The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes: A Stewart Hoag Mystery

Stewart Hoag #9

by David Handler

HARLAN COBEN calls it "One of my all-time favorite series! ...David Handler is so good at writing one smart, funny page-turner after another that he makes it look easy." 

Fans of JANET EVANOVICH and CARL HIAASEN, get ready. If you haven't yet discovered wisecracking sleuth Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag and his faithful basset hound Lulu, you're in for a sharp, hilarious treat.

Once upon a time, Hoagy had it all: a hugely successful debut novel, a gorgeous celebrity wife, the glamorous world of New York City at his feet. These days, he scrapes by as a celebrity ghostwriter. A celebrity ghostwriter who finds himself investigating murders more often than he'd like.

And once upon a time, Richard Aintree was the most famous writer in America -- high school students across the country read his one and only novel, a modern classic on par with The Catcher in the Rye. But after his wife's death, Richard went into mourning... and then into hiding. No one has heard from him in twenty years.

Until now. Richard Aintree — or someone pretending to be Richard Aintree — has at last reached out to his two estranged daughters. Monette is a lifestyle queen à la Martha Stewart whose empire is crumbling; and once upon a time, Reggie was the love of Hoagy's life. Both sisters have received mysterious typewritten letters from their father.

Hoagy is already on the case, having been hired to ghostwrite a tell-all book about the troubled Aintree family. But no sooner does he set up shop in the pool house of Monette's Los Angeles mansion than murder strikes. With Lulu at his side — or more often cowering in his shadow — it's up to Hoagy to unravel the mystery, catch the killer, and pour himself that perfect single-malt Scotch... before it's too late.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Dogs

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2017

About the author

AKA Russell Andrews (with Peter Gethers)

David Handler, who began his career in New York as a journalist, was born and raised in Los Angeles and published two highly acclaimed novels about growing up there, Kiddo and Boss, before resorting to a life of crime fiction.

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

When The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes started out, I had high hopes. Written with a witty snark, Stewart Hoag’s first person narrative reads like an old private detective novel. I enjoyed the trip back to 1992 where fax machines groaned and email was just barely on the radar. And Lulu. I can’t neglect to mention the quirky basset hound with a big personality and a tendency to steal any scene she’s in.

But at some point, it just lost my attention. I can’t even really pinpoint why, but I think a lot had to do with the fact that I lost respect for Hoagy and never found it again. Just beginning to get a feel for him, starting to like him, and then his flaws overwhelmed the good I saw in him. Other than Lulu, he was the only character I even remotely liked, and when I suddenly didn’t like him anymore I found it difficult to stay invested in the story.

Bottom Line: All in all, this is a novel which will appeal to fans of the previous books in the series, as well as fans of the private detective genre in general. Lulu is one of the coolest dogs in fiction, and she is paws down my favorite character. The ending, while I already suspected it, is cleverly written and I do want to know how things turn out for Hoagy and Merilee. While most of the novel skates along the edge of ‘gritty’, the ‘whodunit’ scene includes a revelation that is abundantly disturbing on many levels. Will I read more in this series? Probably not… but if Lulu were suddenly to get her own series, I’m there!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Brenda Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful treat! I forgot how much I missed the adventures of Hoagy and Lulu. Every detective should have a dog sidekick. You would think by now Hoagy would know every time he signs up to be a ghost writer something goes wrong. Fasten your seatbelt, you are in for a great time.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart Hoag has made a name for himself as a writer (with his one acclaimed novel) and highly sought after ghostwriter (with three #1 bestsellers). His recent prospects haven't quite been up his alley (a Barney memoir, no thanks!), but now his agent has something big: years ago, critically acclaimed writer Richard Aintree disappeared. The widower left behind two orphaned daughters, one of whom Hoagy himself has a connection to. The other daughter, a Martha Stewart-esque brand in her own right, has been experiencing a bit of a downturn in her career and so, when a letter supposedly from her long lost dad arrives requesting that she, his old agent, and Hoagy get involved in a project together, curiosity and money win out.

Hoagy and his canine companion, Lulu, travel to LA to stay with Monette Aintree as they wait for daddy dearest to reveal himself, and the story he wants told. Then Hoagy's long lost love - Monette's estranged sister, Reggie, shows up with a letter of her own. Not that Hoagy minds, the more the merrier plus it seems the perfect excuse for a party in Monette's eyes. Until said fête turns into a fiasco with Monette herself claiming responsibility for murder. But something smells, and it isn't just Lulu's breath. Now Hoagy has to put his investigative skills to use to find out what's really going on.

The Girl With the Kaleidoscope Eyes marks a two decades in the making return to the Stewart Hoag series, apparently. The series debuted in 1988 with The Man Who Died Laughing and, until now, ended in 1997 with The Man Who Loved Women Too Much. And I wasn't familiar with any of them. At all. So I was a little worried. But apparently this is one of Harlan Coben's favorite series, which was enough for me to want to give it a shot.

And it worked fine. Consider it a series reboot - a starting place for newbies but a return to a long beloved series for fans as well.

And rather than bring the character and series forward to today, it's set in the 90s!

Hoagy (as he likes to be called) has a penchant for licorice ice cream and a knack for celebrity secrets. The latter, combined with his writing chops, makes him perfect as a celebrity ghostwriter (you know, the person who really pens those celebrity memoirs even though they don't get credit). But apparently he also has a knack for getting involved in murder investigations.

I enjoyed Handler's lighter tone and humorous style. Plus, these are mysteries about books! And I am a sucker for books about the industry. Though to be honest, there's not a whole lot of writing that goes on in this one - mostly they're hanging out waiting for Richard Raintree (or the person pretending to be him) to be revealed. But there's plenty of other things going on - Monette's in the middle of a nasty separation that, thanks to her celebrity status, is playing out very publicly. And Hoagy does consider that the sudden appearance of her "father" could be a publicity stunt. But he's threatened the very day he arrives in town, and apparently isn't one to back down from a fight. So hoax or no, he's in it to the end.

The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes is fun and light. If you enjoy amateur sleuths, books about books, canine buddy reads, and/or celebrity gossip scandals, I'd absolutely recommend giving this one a try!

There aren't really many references to Hoagy's past adventures, which again means that it's easy to slip into this ninth in the series even without any former knowledge of its predecessors. But if you do want to start from the beginning, the series has been kept in print via ebook! Here's the full list:

The Man Who Died Laughing
The Man Who Lived By Night
The Man Who Would be F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Woman Who Fell From Grace
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
The Man Who Cancelled Himself
The Girl Who Ran Off With Daddy
The Man Who Loved Women to Death
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel, the ninth in the Stewart Hoag series, has an identity crisis. Most of the time it is a light frolic, filled with snappy dialogue and clever digs at modern cultural indicators. But the conclusion, in which a murder mystery is solved, is morally complex and emotionally nuanced. The plot device that reveals the killer is unbearably clunky and totally at odds with jovial tone that dominates almost all of the book.

I chuckled my way through the story until the ending, which raises important questions about what sort of obligations family members owe each other.

The gracious author's note at the end of book details why there was a long interlude between the eighth and ninth volumes in this series and left me feeling that David Handler is a very decent man. I liked the novel just enough to want to try other volumes in the series to see how typical this sort of ending is for Handler.

[R J Mckay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart Hoag and his faithful sidekick, basset hound Lulu are once again into the fray as Hoagy’s skills as a ghostwriter/amateur sleuth are called upon. This time he is asked to work with Reggie and Monette Aintree as letters from their Father, whom they have not communicated with in years, are the real deal. And if so, what is the truth about Richard Aintree.

David Handler’s character Stewart Hoag reminds me of Archy McNally, who was created by Lawrence Sanders years ago. Both are easy going observers of what is going around them. This cozy mystery is sure to please.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago, as an aspiring author, Stewart Hoag was in love with poet Reggie, whose parents were both well-known writers until her mother committed suicide. Her father disappeared for more than twenty years, but now he's writing letters to Reggie and her estranged sister, a lifestyle maven. Hoagie is hired to go to California and prepare to ghost-write a book about the big reunion that seems to be in the cards, only to find that things are not well in the sister's life. Hoagie's basset Lulu does her share of the detecting.

[Rica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Long may Lulu and Hoagy run!

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. It's very 80s (never would have expected nostalgia for that godawful decade to become a thing, but its time has come, apparently). Lulu the basset hound is a great sidekick.

[Marianne Hetzer Hawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the title; I'd never heard of David Handler or his Stewart Hoag series before. This ninth installment was written 20 years after the eighth. I love mysteries and this series is, apparently, well liked, but I wasn't overly impressed. Hoagy very quickly solved the mystery with a minimum of effort and not a tiny bit of assistance from a forensic-wizard of a Bassett hound. The police lieutenant assigned to the case must have felt like a fifth wheel. I fear that the well-loved formula has not aged well.

[Kaitlyn Dunnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of disappointing. Interesting characters, but not much mystery. The murder didn't occur until 2/3 of the way through the book. I gather from the author note that this one was written decades after the others in the series, so perhaps I should have gone back and started with the earlier ones. This reads okay as a stand alone, but didn't seem to have much depth. And I really got tired of hearing what everyone was wearing every time they entered a scene.

[June J. McInerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag, the taller dashing half of the protagonist team of Hoagy and Lulu, claims at one point in "The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes", “Never argue with a stubborn basset hound. You will always lose.” Now, being owned by a doggedly determined basset hound myself, I know this statement to be true. I have the bruised left knee and deflated ego to prove it. But that is another story to be told at another time.
What is the story here is David Handler’s exquisitely fluid writing style, the subtle sense of humor he imbues in his two main characters, and the seemingly simplistic plot lines that twist and turn into spirals of complex shockers. Handler, in my humble estimation, is our modern-day Dashiell Hammett and, like Hammett, should not be overlooked as a very talented writer of semi-contemporary mystery. And that should come as no surprise, considering he has written 24 novels prior to tackling "The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes", the ninth in his Stewart Hoag Mystery series.
Handler, as explained in the publicity notes that accompanied the complimentary copy sent by the William Morrow publicist, had taken a hiatus from the series that features a celebrity ghost writer and his somewhat faithful companion, Lulu, a basset who has unusual dietary habits. Begun in 1992, Hoagy and Lulu enjoyed a merry romp through the more literary side of the mystery genre until their suspension in 1997. Fast forward 20 years to Handler’s agent meeting with the publisher who, by chance, mentioned how much he enjoyed reading about the two semi-super sleuths and would the author consider writing another? The result, of course, was "The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes" and, as it turns out, a whole new following, including myself.
Set in 1992, the world of Hoagy and Lulu is on the cusp of the internet age; cell-phones are bigger than bread boxes, and William Clinton has set his sights for the White House. Reluctantly, Steward Stafford Hoag [I love that his initials are “SSH”.] takes on helping an international media mogul write a memoir about her long-lost father, Richard Aintree, a once-famous novelist and former husband of an equally popular poet, now deceased. It should be an open-and-shut arrangement, except that Hoagy was once in love with the younger sister and, after a subsequent failed marriage with a movie star, is loathed, for whatever reasons, to revisit his former life.
It seems that everywhere Hoagy and Lulu go – they are never apart – they are beset by shady characters; unethical businessmen; beautiful, but deceiving women; and, of all things, murder. Not one, but two. Possible three. Hence what could have easily been a ho-hum-drum novel about Hollywood literati becomes a more than plausible, fast-paced, crisp dialogue-spitting, pop-pop-popping plot lines, that keep the wide-eyed reader guessing whodunit until the very last page.
Hoagy has been called a “slapstick” sleuth. I am not sure what that means. Hoagy takes no pratfalls nor fake cream pies in the face. Although, at times, he does find himself with the figurative egg all over it. What the ghost writer who just happens to solve crimes is, however, a lovable, true-to-life “regular kind of guy” whose quirky basset is just as lovable and just as charming. Yes, that’s the operative word here.
Simply charming.
Stewart Hoag and Lulu put on the charm from the very first paragraph. Lulu, even with her bad breath and slobbery drools, is humorously charming as she rides sidecar down the streets of suburban Los Angeles next to her beloved companion. Together, they charm truth out of the most dishonest and, in the end, charmingly and most appealingly reveal a long-kept secret that has mysteriously rocked the literary world for years. What’s here not to like and love? "The Girl with kaleidoscope Eyes" is charmed – and charming – writing at its best.
Enjoy the read!

[Sue Trowbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s slightly bonkers to realize that the Hoagy series, which meant so much to me back in the 1990s, had actually been brought back to life in 2017 without my knowing about it. Luckily, however, I recently stumbled across a blog post by the author.

Hoagy is a wisecracking writer who was once hailed by the New York Times Book Review as “the first major new literary voice of the 1980s.” However, when he found himself unable to produce a follow-up to his Great American Novel, he found a niche ghost-writing memoirs for famous folks. Even when he’s on assignment, Hoagy is always accompanied by his anchovy-loving basset hound, Lulu.

Cleverly, however, Handler set "Kaleidoscope" in 1992, placing it immediately after "The Boy Who Never Grew Up." Hoagy is still estranged from his much-more-successful wife, and needs the money he could earn by writing a book about Richard Aintree, a J.D. Salinger-esque novelist who disappeared shortly after producing one classic and much-beloved book. Even Aintree’s two daughters have no idea where he is, but then one of them, a Martha Stewart-type lifestyle guru named Monette, receives a letter from him out of the blue. It contains information that no one else would know, so it seems legit. At his agent’s behest, Hoagy travels from his Manhattan home to L.A. to meet Monette and possibly start work on a book about the Aintree clan.

Also on the scene is Richard Aintree’s second daughter Reggie, a former flame of Hoagy’s (she’s the girl with kaleidoscope eyes—they dropped acid together back in the 70s). He also has to deal with Monette’s two teenage children and her obnoxious TV-star husband, as well as a variety of Hollywood hangers-on. The murder occurs fairly late in the book, so I won’t spoil it, but I was delighted to note Handler brought back L.A. cop Emil Lamp, a recurring character in several of the Hoagy novels. Honestly, this book fits in so seamlessly with the rest of the series that it’s hard to believe that Handler wrote it in the mid-2010s and didn’t magically produce it from some early-’90s wormhole.

Read more about my love of this series at https://saturdayreader.wordpress.com/...

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no clear consensus in the book world of what constitutes historical fiction but, for me personally, there are two types. One is the novel that was written, say, fifty years ago and, at the time, it was contemporary, not historical, because the author was writing about his own time. Today, that same novel is historical because the setting is fifty years ago. The second type is set in a time period fifty years ago (using an arbitrary time designation) but written by an author writing in the present time. Confusing? Absolutely it is but, bottomline, historical fiction means something different to each reader. I bring this up because this story takes place in 1992, too recent for me to consider it historical, but there are a lot of references to the characters' pasts, as far back as the 60's, and that does make it largely historical. It also has the feel of a 1940's piece with the disillusioned detective and flashy dames, so, for me, The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes fits the bill.

Hoagy is a likeable fella at least partly because he's so normal---goodlooking without being overtly gorgeous, kind of at loose ends professionally, appreciates women in a nice way, adores his basset hound, Lulu. When he's approached about taking on this ghostwriting job, he's very reluctant at first and for very good reasons but he deals with one particular reason and soon finds himself in Monette's glitzy Los Angeles world and in the midst of murder and mayhem, the longest three days of his life. Has this recluse really surfaced? Why? And how do these issues fit in with the body count?

Oh, and Lulu? Now, this is a dog you can't help loving, starting with her first plate of fried shrimp ;-)

I've never read any of the previous Stewart Hoag mysteries (8 of 'em!), not for any reason other than too many books, too little time but Hoagy and Lulu appeal to me so much that I want to rectify that ASAP.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book it really had the feel of the noir mysteries of the ‘4oies. The plot could easily be moved from time period to time period with adaptations made with the surrounding atmosphere. Remove the cell phones and other more modern references and I could easily see this being a more historical mystery.

As it is the hero of the tale, Hoagy and his faithful dog Lulu, were last seen many years ago and Mr. Handler resurrected him for this tale. I must admit that I wasn’t aware of this character and that is my loss because I really like him. And Lulu – she is one of the funniest animal characters I’ve encountered in a while.

There is a pretty big list of characters in the story but they are all distinct and ,mostly well developed. It was easy to keep track of them all. The story was fun and new readers like me will be entertained and old fans will find much to appreciate. The plot starts out with a small mystery about a long lost writer and it turns into a Hollywood divorce/murder mystery with the revelation of family secrets no one knew anyone was keeping.

Once I started reading that was it, I was hooked and I didn’t want to stop. This book is a perfect example of why it’s good to step away from what you usually read and try something new. If this IS what you usually read it will be a good afternoon’s entertainment for you.

4.5

[Bonnie Meche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is my first time reading David Handler, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. It is truly rare to discover a writer with a completely unique voice, who creates characters and plot lines that are unlike anyone else's. Though I'm not yet ready to grant him membership in my elite favorite's club, I'm definitely willing to consider it. It will take more exploration of his work to make a final determination, but I already have a pretty good idea that he might just make the grade. The hero of this piece - Stewart Hoag - is definitely unlike every other protagonist in current fiction, in that he is prone to a certain clumsiness, is capable of making mistakes, and never tries to pretend otherwise. He is also the owner of the beloved, ultra-smart bassett hound, Lulu, who is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. He is also funny, occasionally whimsical, capable of laughing at himself, but also - almost incidentally - exceptionally instinctively bright, and able to cut through all the extraneous details involved in finding truth, in order to muddle his way through. The kind of guy that you might expect to encounter on a New York street and find yourself liking, in spite of any natural uncertainty. Rates four very bright stars, and maybe just a wee bit more.

[Dorothy Minor · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a rare visit to Magic City Bookstore in downtown Tulsa, I discovered The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes by David Handler. It is a Stewart Hoag mystery and is the ninth book in the series. I generally like to start with the first book in a series, but I decided to take a chance on The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes after reading Harlen Coben’s blurb on the back cover: “David Handler is so good at writing one smart, funny page-turner after another that he makes it look easy.” I enjoy reading Harlen Coben’s mysteries, so trusted his comment and purchased the book.
I wanted very much to like the characters and the story. Sadly, I had difficulty finishing the book. I put it aside for weeks at a time and would return to it only to be disappointed once again and stop reading. Mysteries don’t work well being read in that manner. I forgot important points and had to reread pages to remind myself of the plot.
In the end, I finished The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes, but I did not like the story or the characters. Perhaps I missed the humor.

[Sunsettowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Stewart Hoag ("Hoagy") was once a famous writer, but now is a celebrity ghostwriter. When another once-famous writer seemingly resurfaces, Hoagy is tapped to write the story, but finds himself drawn into a murder mystery.


Hoagy is a great character, with a great dog, surrounded by a unique and colorful supporting cast. It is easy to differentiate who is who, and to keep track of what is happening.

I really enjoyed the mystery aspect as well. It had a slow buildup that really worked, and a denouncement that was surprising but made sense.

The reveal felt a little rushed with the slow buildup that had preceded it. It still worked, but I would have liked Handler to have spent a little more time on it.

This was a unique, character-driven mystery that I definitely enjoyed.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stewart (Hoagy) Hoag has been asked to chase a ghostwriter or maybe just a ghost. At one time Richard Aintree was one of the most famous writers in America...all because of the one novel he had written. After his wife's death , he went into such a 'funk' that he totally disappeared. He left his two daughters to fend for themselves. But now something strange has happened. A letter purportedly written on Aintree's ancient typewriter has been received by both of his daughters, Monette & Reggie.
Is their father still alive ?? Reggie , who was once Hoagy special other has asked him to determine if the letter is genuine and that their father is still alive?? Now it is up to Hoagy and his loyal Basset hound, Lulu to track down the source of the letter. Hoagy will travel to the West Coast from his comfort zone in NYC to contact the other sister , Monette and try to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The book starts out slowly but Handler picks up the pace once Hoagy gets to the West Coast. There is much more to the secrets surrounding the letter and he doesn't realize it for awhile but his life may actually be in danger. Handler's books are quick , light reads. Enjoy!

[Manda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book entirely on an airplane, finishing it halfway through my return flight home. I’d never heard of Hoagy and Lulu, and I admit I picked this book up because I thought the cover was pretty. The story was fun. I had to keep checking the publish date since it was set in 1992, lol, but I enjoy the wit and sarcasm of Hoagy enough that I want to check out the original books in the series! The story seemed a little front heavy, reminding people of how Hoagy works (again, this is based only on this book as I’ve never read the others). The description on the back of the book makes it seem like everything happens right away, but I felt there was a lot of lead in. I didn’t get to the “good stuff” until a little more than halfway into the book, and then it seemed rushed to get to a conclusion. That said, I enjoyed the characters and the story as a whole.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghostwriter Stewart Hoag is commissioned to write a story about a man who has been in hiding for many years and about his two daughters. He travels to Los Angeles and stays in one daughter's mansion; the second daughter comes there, and they await the arrival of their father who has written letters about his coming. "Hoagie" and his faithful basset hound Lulu find themselves surrounded by murders, and they must help find answers.

Mr. Handler wrote a number of Stewart Hoag mysteries over twenty years ago, and this one is new, asked for by many of his fans. It's set in the same time period as the others. I enjoy mysteries that have some quirks and humor, and this one fills the bill for me. I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Handlers books in this series.

[Conny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a First Read Winner of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the characters, both the 4 and especially the 2 legged kind, and the storyline which had me hooked right from the beginning. It was nice to revisit the 1990, and looking back the time seemed so much simpler then, it had plenty of colorful characters, action, mystery and romance, and even though I thought I had figured out who done it, I still had guessed wrong on the overall outcome. David Handler has a new fan in me and I want to read all the previous books in the series. I hope that there will be more books to come because I really enjoyed the mystery solving duo of Stewie and Lulu.

[Madison Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute fun read. Not any great novel that will change the way we view the world but definitely a detective novel worth reading, If you remember reading Encyclopedia Brown and thinking you were so awesome for figuring out who done it first. This book is totally for you. Just as cute and quirky with all the suspense and clues laid out for you.

All you needed to know was given to you in the first bit, Kinda like how Janet Evanovich lays it out at the beginning for Stephanie Plum novels. Stewart Hoag is now one of my favorite detectives to read about and will totally be reading others in the series.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart Hoag wrote one best seller and then discovered he didn't have another novel in him. Now he makes his living as a ghost writer and part time amateur sleuth. This is my first Stewart Hoag book and it won't be my last. Hoagy is laid back, funny and along with his sidekick Lulu his beloved Basset Hound they get the job done. Another thing I love about this book is there is not a whole lot of sex and violence, nothing graphic, just a good fast paced read which is so refreshing. In the acknowledgments it says that it's been 20 years since the last Stewart Hoag lets hope more come a lot sooner. I'll be waiting.

I won this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an honest review.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a happy accident - it showed up in one of my newsletters that alert me to deals on e-books. Then, one morning I was fumbling around on my Kindle and thought I was starting one book and started this instead. Which turned out to be enjoyable, with the elements you must have in a mystery -- a solid puzzle, an engaging detective -- plus other elements that move a mystery from acceptable to pretty good or great -- an interesting milieu, appealing secondary characters, good writing. I think I'll probably read more of the books in this series, though considering the size of my current queue it probably won't be anytime soon...

[MJ Beaufrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang it! I wanted to give this one five stars. I really did. I loved that these mysteries are told from the point of view of a ghost writer-become-detective. And I love that his sidekick is a weird basset hound. Plus, the dialogue is in incredible. Really get you into the scene.

Alas, I felt the descriptions at the beginning were overlong and had a lot to do with how people were dressed. And, unfortunately, feel like the narrator is too sexist for my taste. His love life seems to boil down to who he has the best sex with. Plus, even though the setting is Los Angeles, one of the bigger plot points is: Does this blonde in the white bikini weigh 110 pounds? Or is it 1115?

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been twenty years since David Handler wrote a Stewart Hoag mystery. I had loved his series and had often hoped for more. I did read his Berger & Mitry series, which I love, but still hoped for another Hoagy novel. This was as good as the original eight novels had been. Hoagy gets involved in a celebrity as a ghost writer and then gets involved in a murder case that surrounds the celebrity. It's still great after all these years. I also missed Lulu, his basset hound, his companion who always had her input in the case too. Classic Stewart Hoag. Loved it!

[C.I. Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handler deftly picks up where he left off Hoagy and Lulu: way back in the 1990s, that primitive era when people talked to each other instead of staring into their phones, and didn't own wristwatches that tell you you're not getting enough exercise. What a pleasure to read a classic, well-constructed mystery without those distractions. The scene descriptions are real, the characters vivid, and the snappy dialogue moves things along with lots of laughs. Great, unexpected twists at the end. I've read all the Berger & Mitry series, now to dive into the back catalog of Stewart Hoag books.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A three-star story with an extra star thrown in for Hoagy's beloved basset hound Lulu and his disdain for the pop music of the early '90s.

This is the only one I have read in this series - it works well as a standalone book. It was written in 2017, but it takes place in 1992 so as to be consecutive to all of the others in the series.

I really enjoyed reading about the days before texting and the internet - a couple of the characters even have those old clunky "mobile" phones of yesteryear - A time I remember all too well.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two big issues with this book for me:
Not much happens until 2/3 of the way through...
And I guess I just don’t need “celebrity gossip” mixed in with my mystery reads! And it’s all fictional celebrities! He makes some points about LALA land and the New York literary crowd of the 1990s but enough already! I understand this book picks up a series that the author had let lapse and he was convinced to write another after a long layoff ... so perhaps fans of the earlier books wanted to know what he was up to???

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart and Lulu are great crime-solvers

Stewart Hoag calls himself a washed-up writer who is now a ghostwriter for the rich and famous, but he’s truly a detective. And his basset hound, Lulu, is a crime scene investigator. When they travel to L.A. to uncover the story of a missing author whose daughter was his first love, they miss the story but solve a murder. Be warned—if you must finish a chapter before putting a book down, you may need an entire lunch break. But it’s time well-spent!