The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance

Toby Peters #11

by Stuart M. Kaminsky

A hotel murder involves Toby Peters with one of Hollywood’s toughest starsToby Peters wakes up with a headache, a gun in his face, and a body on the hotel-room bed. He is less surprised by the gun than by the man holding it: Marion Morrison, a.k.a John Wayne. Both of them were lured here by the dead man. The next arrival is a prostitute named Olivia, and hot on her heels is the house detective, who’s come to check on the commotion in Room 303. Reasoning that nobody knows all four of them besides the desk clerk, Teddy, the two detectives haul Teddy upstairs, where he confesses to the murder. Wayne, Peters, and Olivia all have careers to protect, so the house detective agrees to keep their names out of it. It all seems too simple. As he looks into the murder, Toby finds that powerful people want to stop him from learning what happened while he was sleeping in Room 303.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Historical Mystery

198 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Stuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films including ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, ENEMY TERRITORY, A WOMAN IN THE WIND and HIDDEN FEARS. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards including one for his short story “Snow” in 1999. He won an Edgar for his novel A COLD RED SUNRISE, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France. He was nominated for both a Shamus Award and a McCavity Readers Choice Award.

Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.

His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.

Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.

Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick, quick read based on the odd startled-looking Wayne on the cover. Why does he look startled? Why is he holding a gun and looking startled? Is that a Members Only jacket?

[Tim Deforest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Toby Peters books always have great opening paragraphs that immediately pull you into the story. In this case, we read: "When I opened my eyes, I saw John Wayne pointing a .38 at my chest. It was my .38. I closed my eyes."

You really can't NOT read the book after that.

In each of the Peters novels (set in the 1940s), the aging and perpetually broke P.I. with a bad back ends up working for a famous person, usually a movie star. Toby is lured to a hotel room and drugged, waking up to find John Wayne and a dead body in the room. Wayne was tricked into coming as well and the dead man was shot with Toby's gun.

Thus begins a story with boh Wayne and (later on) Charlie Chaplin for clients. Toby has to find out who apparently wants to kill John Wayne while tracking down a couple who cheated Chaplin out of ten grand. Since the person who really committed murder seems to have stolen the money from the grifters, the two cases are somehow related.

This involves hiding a body, staying away from a cop who hates Toby, and avoiding a couple of thugs who dress in matching Hawaiian shirts.

This series has, arguably, the best set of supporting characters ever created. Regulars in the series include Gunther, the Swiss-born midget who has become Toby's best friend; Jeremy, the former wrestler turned poet/landlord; and Shelly, the incompetent dentist who rents Toby office space. The one shot characters are also wonderful, with the most memorable being a hotel detective named Straight-ahead Beason, an ex-cop who can't turn his head because of an old gunshot wound and who refers to himself in the third person.

Full of humor balanced with hints of a dark, hard-boiled view of the world, "The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance" is one of my favorites in the series.

[Chuck Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Mr. Kaminsky's "The Man who shot Lewis Vance". I really enjoy novels about Hollywood and those that have real people as characters in the novel, and this had both. This is one in a series of Toby Peters stories, not the first. Peters is a private detective in 1940's Hollywood. For being down of his luck, Peters seems to have big name clients, in this story they are John Wayne and Charlie Chaplin. The novel has a number of very quirky characters that are part of Peter's world, almost too quirky but fun and easy to remember. This being well into the series, one character I assumed was a regular in the books turned out to be the killer, which was a big surprise to me but made perfect sense plot wise. I enjoyed seeing Wayne and Chaplin acting as I would expect them to act, based on what I know about them as real men. I also enjoyed some lesser real figures showing up, such as Ward Bond and Paul Fix, very good actors but not names a lot of people may know of off hand. The plot is confusing but is tied up neatly and made sense. At the end of the novel the sequel is presented, Albert Einstein needs Peter's help. Fun. I rated it a four, but a very high four. Perhaps too many quirky friends caused the slightly lower rating. I plan to read more in the series, I am looking forward to it. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers or anyone that enjoys real historical/movie actors figures in their novels.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaminsky, Stuart M. The Man Who Shot Lewis Valence. Toby Peters Mystery No. 11. 1988. Mysterious P/Open Road ebook, 2011.
Stuart Kaminsky taught film at Northwestern for years but eventually left academia to write. His first Toby Peters novel was published in 1977 when he was 43. For the rest of his life, he published almost two books a year, not all of which were in this series. In fact, my favorite is the Inspector Rostnikov series of police procedurals set in Moscow. The Toby Peters series parlays his expertise and love for film history into unabashedly generic mysteries that have the feel of the classic private eye movies of the thirties and forties—think The Thin Man, The Saint, or even Boston Blackie. His novels are all quick, enjoyable reads. That said, this one is not one of his best. The John Wayne and Charlie Chaplin plots never quite come together in a believable way. 3.5 stars.

[grundoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally really enjoy the Toby Peters, and while this one had plenty of moments, the case is just ridiculous. Featuring John Wayne for (ultimately) no discernible reason, and a bit of Charlie Chaplin for even less. If this one was meant as pure romp, well okay maybe, but the action is otherwise senseless from start to finish - police, goons, villains alike. Fun, and of course a must for the completist, but I prefer installments which center on actual and plausible cases.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing character: Toby Peters; Toby is set up for a couple different murders in a hotel, and the ultimate target appears to be John Wayne.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaminsky starts this book as all do: continuing from the book before. In this case the one before ends with a call involving John Wayne. This one starts inconsistently with a different beginning not connecting with the end of the last book, though both involve Wayne.

The entire tale Kaminsky has assembled is conflated and ridiculous. The various bad guys involved really couldn't have pulled off what is written. These are very different bad guys. Making it worse are layer of bad guys that really don't work. Especially considering the ending. John Wayne appears shoved in to it all and then Charlie Chaplin is looped in. Both are a stretch of Kaminsky's effort to include celebrities. He does do an excellent job of writing their dialogue. I could hear both in the writings.

Though the plot is over blown,the over all writing is very good. There are some very good and funny scenes,making this still worth reading.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 5 out of ten points.

[James Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another rousing adventure for Toby Peters, 1940s PI in Los Angeles.

Someone is gunning for Toby's childhood neighbour, Marion Morrison, aka John Wayne. The actor doesn't know why, Toby doesn't know why, and no one seem to know the killer. But Wayne isn't the first target. As bodies keep falling, Toby keeps getting deeper and more confused.

Then Charlie Chaplin enters the picture, being owed money by suspects in the John Wayne case.

Communists, con-men, goons, murderers, actors, a wedding, and more than a few news aches and bruises, for Toby.

Great fun. This is probably my favourite series that I read. Never disappointing.

But you should be reading this series from the very beginning. I'm not even sure that anyone's ever going to read this... I mean, if you've already ten books in the series, you don't need someone else's opinion about it.

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking up in a cheap L.A. hotel room, next to a warm corpse, and John Wayne pointing a .38 between your eyes would be considered a nightmare, but for Toby Peters it is real.

It’s 1942, the War is on and a job is a job. Lewis Vance had called Toby to come by the hotel about a job for John Wayne. Over drinks, Toby starts feeling off — seems there is something “extra” in his Pepsi.

Blackmail is the main crime in this Toby Peters tale. Someone is looking to blackmail a couple of the Hollywood big names. The last thing these people need is bad publicity.

When shots are fired, Toby realizes there must be more to the case. Being visited by two extra-large thugs in Hawaiian shirts just emphasizes the seriousness.

Crazy clues, colourful characters, Hollywood, dive hotels, action, and a good dose of humour make for an entertaining read.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Kaminsky's detective stories that are centered around famous old movie stars, however this one was a bit ho-hum. I didn't think the narrator on this book did as good a job as the guys who narrated the first two audible books I read. His John Wayne impersonation was pretty lame... Also, the plot was not that interesting or unique. I'll probably try some more of Kaminsky's books because they're kind of fun.

[Willie Kirschner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Toby Peters story with the usual characters and John Wayne. As usual, Toby faces great danger and manages to solve the case and even makes some money. A typical story, with all the regulars. Nothing inspiring.

[Araych · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toby Peters #11...... L.A. 1942. John Wayne hires Toby to keep him out of a murder charge but Toby ends up working more for Charlie Chaplin. Murder, blackmail, thievery, confidence tricksters -- this story has them all. This is one of the better entries in this light fun witty series. 4 stars.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a character named Teddy Spaghetti. What's not to like?

[Jon Ziomek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Toby Peters fan. This is a good one.

[Raquel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais um tomo, desta feita, o actor em destaque é John Wayne. O nosso herói acaba com mais dinheiro do que é costume.

[Charles Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not the author's best.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun mystery, with the Duke himself making an appearance.

[F.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You not only get John Wayne for your money, but Charlie Chaplin too!

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally love the Toby Peters mysteries by the late film historian, Stuart Kaminsky. Peters, as former studio guard and private detective (in the Sam Spade mode), consistently becomes involved in mysteries that involve one or more celebrities as potential victims, suspects, and/or allies. The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance is not exception to the Kaminsky formula. He’s crossed paths with W. C. Fields, Mae West, the Marx Brothers, Judy Garland, Bela Legosi, Gary Cooper, (Ringling Brothers clown) Emmett Kelly, and in this one, John Wayne. In fact, there is even a very sympathetic portrait of Charlie Chaplin as possible extortion victim/socialist sympathizer. If nothing else, one gets Hollywood history in a very pleasant way through these mysteries.

Is it a mere coincidence that Toby Peters is moonlighting as hotel security in a run-down Hollywood hotel when a murder and a series of questionable activities are uncovered? It would be no spoiler to suggest that it isn’t. Why is John Wayne mixed up in shady activities at a hotel well off the “A” list? If extortion is a potential motive for the murder(s) [You didn’t think the body count would rest at ONE, did you?], who is really behind it and how are upcoming and high-powered celebrities being drawn into the scheme? At another point (or two), Peters seems to be set up as a potential patsy. And, of course, no matter how innocent Peters is, any friction with the police force means problems with his brother Phil, the cop who always beat him up as a kid.

Sometimes, one thinks that Peters spends more time unconscious than conscious in these stories. The only good thing about this tendency is that one always wonders what Max Fleischer cartoon character, Koko the Clown (the character who used to come out of the ink bottle and off the drawing board in those old shorts), will do in Peter’s troubled dreams. That’s part of the comic relief in this series. Another bit of comic relief is the Abbott & Costello style dialogues that Peters has with his old-fashioned Eastern European landlady.

I read The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance as a "completist." I’m not a huge John Wayne fan and just read it because it’s one of the few in the series that I’d never read before. Sadly, the bad guys were all too predictable in this one and it seemed reminiscent of too many other mysteries. As good as this series is, I fear The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance isn’t up to its standard. In fact, I don’t remember a lot of sex scenes in the Peters canon, but there’s a scene in this one that makes up for the lack in others. It isn’t overt, just unexpected in terms of the character. I only mention this for those who don’t like such scenes. I wasn’t offended; it just seemed out of place—like a lot of this novel.

[Norman Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The eleventh of the Toby Peters novels"," all of which are a delight to read. Peters is a Hollywood detective during the WWII"," and his clients are real people. People like John Wayne"," Judy Garland"," and Howard Hughes. I loved all of these books.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typicak Kaminsky.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toby Peters w/ John Wayne

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in June 1942 Hollywood written in film noir style. John Wayne is being shot at. Is Charlie Chaplin doing the shooting. Toby Peters has been hired to find out.