Reel Stuff: A Novel (7)

by Don Bruns

Is it suicide or murder when Academy Award winning actor Jason Londell leaps to his death during the filming of a TV show in Miami?

Londell’ s actress girlfriend hires private investigators James Lessor and Skip Moore to investigate. They uncover a plot loaded with twists and fueled by money and greed.

The case sends James, Skip, and Skip’ s girlfriend Emily to Los Angeles where the blonde beauty goes undercover in Hollywood and is “ discovered” by a talent agent. The normally level-headed Emily gets carried away by the dream of a career in pictures, but true to the cause of the case, she works with the guys to bring down the killer.

Caught up in the world of movies, actors, actresses, and Hollywood, the trio finds that it really is the land of make-believe — but murder is still the real thing.

Genres: Mystery

295 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 2013

About the author

Don Bruns is a writer, novelist, musician, songwriter, painter, cook, advertising executive and stand up comic who has no idea what he wants to be when he grows up. He's the author of nine books and was editor of the mystery/music anthology A Merry Band Of Murderers.

Don's published novels cover two series. One, a Caribbean thriller collection and two, the Stuff series, a humorous look at two twenty-four year old guys in South Florida who start their own detective agency and end up neck - deep in trouble.

Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach Shakedown, St. Barts Breakdown and Bahama Burnout make up the Caribbean books. The Stuff series consists of Stuff To Die For, Stuff Dreams Are Made Of, Stuff To Spy For, and Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. Bruns is currently working on the fifth Stuff book, Too Much Stuff.

He currently resides on Florida's West coast.

Bahama Burnout/ Finalist, National Best Books Award - Mystery/Suspense 2009
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner National Best Books Award -Fiction/Suspense 2006
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner, Indie Excellence, 2006 Award - Mystery/Suspense
South Beach Shakedown/ Winner USA Book Award, 2006 - Mystery
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/ Winner Indie Excellence Award 2009 - Mystery/Suspense
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/IndieBound Notable, October 2008
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of/Winner Florida Writer's Association -
Stuff To Die For/ Starred review Booklist

Reviews

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came with very high expectations. The reason..Don Bruns' STUFF mysteries are my all time favorite series of novels. I have read every book in this most wonderful collection of crime novels, and each has been an utter delight. So, when a new "Stuff" book comes off the press, it is a time to celebrate..and hope the winning streak continues. After finishing the book, the quick answer is YES!!!! This is a most enjoyable and very fullfilling new entry in what is STILL my favorite series!

For those who have not yet had the amazing experience of reading any of the STUFF books, each follow the hilariously dangerous exploits of best friends Skip and James. I think of the two buddies as a modern day Laurel and Hardy..Skip, the slightly more responsible one being Hardy..and James, the mischievious and far less responsible one, a fine Laurel. Mr. Bruns is so good at bringing these two fellows to life, that it is impossible to not love them..even when they are getting into one scape after another. I defy you to not be a Skip and James fan after reading Reel Stuff.

While most of the previous novels took place in Florida, Reel Stuff takes us on a rollicking journey to Los Angeles. Along for the ride is Skip's loving yet long suffering girlfriend Emily. The interplay between Skip and Emily is always a blast..they don't like each other and Skip is often called to referee their verbal tiffs. Mr. Bruns' Hollywood is a most engaging metropolis..full of movie stars, maniacs and perhaps murder....

One of the many reasons I so love this series is that it combines thrills with laughs (alot of laughs!) to creat a truly enjoyable reading experience. Reel Stuff is not different. It is a perfect starting point for readers new to this MUST READ series..and a most delightful and very welcome continuation for devoted readers like me. I strongly urge all to read this book and series. You will certainly become a major major major fan!!..and have hours and hours of wonderful reading adventures

AN OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ

RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB - 7,200+ MEMBERS

[Alexia Chantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten mysteries were so fun to read! Bruns's voice makes for a quick read, memorable entertaining characters, and puts you right in the middle of everything. Time to check out the rest of this series!

[Jerry Hooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seventh in the “Stuff” series. Still fresh, entertaining and a great read. James Lessor and Skip Moore are the Moore or Less Detective Agency. Their associate, and James girlfriend, Emily (the brains of the outfit) take an assignment from Ashley Amber, the girlfriend/fiancé of the lead actor, Jason Londell, who dies mysteriously on the set in Miami. Jason dies when he takes a dive from a high platform on the set and Skip is a witness to the dive. Ashley claims that Jason was murdered. Skip has his doubts about it being a murder, but is dragged along when his partner James takes the case.

It is a twisted plot with all kinds of shady characters involved. The case takes James and Emily to Hollywood. Emily is passed off as a budding actress so they can get access to Jason’s wife, Juliana, who was also his agent. As an added twist, Emily plays her part so well, she is being considered as the next fresh actress to surface in Hollywood.

Suspects abound, and James, Emily, and Skip are tasked with finding the right one. Surprises at every turn make this funny and suspenseful story hard to put down. I’m sure you will “reely” enjoy it!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really a 3.5.....maybe I could have rounded up. It was surprisingly good. For some reason I wasn't expecting it to be any good. This is the first of the "Stuff" books I've read.. It had about 10 main characters. That may seem like alot, but some, with time, fade into the distance.

[S Petrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable. Sort of fun. Under 300 pages. Not deep. I liked the settings in Miami and (mostly) LA. Would probably read more from the author Brun if set in CA and not FLA. Good for an airport wait or an airplane ride, because it doesn’t require a lot of complex thought or total concentration.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, exciting and kept me glued to the story. I enjoyed it totally

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

The guys James Lessor and Skip Moore have come a long way from their moving truck days of Stuff To Die For (reviewed here) in a highly entertaining series of books. The jobs are better, but money is still a huge issue. In this seventh and most recent book in the series published last December, REEL STUFF: A LESSOR AND MOORE MYSTERY, they continue to run a private investigation company and Skip sells security systems. The guys they still have the knack for being in the wrong place at the right time.

The job should be relatively easy. They are providing additional private security on the set of a television series called Deadline Miami. Famous actor Jason Londell is doing a guest appearance for one episode before going back to work on two movies out in California. He likes to do his own stunts and at least one is planned for the television show. This particular stunt calls for Jason run along a narrow platform and then jump off and land on the tethered inflated airbag fifty feet below.

Unfortunately, something goes tragically wrong this hot Miami morning and Jason Londell dies under the watchful eyes of the production crew, a few bystanders, and Skip Moore. Skip knows what he saw and is convinced it was a horrible accident. But, Jason's actress girlfriend, Ashley Amber, is convinced he was murdered. Not only was Jason worried about the stunt according to Ashley he was also getting threatening emails. She wants Skip and James to investigate and is willing to pay the bucks as she believes Jason's agent was behind it all. James insists they take the case as, like always, they seriously need the money. Before too long it becomes clear that it was no simple accident in a case that will lead them back and forth across country to ferret out those responsible in this twisted read.

Occasionally funny and always moving forward at a steady pace, REEL STUFF: A LESSOR AND MOORE MYSTERY puts Skip and James as well as the smart and beautiful Em in the thick of it as they try to put the pieces in a shifting case together. While the trio makes mistakes they also do a lot of things right in a tale that ends in a showdown with their very lives at stake. One knows going in that the trio will survive to investigate again another day. The real question is how they will do that and the answer results in a very entertaining read from start to finish.

REEL STUFF: A LESSOR AND MOORE MYSTERY
Don Bruns
http://www.donbrunsbooks.com
Oceanview Publishing
http://www.oceanviewpub.com
ISBN# 978-1-60809-096-9
December 2013
ARC (hardback and e-book available)
295 Pages
$26.95


Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
Book Reviews and More http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

[Kathryn Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reel Stuff is book 7 in Don Bruns “Stuff” series, but you definitely do not have to read any of the other books before this one to fully enjoy this easy reading mystery.

This book drew me in right from the start. Beginning with the filming of a scene in a TV show stunt that appears to be a suicide, James Lessor and Skip Moore get talked into looking further into the situation to determine if it really was suicide when Amber Ashley insists he was murdered. James and Skip are actually at odds about taking on the case as Skip was at the scene as part of the security team when the actor Jason Londell jumped off the 70 foot high scaffolding and landed 20 yards away from the large helium-filled cushion placed to catch his fall.

One thing leads to another and Skip and his girlfriend Emily fly to Los Angeles to examine Jason Londell’s connections there – in particular, his pregnant wife while James continues to look into things in Miami. While in Los Angeles, Emily is “discovered” and cast for a role on a new TV series in a matter of days. Swept up in the dazzling world of the stars, she still manages to help keep Skip from getting himself killed.

This novel was billed as the Hardy Boys grown up, and that was correct. If you enjoyed the Hardy Boys as a young person, you’ll likely enjoy these novels too. The book was written from Skip’s point of view and he narrates as though he is telling us his story, like we are sitting down together with a cup of coffee in his living room. There were lots of surprises in the plot and clues in the story that Skip points out as the trio discover them (usually in retrospect). That means that I actually had the opportunity to discover the clues myself, but mostly missed them.

I would not call this a clean romance, as there are some lustful scenes, but is also far from being erotic. There is a little bit of coarse language in the book, but I was able to skip over it without too much problem.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. For a mystery/suspense/thriller, it was on the lighter side, and I enjoyed the humour embedded within the story, such as the name of James and Skip’s Investigation company – Moore or Less Investigations. This book is full of lots of action. I thought it was very well-written and most enjoyable.

I gave this book four stars. I would have given it 4.5 stars, but I don’t have any half stars. I would definitely consider reading other books in this series.

Thank you to the publisher, Oceanview Publishing, through NetGalley, from which I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not required to give a positive opinion. All thoughts are my own.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Bruns’s new entry in his Stuff series that covers the adventures of low-rent private eyes Skip Moore and James Lessor, has the pair working on a murder mystery that takes them from their usual Miami haunts to the La-la Land of Hollywood. While the film industry may be in the business of creating make-believe, beneath the fiction is a very real world of money, greed, and murder.
Award-winning actor Jason Londell was doing a favor for a producer friend by making an appearance on the TV series Deadline Miami. The first part of the title comes true when Londell’s stunt jump from a scaffold goes horribly wrong.
Skip and James are working security for the set, where Skip has a front-row seat for Londell’s death plunge. But was it an accident, or suicide, or was it murder? The female star of the show hires the pair to investigate. She’s most suspicious of Londell’s wife, who had also been his agent until recently. Complicating matters, the wife is pregnant, and also happens to be the star’s sister.
Soon Skip and his long-term girlfriend Emily are off to Hollywood to pursue several leads. But events take a weird turn when Emily is “discovered” as an actress, and Skip is almost killed by a homicidal driver. There is no shortage of suspects: the agent/wife; the alcoholic director of the episode; and a cameraman who was on the scaffolding but disappeared immediately after Londell died. As Skip digs deeper, he uncovers more reasons why Londell had to die—and people are willing to kill Skip to keep the reasons secret.
The portrayal of the film world, both on the Miami set and in Hollywood, is nicely done with fun tidbits for the reader. Bruns writes with a light touch and a keen eye for life’s ironies that puts a smile on your face even as you’re quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.

Reviewed by David Ingram for Suspense Magazine

[Suspense Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Bruns’s new entry in his Stuff series that covers the adventures of low-rent private eyes Skip Moore and James Lessor, has the pair working on a murder mystery that takes them from their usual Miami haunts to the La-la Land of Hollywood. While the film industry may be in the business of creating make-believe, beneath the fiction is a very real world of money, greed, and murder.
Award-winning actor Jason Londell was doing a favor for a producer friend by making an appearance on the TV series Deadline Miami. The first part of the title comes true when Londell’s stunt jump from a scaffold goes horribly wrong.
Skip and James are working security for the set, where Skip has a front-row seat for Londell’s death plunge. But was it an accident, or suicide, or was it murder? The female star of the show hires the pair to investigate. She’s most suspicious of Londell’s wife, who had also been his agent until recently. Complicating matters, the wife is pregnant, and also happens to be the star’s sister.
Soon Skip and his long-term girlfriend Emily are off to Hollywood to pursue several leads. But events take a weird turn when Emily is “discovered” as an actress, and Skip is almost killed by a homicidal driver. There is no shortage of suspects: the agent/wife; the alcoholic director of the episode; and a cameraman who was on the scaffolding but disappeared immediately after Londell died. As Skip digs deeper, he uncovers more reasons why Londell had to die—and people are willing to kill Skip to keep the reasons secret.
The portrayal of the film world, both on the Miami set and in Hollywood, is nicely done with fun tidbits for the reader. Bruns writes with a light touch and a keen eye for life’s ironies that puts a smile on your face even as you’re quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.
Reviewed by David Ingram for Suspense Magazine

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed each of Don Bruns’ books in the “Stuff” series, but Reel Stuff hit a new high for me. The fun-loving quasi-detectives, James Lessor and Skip Moore, find themselves once again entangled in another mysterious murder. This time, Skip’s girlfriend Emily Minard becomes a lead character in more ways than one. Normally the voice of reason, Emily gets caught up with the prospect of becoming a star, which could derail the investigation (and end her relationship with Skip), while the boys find themselves deeper and deeper in the mysteries surrounding the death of a famous leading man.

Bruns always leads the reader to chuckles, headshakes and surprises through his likable characters, who have little talent, but much chutzpah. The banter between James and Skip is real, revealing a friendship that has weathered heartbreak and humor as well horseplay and honesty. The reader cheers for them knowing that the situation is going to get much worse before it has a chance to get better, if it does at all. The plot keeps twisting and turning, the investigators put themselves in precarious situations and the reader is kept guessing at the outcome.

Reel Stuff takes the reader into the glamorous, beguiling and deceptive world of Hollywood and all that it entails. References to television shows and movies abound throughout the book connecting the reader to the setting and the characters.

Don Bruns has once again combined mystery, intrigue and humor with a fascinating setting, allowing readers to draw conclusions and have fun right along James, Skip and Emily.

[Jsbiddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The detective firm of Skip Moore and James Lesser is providing security for a film shoot in Miami when the well known actor Jason Londel is killed while performing a stunt. The death is strange in that it looks like a gruesome accident, or perhaps a suicide.

Skip Moore and James Lessor are best friends and partners in the Moore or Less investigations firm. They are helped in their efforts by Skip's girlfriend Em. The story is told through Skip Moore's eyes. Em, of course, is a beautiful blond and amply endowed. Amber Ashley, is another beautiful blond who is amply endowed, and is related to the victim wants to investigate. She is a successful actress who can pay. So the story moves to Los Angeles along with Skip and Em. James Stays in Miami to handle that end. The More or Less Investigations firm really sells and installs security systems and they not private investigators. There is nothing like a retainer to elevate your credentials.

What follows is a credible mystery story mixed with sometimes amusing and funny incidents to keep the reader interested. The author puts the reader in the context of a popular view of Hollywood and the movie culture with frequent references to real movies and TV. Both Seinfield and the Keystone Cops are present in spirit as the story unfolds. In the end it all works out as most good stories do.

The book is a good read and I am happy to recommend it to anyone. It qualifies as both a mystery and a good story of rising above your credentials with lots of amply endowed beautiful blonds. Who wouldn't like that?

[Kevin Wooldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh "Stuff" book from Don Bruns and it's the best of the bunch! They keep getting better. I wish Skip and James (the main characters) were real people. I feel like I know them after reading seven of their adventures, and I'd love to have a beer with them sometime.

The boys end up with a legitimate gig for their fledgling investigation business, providing security for a TV show shoot on location in a Miami park, but end up sucked into a murder investigation when one of the hottest actors in the country seemingly commits suicide right in front of Skip's eyes. He has to be convinced that it could be a murder, but once he comes around, they are in for a ride that takes Skip and Emily straight to Hollywood. And the lovely Emily may never come back.

If you enjoy mysteries, and humor, and unpredictable twists and turns, this book will delight you. I can't wait til the next one comes out!

[Michael Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

bumbling detective and his more incapable partner stumble around a murder case with the smart and gorgeous girlfriend of the bumbler. they work their way thru things with info just coming their way most of the time without a lot of actual work. the story is not that creative and the basic plotting mundane. this is number 7 in this series and I will not look for the previous books. was not that great and if I am just looking for a read I might try one out. the ending sets up the girlfriend in Hollywood and that one I would read just to see how that sub-plot worked out. she got caught up in her cover story, was smarter than both the guys but not that well developed herself.

[David Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather pleasing. amiable mystery in which an unreliable narrator finally recognises the error of his ways and solves the case.

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[JB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, interesting characters, good pace to solving the mystery.

[Adrienne Amborski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a Don Bruns fan. A Lessor and Moore title that will leave you hanging and wanting more.