have to add this series to your must read list.
December 22, 2011
This is the second book in the punny and funny An Algonquin Round Table Mystery series. Many of the characters and the Algonquin room are real, but the story itself is fiction. Not a page goes by that there isn't a pun or the reader won't chuckle.
Dorothy Parker has the dubious honor of being selected by Ernie MacGuffin, an artist of covers for pulp magazines, to what turns out to be his suicide note. Parker and and Benchley, shortly before midnight, are leaving their favorite speakeasy when Parker remembers the note. She reads the note, only to find out that Ernie is going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight. They make a dash for the bridge, but arrive there to find Ernie's shoes and a painting of the bridge. But a body is never found.
Trying to find out more about the life of Ernie to write a story, Dorothy comes a former stripper who claims to have had contact with Ernie from the other side. The Great Houdini is in town and he is talked into attending a seance with Dorothy. Of course they find that Ernie is not really dead, but only working a scam to make his paintings valuable. In the meantime, it is also learned that Ernie's widow is seeing someone from her hometown. Then Ernie's body is found, but he has been murdered.
So, Dorothy and Benchley need to learn whether it was the wife, the shady lawyer who was running his own scam with Ernie's paintings after the apparent suicide,or possibly the new boyfriend.
A thoroughly enjoyable story with very interesting characters.
Looking forward to the next punny one.
Dorothy Parker has the dubious honor of being selected by Ernie MacGuffin, an artist of covers for pulp magazines, to what turns out to be his suicide note. Parker and and Benchley, shortly before midnight, are leaving their favorite speakeasy when Parker remembers the note. She reads the note, only to find out that Ernie is going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight. They make a dash for the bridge, but arrive there to find Ernie's shoes and a painting of the bridge. But a body is never found.
Trying to find out more about the life of Ernie to write a story, Dorothy comes a former stripper who claims to have had contact with Ernie from the other side. The Great Houdini is in town and he is talked into attending a seance with Dorothy. Of course they find that Ernie is not really dead, but only working a scam to make his paintings valuable. In the meantime, it is also learned that Ernie's widow is seeing someone from her hometown. Then Ernie's body is found, but he has been murdered.
So, Dorothy and Benchley need to learn whether it was the wife, the shady lawyer who was running his own scam with Ernie's paintings after the apparent suicide,or possibly the new boyfriend.
A thoroughly enjoyable story with very interesting characters.
Looking forward to the next punny one.
November 9, 2012
'You Might As Well Die' by You Might As Well Die is a great romp into history with Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Harpo Marx and Houdini and other historical figures.
I enjoyed this book mostly for the clever dialogue between Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley. I think that J.J. Murphy depicted both them correctly with their dependence on alcohol, her depression and a hint of a possible affair to come.
The mystery starts when not so good illustrator hands Dorothy an envelope that she later finds out has a suicide note. Instead of simple suicide jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, this story contorts into a complicated mystery with many other characters involved. Oh, by the way, the illustrator's name is MacGuffin. Does that give you a clue?
Harry Houdini lends his expertise in detecting fraud and Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott often appear in scenes playing a hilarious croquet game.
There is a short history of some of historical figures in the back. I have always admired Dorothy Parker and remember Robert Benchley from some old black and white files on TV.
I strongly recommend this book to fans of Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchely and of cozy mysteries. Be prepared to laugh, chuckle and gasp.
I enjoyed this book mostly for the clever dialogue between Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley. I think that J.J. Murphy depicted both them correctly with their dependence on alcohol, her depression and a hint of a possible affair to come.
The mystery starts when not so good illustrator hands Dorothy an envelope that she later finds out has a suicide note. Instead of simple suicide jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, this story contorts into a complicated mystery with many other characters involved. Oh, by the way, the illustrator's name is MacGuffin. Does that give you a clue?
Harry Houdini lends his expertise in detecting fraud and Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott often appear in scenes playing a hilarious croquet game.
There is a short history of some of historical figures in the back. I have always admired Dorothy Parker and remember Robert Benchley from some old black and white files on TV.
I strongly recommend this book to fans of Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchely and of cozy mysteries. Be prepared to laugh, chuckle and gasp.
April 14, 2012
So excited to have won this on First Reads! What a great second installment in the Algonquin Round Table Series! Our protaganist is handed a letter by a fellow acquaintance, Ernie MacGuffin. She is noted as the perfect person to receive the letter but she doesn't want the responsibility. Once she realizes the letter is really a suicide note, she and Benchley take an exciting ride out to the Brooklyn Bridge to find that the deed has been done. Ernie has left behind his shoes and a painting of his last known location, the bridge. What follows is a frolicking tale of Ernie's road to suicide, in the meantime, his paintings are being auctioned off at incredible prices. Dorothy and Benchley want to claim their bit of the profit to pay off their tab at Tony Soma's only to become indebited to the great Mickey Finn. But let me not leave out the guest appearance of Houidini and a seance to contact Ernie gone awry. You will be laughing out loud following this rascely group until you get the end of this wonderful mystery!
September 14, 2013
Another wonderful book by J.J Murphy. The wise cracks that the Algonquin table companions make are just too funny not to share with friends and the historical details are just great.
In this book we learn that Dorothy tried to commit suicide at some point in her life and her friend, Ernie Macguffin asks her about it. It seems Ernie wants to commit suicide to make his name famous. As Dorothy reads a note from him in a speakeasy where they owe more than $500, she learns that Ernie planned on committing suicide at midnight. With the owner's wife and 12 year old son chasing them they go to the bridge where all they see is a painting and his shoes. At least his paintings do skyrocket, but the plot thickens when his body can't be found.
With some great new characters like the great Harry Houdini and a little history about the characters at the end of the book (Yes, all the characters are real except Ernie) this book is a must read for anyone. If you like history, read it. If you like comedy, read it.
In this book we learn that Dorothy tried to commit suicide at some point in her life and her friend, Ernie Macguffin asks her about it. It seems Ernie wants to commit suicide to make his name famous. As Dorothy reads a note from him in a speakeasy where they owe more than $500, she learns that Ernie planned on committing suicide at midnight. With the owner's wife and 12 year old son chasing them they go to the bridge where all they see is a painting and his shoes. At least his paintings do skyrocket, but the plot thickens when his body can't be found.
With some great new characters like the great Harry Houdini and a little history about the characters at the end of the book (Yes, all the characters are real except Ernie) this book is a must read for anyone. If you like history, read it. If you like comedy, read it.
February 2, 2013
The second book in J. J. Murphy's Algonquin Round Table mysteries, this mystery novel pays homage to the great literary wits who frequented the Algonquin Hotel during the 1920s. Its heroine, Dorothy Parker, is delightful company, as are her friends, Robert Benchley, New Yorker founder Harold Ross, and many other famous writers and journalists of the time.
This novel begins when a failed illustrator, Ernie MacGuffin, decides to throw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge in order to increase the value of his artwork. Harry Houdini and Harpo Marx get mixed up in the madcap plot to uncover the truth about MacGuffin's demise - was it suicide or murder?
I found the climax unlikely in the extreme and the solution to the mystery too easy to guess. However, the characters, sparking dialogue, humor and enjoyable setting make this a diverting and worthwhile read. I plan to read the third book in the series, which was just released in January 2013.
This novel begins when a failed illustrator, Ernie MacGuffin, decides to throw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge in order to increase the value of his artwork. Harry Houdini and Harpo Marx get mixed up in the madcap plot to uncover the truth about MacGuffin's demise - was it suicide or murder?
I found the climax unlikely in the extreme and the solution to the mystery too easy to guess. However, the characters, sparking dialogue, humor and enjoyable setting make this a diverting and worthwhile read. I plan to read the third book in the series, which was just released in January 2013.
October 25, 2015
Now that I've gone out and read some works from the Algonquin Round Table, it took me a little bit to get back into the story. I kept thinking of the beauty and sadness of Dorothy Parker's writing. However, I also quickly realized how seeped J.J. Murphy must be in her work. I concluded with a greater appreciation for the series. (Plus, beginning with Parker's poem Résumé caught my immediate attention.)
It was a good mystery, allowing the reader to guess the twist and then throwing in another twist. A tad predictable as the story unfolded but still good.
Occasionally I felt the novel overindulged in name dropping. 'How many times can we mention....?' It worked out, though. As a beginner in this era I appreciated hearing the who, what, and where of the time. I also liked the historical explanation at the end.
It was a good mystery, allowing the reader to guess the twist and then throwing in another twist. A tad predictable as the story unfolded but still good.
Occasionally I felt the novel overindulged in name dropping. 'How many times can we mention....?' It worked out, though. As a beginner in this era I appreciated hearing the who, what, and where of the time. I also liked the historical explanation at the end.
April 24, 2012
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads' first-reads giveaways.
I enjoyed this mystery, and think it's even better than the first book in the series (a very good sign!). The author is finding Dorothy Parker's voice and the quotes blend in better. Altho the book is meant to be frothy and humorous ("madcap" frequently comes to mind while reading), I find my favorite parts are the darker, melancholy sides of Mrs. Parker and Mr. Benchley. Their relationship is very interesting to follow, and I look forward to the next installment.
I also got a real kick out of Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott dashing about NYC with their croquet mallets! I read Harpo Speaks, Harpo's autobiography, many years ago, and the bits about playing croquet were memorable.
I enjoyed this mystery, and think it's even better than the first book in the series (a very good sign!). The author is finding Dorothy Parker's voice and the quotes blend in better. Altho the book is meant to be frothy and humorous ("madcap" frequently comes to mind while reading), I find my favorite parts are the darker, melancholy sides of Mrs. Parker and Mr. Benchley. Their relationship is very interesting to follow, and I look forward to the next installment.
I also got a real kick out of Harpo Marx and Alexander Woollcott dashing about NYC with their croquet mallets! I read Harpo Speaks, Harpo's autobiography, many years ago, and the bits about playing croquet were memorable.
April 3, 2013
I wasn't sure about picking this book up, since I thought the first one was only so-so, and You Might as Well Die languished on my TBR for some months before desperation for something to read forced me to pick it up. I'm glad I did. I won't say I loved it, but it was a much stronger effort and I enjoyed the story quite a bit. The book held my attention, it had a nice pace, not an overabundance of introspection, and engaging characters (the croquet was cracking me up!).
All in all a good story and I'll definitely keep my eye out for the third book.
All in all a good story and I'll definitely keep my eye out for the third book.
December 17, 2013
As mysteries, these books are a tad predictable. However, they are totally worth reading solely based on the entertaining characters and historical aspects. This book returns us to our old friends at the Algonquin Roundtable, and introduces us to Houdini and Charles Norris, the first real forensic medical examiner. Because when you meet Chuck Norris, you'd best be dead first. (See what I did there?)
I even enjoyed the fictional characters in this one, which was a slight improvement over the first. Onto book three!
I even enjoyed the fictional characters in this one, which was a slight improvement over the first. Onto book three!
March 3, 2019
This book was definitely better than the first entry into the series. The writing flowed more smoothly as did the interaction between the characters. One drawback was that the mystery itself was pretty easy to figure out. If you are a big Harry Houdini fan, you might not like the nauseating arrogance of his portrayal, although I have a sneaking suspicion it is rather spot on.
I love the relationship between Dorothy and Benchley in these books. Wouldn't it be nice if this was really the way they felt about each other? A nice way to pretend, in any event.
I love the relationship between Dorothy and Benchley in these books. Wouldn't it be nice if this was really the way they felt about each other? A nice way to pretend, in any event.
February 7, 2013
A small-time illustrator asks Dorothy Parker not to open his note until after midnight. When she does, she finds a suicide note, and it's too late to save him from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Asked to write a story about the illustrator for the yet unpublished new magazine that Harold Ross is starting, Dotty agrees, because she needs the money to pay off her speakeasy bill. Complications, as they say, ensure, including appearances by Houdini and Harpo Marx.
March 10, 2014
I haven't quite figured out this series. The book itself seems to start slowly--of course there are a number of characters and situations that have to be established, and as I trudge through it I think to myself--no more. I had the murderer figured out long before they did, but then suddenly it picks up speed and a kind of slap tick rhythm develops, I laugh, it speeds to an end and all is well. Hmmm--I am not wild about them like I have been some others but it is a nice read.
January 30, 2013
Just received in the mail today. What a nice surprise from the author! I went immediately and downloaded the first in the series... Off to read, review forth coming.
Finished both books this past two weeks ... and a movie on Dorothy Parker.
I throughly enjoyed lurking into the lives of the round table patrons and especially Dorothy Parker's wit. I look foward to the next in the series.
Finished both books this past two weeks ... and a movie on Dorothy Parker.
I throughly enjoyed lurking into the lives of the round table patrons and especially Dorothy Parker's wit. I look foward to the next in the series.
January 9, 2013
As appealing as the first" Murder Your Darling". A step back into the NY of Prohibition; the beginning of the 'NewYorker' and insights into the leading lights of the day. Thoroughly enjoyed the first, not quite halfway thru 2nd and looking forward to his 3rd :"A Friendly Game of Murder" coming soon. Learned where term a "Mickey Finn" came from :).
April 23, 2012
This is even better than Murder Your Darlings. Wow. I wish he'd write a book every week. Murphy is amazing! This book made me laugh out loud. And let's talk about the suspense...I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Don't ever stop writitng, Mr. Murphy. There need to be more mystery books like this.
October 19, 2013
Mom liked this sequel better than she did the first book. In retrospect, she thinks the reason she didn't enjoy the first book more was because of the time needed to introduce the full cast of characters. Even so, she gives this one a shaky three stars. "Better than okay" was how she described it, but still strong enough that she'll read the next book in the series.
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