The Birddog Tape

by Barry Norman

Bobby Lennox, a successful London realtor and ex-boxing champion, is a frequent victim of mistaken identity, whether from his questionable resemblance to film actor Michael Caine, or now due to a mixup that convinces some mobsters that he's a hit man - one who can get rid of a Hollywood producer and his beautiful wife. But when the wife turns out to be Lennox's former girlfriend, he has to prevent the murder he was hired to commit, following a trail that leads him through the inner circles of the Los Angeles elite and into a startling case of treachery and deceit.

Genres: Mystery

370 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 1993

About the author

Barry Norman was a British film critic, author, journalist and television presenter

Reviews

[Mike Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy a good crime story and you also enjoy tales from Hollywood and the movie industry greats, then there's nothing here you won't like. The plot is interesting (and well told) enough to keep you turning the pages and the movie insider element just adds that bit of sparkle.

Being a fan of Barry Norman's film review programmes anyway, I could hear his voice throughout this novel as if he was reading it to me. He had his own style, and you are almost waiting for him so say things like "The guy was dead, ok but I've seen worse, and the money was right there for the taking, so I took it ... and why not?". (Yes I know he never actually said that, but you take my point).

It's not Raymond Chandler, no. It's Barry Norman, and I enjoyed it.

[Windy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a short book, this took some time to read, possibly because while I found it interesting, it wasn't compelling. In the end it was a quite convoluted plot. Entertaining all the same