Murder Unscripted

by Clive Rosengren

2013 Shamus Award Finalist, Best First Novel. "Blasting out of a time warp, straight from the 1940s. It's set in modern Hollywood, but it's old-time California noir, right down to its Bakelite heart. Luscious." Long-time character actor Clive Rosengren (Cheers, Seinfeld, Ed Wood) pens a sprightly tale of Hollywood sex and homicide in Murder Unscripted. Nobody is going to mistake part-time actor, part-time sleuth Eddie Collins for a movie star. Playing in a chicken commercial, Eddie is almost relieved when he gets a call from a bonding company on the hook for an unfinished film called Flames of Desire. The movie’s female lead is dead under mysterious circumstances—which would be bad enough. Worse, the actress is Eddie’s ex-wife. As a second body turns up, Eddie scrambles to expose one of Tinseltown’s dirty little what some people will do to sleep with a star. If Eddie isn’t careful, his next “exit, stage left” will be permanent. Says Michael “I like this character Eddie Collins. He’s tough, funny, and has a classic private eye’s world-weary wisdom. I hope to see more of him.” Adds Mystery Scene's Betty "So entertaining I wished it had continued for at least another hundred pages. . . . Purrs along fast and smooth, and the ending delivers a sweet surprise."

Genres: Audiobook

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2012

About the author

I’ve been an actor for the better part of the past forty years, eighteen of them walking the same streets as Eddie Collins does in Murder Unscripted.

I’m a South Dakota native. I received a BA from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, and an MA from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota.

After a 13-month stint with the U.S. Army in South Korea, I spent ten years working as a stage and commercial actor in Minneapolis, before moving to Cleveland, where I performed six seasons with the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, I spent a year at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California.

Los Angeles credits include the movies ED WOOD, COBB, SOAPDISH, THREE FUGITIVES, BUGSY, PHANTOMS and THAT THING YOU DO! Among my television credits are “Home Improvement,” “Seinfeld,” “Ellen,” “Providence,” “thirtysomething,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Cheers,” where I played the only person to throw Sam Malone out of his own bar.

Murder Unscripted is my first attempt at a novel, but I have written several screenplays, one of which, “Remington Rangers,” was a 2000 semi-finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting competition, administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I currently live in southern Oregon, amidst a 1,000+ title movie collection and an extensive crime fiction library. Despite their 2011 season, I remain an avid Minnesota Twins fan, and most often am quite content to let Eddie Collins fight through the jungle entwining the Hollywood hustle.

From the author's website.

Reviews

[Mark Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mixing crime and the movie biz, author and veteran actor Clive Rosengren starts his Eddie Collins mystery series with a bang. Part-time actor, part-time PI, Colin's life is complete with a secretary loaded with moxie, a small office and tiny attached apartment, a fondness for Jim Beam and beer chasers and an occasional eye for attractive women. Rosengren's Collins will have you laughing, smiling and following his every move through tinsel town and you'll want to continue the journey through his other books.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Charmingly deliberately retro--Hollywood Sam Spadeish noir. But tongue in cheek. Plus do love the whole backstage at the movies detail. Although trifle would definitely read others in the series. DPL book

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short read

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie Collins, like author Rosengren, is a sometimes actor who also has another profession. For Rosengren, it's writing, for Collins it's being a part-time investigator, who is happy to leave his current film gig (filming a Chubby's Chicken commercial...we learn about "spit buckets") to investigate a murder on a movie set. The victim turns out to be Collins' ex-wife, whom he has not seen in several years. Through the investigation of the murder, we learn a lot about being on a movie set, the behind the scenes Hollywood life, and the process of a murder investigation.

It's a short read (only 122 pages), but never feels contrived or rushed. This is the author's first novel, after nearly 40 years as an actor, and shows great promise for good things to come, as we follow Eddie Collins' career.

[Sue Berg]

Publisher
Blackstone Audio, Inc.
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
File size:
121221 KB
Number of parts:
4
Duration:
4 hours, 18 minutes
ISBN:
9781481573320
Release date:
Nov 30, 2012

read by the author

nice noir book but can't tell when it is supposed to have been set in time -- no cell phones and protagonist mentions grabbing his hat ... but something makes me think this book is set in a more contemporary time than those things indicate. i'd like to see more books with this PI ... :D

[Sharon Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Murder Unscripted when it was first published in a shorter version. Loved Eddie Collins and his assistant Mavis, loved learning about back stage Hollywood. So nice to see the novel again, unbowdlerized. Clive Rosengren knows how to move the plot and develop his characters. I can hear his acting voice in the crisp dialogue he writes. If you like Hollywood and like mysteries, this is the book for you.

[Edwin Battistella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread Murder Unscripted for my book club and liked it even better this time. The story—murdered actress whose ex-husband splits his time between acting and being a private eye—was interesting though it was maybe a bit too easy to guess the ending. Rosengren’s writing is brisk and somewhat nourish and the insights into the film industry and acting profession gave the book a bit extra.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version (read by the author) on a recent road trip. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rosengren is also an actor, so he had a lot of insight into the movie industry. Mostly, I loved it because it sounded very noir, but took place in current day Hollywood. Well read. Lots of fun.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. Quick.

[Anna Jajic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to it on audiotape. An okay book for that delivery method. If he wrote more I would read them.

[Karenfoster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book a great deal. Lots of twists and turns, clues that all come together at the end. Realistic tight character descriptions like those on a script.

[Michael Niemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to see the new edition of Murder Unscripted. Now with previously omitted materials. Check it out and read it again. It's an amazing start to an outstanding series.