Blockbuster

by Richard H. Smith

JAWS arrives in movie theaters--soon to forever shatter expectations for summer entertainment. Theater manager Nate Burton and Spence Reeves, a former Buffalo Soldier with remarkable talents, face the frenzied sometimes lethal challenges associated with this blockbuster movie’s arrival. Nate, who has had to delay his college dreams, also falls for one of his college-bound employees but must contend with her boyfriend whose cool superiority inspires a frustrating blend of envy and jealousy.

315 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2020

About the author

Richard Smith is a social psychologist and writer of nonfiction and fiction. He has written or edited books on envy, jealousy, and schadenfreude. His first novel, Blockbuster, was published in June 2020. He also writes a blog for Psychology Today and dabbles in photography.

Reviews

[BooksCoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in tune with the southern vibe of 70s Carolina, Smith’s engrossing mystery finds its young hero entangled in a murder investigation.

Nate Burton is doing well as an assistant manager at a North Carolina movie theater, but ultimately wants to go to college to study law. When the increasingly disgruntled and heavy-drinking manager of the theatre is found dead with his throat cut, Nate and his colleague Spence Reeves, a former Buffalo Solider, follow the trail of the murder and stumble across a shocking secret.

The convincing, multifaceted characters evolve, as do their relationships with one another, and Smith balances the gripping plot with further development of his secondary characters. Spence and Mrs. Roe are complete darlings, and readers will love to see more of Detective Riggs. The sincere, worldly-wise Nate makes for an endearing hero.

This superiorly constructed tale works as both a taut, compelling mystery and a fine, hard-edged noir.

This is a knockout.

[Dennisforest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the concept, I was 20’ish when Jaws came out, and some nostalgia was in order for me. I really enjoyed the development of this book. It was a little “doesn’t anything bad ever happen to him”, but the characters were so well developed & likable, I forgave that.
Listened to it nonstop & finished it in a day. Good book, just don’t wait for the bad things to start happening.

[Philip Thrift · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the surface, Blockbuster is a first-person-told (by a 19 year-old movie theater assistant manager at a decision point in his life) murder mystery with an ending of action and suspense. Under the surface, there are interesting characters set in the Southern culture of Durham, North Carolina in 1975 (the summer of Jaws). Poking above the surface, references to movies of the 1950s to early 70s (and bits of poetry and literature now and then).

A fun summer read!

[Jeremy Popkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery novel that reflects a deep love of classic movies, especially the one about the very big fish. Spoiler: the shark didn't do it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! a little slow in the beginning to get into, but if you have the patience to get through it, the story is really good! very well written.