Nice Weekend For A Murder

Mallory #5

by Max Allan Collins

When Mallory journeys to a New York mansion to meet his fellow mystery writers for a game of who-done-it, he witnesses a real murder, a snowstorm cuts off the outside world, and all of the evidence disappears. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lots of fun, and easily the best of the series: Mallory solves a murder at a murder mystery weekend getaway. Tons of book, movie, TV, and entertainment references, too.

Sorry to see this series end. This was early in Max Allan Collins' career, and you can easily see his growth as a writer as the series progresses.

What should I read next? The Nathan Heller series or the Disaster series? Hmm...

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Mallory series book by Max Allan Collins. Mallory (we never learn any other name for him much like Parker and Nolan) is a crime writer invited to one of those murder weekends where they enact a fake murder, create suspects, and then have teams present rationale for who they think might have committed the murder. It's no surprise that there's a real murder that requires Mallory to discover the real murderer. The victim is a universally hated critic, Kirk Rath, who feels it's his job to lift murder mysteries from the muck of triviality and provide them a place in the pantheon of literary fiction. He ridicules and belittles everyone along the way so he had plenty of enemies, many of whom were at the event.

It's not a unique plot. Others have done it better, but it was written several decades ago so I'll give him pass on that.

This is an early Collins and it shows. The resolution, while explained, is little developed and I failed to get a "feel" for the surroundings. The atmosphere was a little forced. Nevertheless, it held my interest and I'll read more in the series.

There is foreshadowing of some of the sardonic writing that has become de rigueur in P.I. novels. I rather like it.

Of course, just on general principles, I hate the Great Out-of-Doors. I grew up on a farm, and from my early childhood swore I would one day live in the city—Port City, as it turned out, but that counts, technically at least. Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn’t like; I never milked a cow I liked. The last period of my life during which I spent an inordinate amount of time in the Great Out-of-Doors was a place called Vietnam, where roughing it meant something other than a Winnebago and a six-pack of Bud. Camping trips don’t appeal much to those of us whose boondockers got soggy in a rice paddy. I swore to myself if I ever got back on good old dry American soil I’d spend as much time as possible indoors. Or, as I like to put it, the Great Indoors."

I sympathize. My idea of camping these days is Super 8.

[Christopher Geraghty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this very good book for the following reasons. My family and I have visited Mohonk Mountain House many times.

My wife and I also attended a few mystery weekends, just not at Mohonk Mountain House. They were hosted at other venues by The Killing Kompany and The Papermill Players.

Like Mallory and Jill, my wife and I also made a pretty good Nick and Nora in that we successfully solved those "mysteries"- I would ID the "killer," and my wife would figure out the motive.

That being said, I was not able to figure out the perpetrator of either the actual murder or the fake murder in this enjoyable book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was going to Mohonk on a vacation, and I was lucky enough to find this book. I love mysteries that have twists and I love mysteries that are clever.
This had both! Surprises and very, very clever.
Just terrific.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little mystery read for the weekend, it did stump me till the end.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

like the solution to the weekend theme, I saw the solution did not know how it played out til the end

[Gail Salmanowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!

As always, Mallory delights! Great mystery and fun dialogue! Loved it! Wish there were more Mallory books to read. Lots of fun!

[Tom Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of hard to believe this is the same guy who wrote the "Quarry" books.

[Raoul Jerome · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. Had a little trouble staying up with the character development, but otherwise, ok.

[Brianna Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a good mystery book for a quick read. This book was an extremely quick read. I found that the plot dragged but also sped at weird spots.

The book follows a mystery author Mallory who is known for writing mysteries based on real life events. He is invited up to a Murder Mystery weekend by a fellow author. The whole mystery is based on the killing of a fictional critic played by real life critic Kirk Rath. Rath is known for giving scathing reviews and some of the reviews have angered some of the authors that are in for the weekend. On the first night of the weekend Rath is introduced and then makes a scene saying he doesn't want to participate in the weekend as he storms out. Later that evening while Mallory is in his room he sees what looks like Rath out his window getting attacked by another person. Mallory becomes concerned but it reassured by the head of the weekend Curt that many people who participate are known for putting on creative shows for the authors that are present. Mallory is still suspicious that some is afoul but find it hard to prove murder without any body.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery that, to me, seemed to have an obvious conclusion within the first 25 pages. The writing is pretty good, if now a bit too light (and I like witty writing). The problem isn't the writing but the conclusion. What was a rather new plot device in the 1980s is awfully tired and worn now. It's also a pretty obvious one in a book structured as this one is. I was disappointed to learn I was correct and if I can figure this easily, others can, too.

The premise of a mystery writers gathering at a remote hotel is the fun part. The idea of trying to confuse the "Who-dun-it" with a separate mystery didn't work, in my opinion. This is the first I've read of Collin's 'Mallory' series and it seems that Collins was just spitting this one out to continue a contract. Collins is a great writer, but when he gets lazy, it stands out to me.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mallory is a guest at the Mohunk Mystery Weekend, one of those things with a fake muder and teams trying to figure out who the murderer is. Writers were playing the various roles, Mallory was a suspect himself, in the murder of a despised critic, one who took great delight in ruining careers. That role was to be played by Kirk Rath, a real life critic that fit the role to a T. Everyone playing the various roles despised him and when he's really murdered, everyone is a suspect.

Snowed in, the police unable to get there, Mallory and the few who know, are asked to keep it quiet until law enforcement can get there.

Mallory begins playing amateur detective, as he usually does in this series, nosing quietly around.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Mallory, but I'm a huge huge fan of Collins' Ms. Tree. This book's a nice mashup of the cosy and the hardboiled mysteries. The setting and seclusion cover the former, while the more realistic violence and terse prose the latter.

I'm a sucker for The Shining/Ten Little Indians pastiches as well as murder mystery weekends gone wrong so I dug this.

I definitely recommend it, even if I didn't care for the solution. (This book may also interest (or rile) some fans for the lavender trope employed here. But I suppose in 1986 it was in the zeitgeist and not too worn out anyway.)

Now I have the other Mallory books to look forward to. Thanks, Max! Now go revive Ms. Tree!

[Trudy Nye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the Mallory series has me wishing for more. I will have to start on Max Allan Collins' Nathan Heller series now.

In Nice Weekend for a Murder Mallory attends a murder mystery week-end at a famous New York retreat with a host of his mystery-writing colleagues. When the nasty critic who has been invited to play the "murder victim" storms out in protest, it looks like the event will be spoiled. However, a strange twist gives Mallory another mystery to investigate...but is it real?

[Anne Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

So these 5 books are some of the first things I bought after I got my first kindle, one of Amazon's really cheap bargains. Then I never got around to reading them. They are not great mysteries. They are somewhat dated, written in the 80s, almost insulting to women, but that is what was the norm then. But here is the real value of them. They are dental floss. After reading a meaty, emotional, thought provoking book, these work beautifully as a rest before starting another meaty, etc. read. An interlude. They are entertaining, short, and a good change of pace.

[Nancy]

Invited to a mystery weekend at a rambling northern resort, mystery novelist Mallory sees what he believes to be a real murder and investigates—finding no body, blood, or evidence in the snow. But as the snowstorm cuts off the remote resort from the rest of the world, Mallory discovers that the murder was real—and the murderer is still around.


Place in NY where we met Carmela: Mohonk House

[Vinnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very light hearted murder mystery, following a formula but that formula is hidden pretty well. I'm not sure I got to know some of the characters that well, was this a way of keeping a very fast pace throughout the story ? This speed made it fun to read but a little lacking in character detail.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one- it is the fifth Mallory novel. It is about a murder that happens during a Murder Mystery Party Weekend. After reading this book is when I got it into my head to do a mystery party for Halloween.

[Rich Cranford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the Mallory novels from the puzzle perspective...theme of a murder during a murder mystery weekend isn't new or original but is well done. As with all the Mallory novels, dialogue and thoughts into the mystery author world make this quick read work.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mallory concludes, a nice lighter series from Collins

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my comments on "The Baby Blue Ripoff".

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a well written mystery. The characters were believable. The plot kept you interested to the end.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Mallory and Jill. Humor and mystery makes a great read.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an inventive story, but the author is witty and makes the story fun to read.