Making A Killing

Mitchell Draper Mystery #2

by Warren Dunford

When we left him at the end of Soon to be a Major Motion Picture, struggling screenwriter Mitchell Draper was happy to have escaped with his life from his last assignment. But that doesn't stop him from digging into a 20-year-old murder-suicide as meat for a new screenplay that might net him $800,000 from a sexy movie producer who seems just as interested in Mitchell as in his story. Once again, novelist Warren Dunford has created a hilariously satirical study of celebrity culture that pokes good-natured fun both at the insiders and those on the outside desperate to get in. Also Available by Warren Soon to be a Major Motion Picture TP 12.95, 1-55583-582-1 USA

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Canada, Mystery, Gay

Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunford's immensely satisfying sequel to 2000's "Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture" picks up several years later with the same appealing characters. "Soon To Be..." found fledgling Toronto screenwriter Mitchell Draper and his friends Ingrid and Ramir in a sendup of crime dramas and Mafia Princess potboilers. This latest venture is a smart and self-aware parody of gothic murder mysteries, complete with a bevy of suspects, hidden staircases in a spooky mansion ("the kind of house that had inspired the game of Clue"), ancient secrets and even a giant party at the end that brings all the suspects back to the scene of the crime. Alert readers will catch references to "Rosemary's Baby," "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Scooby Doo."

The biggest surprise is the book's gradual slide from hilarious homage to an honest-to-goodness locked-door mystery. Few will guess the outcome of the clever twists that tantalize until the final pages.

Mitchell's idea that a 20-year-old father-son murder-suicide would make a blockbuster movie script finds him investigating the long-closed case and discovering new facts that may endanger him and his cohorts. Meanwhile, Ingrid is attempting reconciliation with her ex-husband, and Ramir has joined a charismatic cult whose leader was intimately involved in the tragedy. New characters are especially well drawn, notably dying designer Cortland McPhee, aging sexpot Gabriella Hartman ("one of Entertainment Weekly's 101 Stars Who Just Won't Give Up") and her Thelma Ritter-like psychic adviser Jane Choy.

While some readers will be eager to see what genre Dunford turns his comedic talents to next, others will hope he settles into mystery for good.

[David J. McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! A good dose of comedy and mystery... The main characters were all likeable... And the final twist to the mystery was unexpected but well-done!