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Columbo (Tor Series) #3
Columbo: The Hoffa Connection
When a racy, beautiful rock mega-star is found floating dead in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, Columbo, America's favorite TV detective launches an investigation that takes him all the way to the coast of Italy, to the birthplace of the mafia. But to solve this case, Columbo must first tackle on of the most publicized and puzzling mysteries to sweep the United States--the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa exactly twenty years ago.
245 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
109 people want to read
About the author
William Harrington
50 books10 followersWilliam Harrington is mainly known as the author of Murder at the President’s Door, his specialty was mainly in detective stories. He was a lawyer from 1958 to 1976, an electoral adviser from 1962 to 1965 in Columbus, and finally an attorney from 1978 to 1980. His first novel The Justice Which, Which the Thief, published in 1963, received positive critics. It was a real case story about a couple of jewelry robberies in Ohio.
His other popular book was published in 1982, The English Lady, it is an espionage novel about Winston Churchill and her confidante spying on the Germans during the Second World War. Between 1993 and 1998, he wrote the Columbo series, inspired by the television series American Columbo. He Co-authored with Elliot Roosevelt on the investigations of Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the US president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Between 1963 and 2001, he has written over 20 interesting and captivating books.
His other popular book was published in 1982, The English Lady, it is an espionage novel about Winston Churchill and her confidante spying on the Germans during the Second World War. Between 1993 and 1998, he wrote the Columbo series, inspired by the television series American Columbo. He Co-authored with Elliot Roosevelt on the investigations of Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the US president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Between 1963 and 2001, he has written over 20 interesting and captivating books.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 7, 2012
I did not relate to the character who was murdered but I loved how Columbo looked past her issues and solved the crime.
May 7, 2020
How bizarre that the main mystery in this was given away in the title! ;)
It was still fun, and Columbo is Columbo.
It was still fun, and Columbo is Columbo.
May 7, 2012
This is my least favorite Columbo book so far. It just wasn't compelling. Columbo is working a case involving the death of an entertainer with mob connections. The pacing is slow and this biggest reveal is very obviously given away in the title. You can skip this one.
May 16, 2020
I'm a huge Columbo fan, having watched the tv show with my mom as a kid in the 70s.
I read a few books from this series when they came out in the 90s and I enjoyed them. However I missed this one. I saw it the other day and looked forward to reading it.
What a disappointment.
A Columbo mystery usually starts off with us seeing a murder committed. A 'perfect' murder in some cases. The joy is then in watching Columbo solve that perfect crime.
The murder here is by no means perfect. It's a mess from the start. The murderer here comes off as incompetent time and again.
We see Columbo in several situations that I either didn't buy, or was just uncomfortable with.
Also, one mystery Columbo is trying to solve is really no mystery at all to the reader, for oblivious reasons...
Columbo works best when they stick to the formula we are used to. When the tv series tried to deviate from that, it never worked.
The same goes for this story.
The one highlight is seeing Dog surfboard.
I read a few books from this series when they came out in the 90s and I enjoyed them. However I missed this one. I saw it the other day and looked forward to reading it.
What a disappointment.
A Columbo mystery usually starts off with us seeing a murder committed. A 'perfect' murder in some cases. The joy is then in watching Columbo solve that perfect crime.
The murder here is by no means perfect. It's a mess from the start. The murderer here comes off as incompetent time and again.
We see Columbo in several situations that I either didn't buy, or was just uncomfortable with.
Also, one mystery Columbo is trying to solve is really no mystery at all to the reader, for oblivious reasons...
Columbo works best when they stick to the formula we are used to. When the tv series tried to deviate from that, it never worked.
The same goes for this story.
The one highlight is seeing Dog surfboard.
December 10, 2020
Second one in the series that I've read and both were a lot of fun. Harrington knows the character well and writes him true to the TV series. The added bonus of the cases in the books being adjacent to famous real cases is a nice touch. Like the TV series there is no mystery you know who the murderer is and this one pretty much tells you the other big mystery in its title. But just the Columbo persona is interesting enough to make the book very enjoyable.
Highly recommended especially to fans of the series it really does read like a bonus episode.
Highly recommended especially to fans of the series it really does read like a bonus episode.
January 16, 2025
Over many months, nearly a year to be more accurate, Last year I watched the complete run of Columbo, while researching an article I wrote as an overview on the series I discovered this novel and the other 6 in the series. I also found about casebooks, and even a cookbook. I thought I would try tracking down these books and give them a try. They do not disappoint. It was almost like watching an episode, his mannerisms, his process, and even his favourite foods. This was the third of 6 I have read in the series. I cannot see any fan of the series not enjoying this book, and if the other 3 remaining in the series are a good I am in for some great reads!
The description of this book states:
“When a racy, beautiful rock mega-star is found floating dead in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, Columbo, America's favorite TV detective launches an investigation that takes him all the way to the coast of Italy, to the birthplace of the mafia. But to solve this case, Columbo must first tackle on of the most publicized and puzzling mysteries to sweep the United States--the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa exactly twenty years ago.”
Another description is:
“To find out who killed a Madonna-like superstar and dumped her body in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, the TV detective must unlock the mystery of Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance twenty years earlier.”
This story starts in an interesting way. In the typical Columbo manner we soon witness the murder and know who the perpetrators are and how they did it. The big difference between this and other books or even the series was the naked victim, and the story contains numerous references to the victim and he many male partners. From the beginning there is some obvious suspects, but Columbo knows from early on to focus on the missing Old man, who lived with the victim, and has some pretty clear ideas who is involved. He just needs to figure out the ‘why?’.
As mentioned there were a few things in this story that felt a little off based on my experiences with Columbo. First the murder victim being naked and prancing and swimming around naked in front of numerous people. Second the sheer number of references to the victims sexual prowess and many man use used and discarded. And third Columbo allowing himself to be kissed a few times by a reporter pumping him for information. The victim’s name being Regina, which literally means Queen. The beginning of the second chapter of Part I of the novel states:
“At 10:00 a silvery Rolls-Royce entered the driveway of Regina’s estate in Beverly Hills. Although cars crowded the narrow'lane bumper-to-bumper, space had carefully been left for the Rolls to glide through unimpeded; and it stopped only at the front door to the sprawling Spanish-style mansion. Before the chauffeur could come around to open the door, Regina opened it and flung herself impatiently from the car, stark naked.
Without the blond wig, she exposed her hair: dark brown and brush cut. Her skin gleamed with sweat. Speaking to no one, she strode through the house and out the back door to the swimming pool, where she threw herself off the edge and into the water. She floundered. People gathered around the pool as she thrashed and struggled and—gradually made her way across the pool to the opposite side. Breathless and sputtering, she reached up and accepted a glass from Johnny, her houseboy, a handsome dark-visaged young man. She drank. Straight gin, no ice.
Her guests gathered around her, none of them surprised to see her naked, most of them anxious to have a look at her—or, as it was for many of them, another look.”
The other two novels could easily have been episodes of the series. I just cannot see how they would have ever filmed let alone aired this one. We still got to watch Columbo pull all the threads and eliminate some suspects. Including an international trip to the funeral of Regina in Italy. He does make a few references to Mrs C. But the events with the reporter just feel off.
While researching for the review of the first volume in this series I discovered that there were also 6 Columbo novels in the 1970; 2 new stores and 4 novelizations of episodes and also a collection called The Columbo Collection of 12 stories by William Link. These 6 novels came out overlapping with the 6 of the last 8 episodes of the TV Movie Special Era.
This was a good read, but not great, A great read for fans of the series or Jimmy Hoffa buff’s and for those who just like a mystery. I enjoyed the other 2 novels in this series far more than this one, it feels off and forced. I can recommend this book and series, and still look forward to reading the remaining three.
The description of this book states:
“When a racy, beautiful rock mega-star is found floating dead in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, Columbo, America's favorite TV detective launches an investigation that takes him all the way to the coast of Italy, to the birthplace of the mafia. But to solve this case, Columbo must first tackle on of the most publicized and puzzling mysteries to sweep the United States--the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa exactly twenty years ago.”
Another description is:
“To find out who killed a Madonna-like superstar and dumped her body in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, the TV detective must unlock the mystery of Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance twenty years earlier.”
This story starts in an interesting way. In the typical Columbo manner we soon witness the murder and know who the perpetrators are and how they did it. The big difference between this and other books or even the series was the naked victim, and the story contains numerous references to the victim and he many male partners. From the beginning there is some obvious suspects, but Columbo knows from early on to focus on the missing Old man, who lived with the victim, and has some pretty clear ideas who is involved. He just needs to figure out the ‘why?’.
As mentioned there were a few things in this story that felt a little off based on my experiences with Columbo. First the murder victim being naked and prancing and swimming around naked in front of numerous people. Second the sheer number of references to the victims sexual prowess and many man use used and discarded. And third Columbo allowing himself to be kissed a few times by a reporter pumping him for information. The victim’s name being Regina, which literally means Queen. The beginning of the second chapter of Part I of the novel states:
“At 10:00 a silvery Rolls-Royce entered the driveway of Regina’s estate in Beverly Hills. Although cars crowded the narrow'lane bumper-to-bumper, space had carefully been left for the Rolls to glide through unimpeded; and it stopped only at the front door to the sprawling Spanish-style mansion. Before the chauffeur could come around to open the door, Regina opened it and flung herself impatiently from the car, stark naked.
Without the blond wig, she exposed her hair: dark brown and brush cut. Her skin gleamed with sweat. Speaking to no one, she strode through the house and out the back door to the swimming pool, where she threw herself off the edge and into the water. She floundered. People gathered around the pool as she thrashed and struggled and—gradually made her way across the pool to the opposite side. Breathless and sputtering, she reached up and accepted a glass from Johnny, her houseboy, a handsome dark-visaged young man. She drank. Straight gin, no ice.
Her guests gathered around her, none of them surprised to see her naked, most of them anxious to have a look at her—or, as it was for many of them, another look.”
The other two novels could easily have been episodes of the series. I just cannot see how they would have ever filmed let alone aired this one. We still got to watch Columbo pull all the threads and eliminate some suspects. Including an international trip to the funeral of Regina in Italy. He does make a few references to Mrs C. But the events with the reporter just feel off.
While researching for the review of the first volume in this series I discovered that there were also 6 Columbo novels in the 1970; 2 new stores and 4 novelizations of episodes and also a collection called The Columbo Collection of 12 stories by William Link. These 6 novels came out overlapping with the 6 of the last 8 episodes of the TV Movie Special Era.
This was a good read, but not great, A great read for fans of the series or Jimmy Hoffa buff’s and for those who just like a mystery. I enjoyed the other 2 novels in this series far more than this one, it feels off and forced. I can recommend this book and series, and still look forward to reading the remaining three.
August 11, 2021
This was the most disappointing book in the series. I don't remember reading it when it originally came out, which is probably a lucky thing for me because I might have stopped reading the series. William Harrington was a super-competent writer, but still a writer for hire. I suspect that he was hired by parties who were close to the owners who wanted to squeeze a few more dollars out of the property. It's possible that he didn't pick the theme (Colombo solves cases distantly related to historical crime mysteries) or the subjects (Kennedy Assassination, Manson Family Murders, Hoffa Disappearance) but he was responsible for the content. (I blame mobsters being in two of the first three stories on people other than the writer.)
The two major problems I have with Harrington's story are (A) all swimming pools have a shallow end. If Regina had half a brain, she would have stood in the shallow end and waited. The killer(s) could have waited her out and she still might have eventually drowned, but it would have taken a lot longer. More probably, they would have had to wade in and dispatch her in a much more murdery way. (B) Columbo stealing something (twice) from suspects in the case. It might have helped advance the story along to its resolution more quickly, but I can't really see Columbo stealing drugs from a suspect's medicine cabinet without a warrant. He might have actually taken away a glass with fingerprints in a previous TV episode so I can't be as critical about that.
I was disappointed by pretty much everything else too, plot-wise. The characterization was spot-on and most of the investigation was pretty smart, if routine. Episodes of the series always felt like we were watching special cases that fell into Columbo's lap occasionally. I was certain that he also investigated uninteresting murders. This book was like reading about one of those "uninteresting" cases. Most of the action revolved around incompetent killers and the incompetent mobsters in control of them.
I'd only rate this a two-star book except that I don't usually finish those, so this must have been slightly better...
The two major problems I have with Harrington's story are (A) all swimming pools have a shallow end. If Regina had half a brain, she would have stood in the shallow end and waited. The killer(s) could have waited her out and she still might have eventually drowned, but it would have taken a lot longer. More probably, they would have had to wade in and dispatch her in a much more murdery way. (B) Columbo stealing something (twice) from suspects in the case. It might have helped advance the story along to its resolution more quickly, but I can't really see Columbo stealing drugs from a suspect's medicine cabinet without a warrant. He might have actually taken away a glass with fingerprints in a previous TV episode so I can't be as critical about that.
I was disappointed by pretty much everything else too, plot-wise. The characterization was spot-on and most of the investigation was pretty smart, if routine. Episodes of the series always felt like we were watching special cases that fell into Columbo's lap occasionally. I was certain that he also investigated uninteresting murders. This book was like reading about one of those "uninteresting" cases. Most of the action revolved around incompetent killers and the incompetent mobsters in control of them.
I'd only rate this a two-star book except that I don't usually finish those, so this must have been slightly better...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2026
I have a memory of starting this book before.
I finished it this time, out of stubbornness.
Honestly, the detective could have been anybody.
Points that played into Columbo's strength:
speaks Italian
That's it. The murder is a footnote to the "big reveal"
about a character. Not the murderer but someone
involved. (no spoilers) And there is no real big reveal.
Just someone who is, terribly stupid, considering
who he is supposed to be.
Is not easy to get a hold of these Columbo books.
I think I have one more that I managed to snag.
Here is hoping that its better.
I finished it this time, out of stubbornness.
Honestly, the detective could have been anybody.
Points that played into Columbo's strength:
speaks Italian
That's it. The murder is a footnote to the "big reveal"
about a character. Not the murderer but someone
involved. (no spoilers) And there is no real big reveal.
Just someone who is, terribly stupid, considering
who he is supposed to be.
Is not easy to get a hold of these Columbo books.
I think I have one more that I managed to snag.
Here is hoping that its better.
May 23, 2020
Not a deep thinker at all, since like all Columbo mysteries, either on page or on TV, we know who the criminal is right from the start. But it's still fun watching him get them to hoist themselves by their own petards.
I challenge anyone to read one of these books and not hear Peter Falk's voice in your head.
I challenge anyone to read one of these books and not hear Peter Falk's voice in your head.
November 20, 2020
Enjoyable Columbo read. I could picture Peter Falk being Columbo in the story with no problem.
The "Hoffa Connection" was something of a silly thing, I think. Rather lame, but at the same time, it worked, in a way.
The "Hoffa Connection" was something of a silly thing, I think. Rather lame, but at the same time, it worked, in a way.
January 15, 2021
Loved it!
April 2, 2023
I wish there were more of these! Can't get enough of Columbo.
September 11, 2023
My second tk.e reading this book. It is so good. He really captured columbo
February 26, 2017
Love the character Columbo!
August 30, 2020
Very readable Columbo tale. So many aspects of Columbo investigating the death of a popstar in the middle of a media / fan frenzy felt pretty current to me despite this book having been written almost 30 years ago. While the mystery within the mystery (the identity of the old man) fails to deliver, the rest of the story is populated with interesting characters. I am not as in love with Boswell as the author clearly is, and could generally do with less of her ongoing flirtation with Columbo, but I do appreciate the effort to broaden Columbo's world with recurring characters that he gets to interact with. We learn a lot about the victim, some of it rather horrible, and I found it interesting (but consistent with his characterization over the years) that Columbo doesn't really seem affected by any of it one way or the other. His only focus is on solving the case, which he doggedly does, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews