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Double Feature Mystery #3
A Night at the Operation
It's hard for Elliot Freed to focus on his Comedy Tonight theatre with his ex-wife missing and accused of murdering her patient. With plenty of wanted? and unwanted?help, he embarks on a frantic search. Because murder is no laughing matter.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 21, 2009
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About the author
Jeffrey Cohen
48 books70 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Author of the Double Feature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime, starting with Some Like It Hot-Buttered, and continuing in July 2008 with It Happened One Knife. Also author of the Aaron Tucker Mystery series: For Whom the Minivan Rolls, A Farewell to Legs, and As Dog Is My Witness. Wrote two books on raising a child with Asperger's Syndrome."
Author of the Double Feature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime, starting with Some Like It Hot-Buttered, and continuing in July 2008 with It Happened One Knife. Also author of the Aaron Tucker Mystery series: For Whom the Minivan Rolls, A Farewell to Legs, and As Dog Is My Witness. Wrote two books on raising a child with Asperger's Syndrome."
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 14, 2009
I love Jeff Cohen's books. They are fun and humorous and have a great mystery all at the same time. This effort has a little more serious overtone because Elliott's ex-wife is missing and there is a dead body the police want to ask her about. Elliott of course can't let the police handle things alone, so in his usual manner he goes looking for the killer himself. There is the usual involvement of the staff and patrons of Elliott's theatre, including a hilarious scene that has to be read to be appreciated! And, of course, this book allows Jeff to insert his love of the Marx Brothers.
Highly recommended, but if you want to truly appreciate it, read the first two before this - because all series should be read in order. The book will stand alone but the fun of knowing some of the inside jokes comes through having read the others.
Highly recommended, but if you want to truly appreciate it, read the first two before this - because all series should be read in order. The book will stand alone but the fun of knowing some of the inside jokes comes through having read the others.
September 19, 2020
I really love this series with the author's dry wit. More trouble at the theatre. ex-wife is missing and the candy-counter girl (Sophie) is under pressure from the parents to leave. Of course, there's a death - sort of. Yes, there's a death - that the deceased's family is the ex's fault.
A story with both lots of twists and laughs.
A story with both lots of twists and laughs.
April 19, 2009
Everyone has to grow up sometime and now is the time for Elliot Freed, owner and operator of Comedy Tonight, a theatre that only shows comedies. Events change his life in a way that will be lasting. Elliot has not lost his sense of humor or his love of the comedy theatre but he faces new life-changing experiences in A Night At The Operation.
Elliot’s ex-wife Sharon is missing. This is scary enough for Elliot that he even joins forces with Dr. Gregory Sandahl; Sharon’s soon to be ex-husband. Sharon is a responsible, dedicated doctor. She is not a person that just disappears without leaving a message with someone.
Elliot believes that Sharon’s disappearance has something to do with one of her patients, Russell Chapman. Chapman himself turns out to be a mystery. Supposedly, he has committed suicide after Sharon told him his diagnosis. However, Elliot is getting varied reports on exactly what that diagnosis was.
Not only does Elliot have Sharon’s disappearance to deal with, he has problems with his theatre. His problems involve plumbing and wiring and are so bad he may not be able to keep the theatre open. Elliot’s father steps up to supervise the repairs.
Sophie, who runs the concession stand at the theatre, has just received her SAT scores which prove that she has a lot more on her mind that making eyes at Jonathan, another employee of the theatre. Sophie’s parents are thrilled but want Sophie to quit work and spend all of her time applying at colleges. Sophie doesn’t want to leave the theatre or Jonathan.
Elliot’s major concern is Sharon but he is trying to keep on top of his other problems. There are no limits as to what Elliot will undertake to locate Sharon. Elliot also has to face the interference of Russell Chapman’s family who feel Sharon is the cause of their father’s death.
A Night At The Operation is the best book yet in this very good series. Elliot is every bit as fun as in the previous books but winds up a little more mature. I loved the staff at Comedy Tonight. I would highly recommend this book, which can be read as a stand-alone, but I would suggest you read Some Like It Hot Buttered and It Happened One Knife for a lot of background on comedy and a lot of laughs.
Elliot’s ex-wife Sharon is missing. This is scary enough for Elliot that he even joins forces with Dr. Gregory Sandahl; Sharon’s soon to be ex-husband. Sharon is a responsible, dedicated doctor. She is not a person that just disappears without leaving a message with someone.
Elliot believes that Sharon’s disappearance has something to do with one of her patients, Russell Chapman. Chapman himself turns out to be a mystery. Supposedly, he has committed suicide after Sharon told him his diagnosis. However, Elliot is getting varied reports on exactly what that diagnosis was.
Not only does Elliot have Sharon’s disappearance to deal with, he has problems with his theatre. His problems involve plumbing and wiring and are so bad he may not be able to keep the theatre open. Elliot’s father steps up to supervise the repairs.
Sophie, who runs the concession stand at the theatre, has just received her SAT scores which prove that she has a lot more on her mind that making eyes at Jonathan, another employee of the theatre. Sophie’s parents are thrilled but want Sophie to quit work and spend all of her time applying at colleges. Sophie doesn’t want to leave the theatre or Jonathan.
Elliot’s major concern is Sharon but he is trying to keep on top of his other problems. There are no limits as to what Elliot will undertake to locate Sharon. Elliot also has to face the interference of Russell Chapman’s family who feel Sharon is the cause of their father’s death.
A Night At The Operation is the best book yet in this very good series. Elliot is every bit as fun as in the previous books but winds up a little more mature. I loved the staff at Comedy Tonight. I would highly recommend this book, which can be read as a stand-alone, but I would suggest you read Some Like It Hot Buttered and It Happened One Knife for a lot of background on comedy and a lot of laughs.
January 23, 2016
I've enjoyed all of the double feature mysteries and am sorry this is my last. I really enjoy Elliot's personality - his wit and sarcasm. I love that movies I've seen are woven in, so much fun. I was surprised at who the culprit turned out to be and was laughing aloud as they were caught.
September 29, 2020
Sharon's missing. Why? Could she have driven one of her patients to suicide? Was she having an affair with said patient? Can Elliot stop Sophie's parents from insisting she leave her job at the theater? For answers to all these questions, and more...read the book! It's amusing as usual. It's a shame the author stopped writing this series with this book. I really liked it. Series is recommended.
May 19, 2013
#3 in the Double Feature Mystery series, and as delightfully written as the first two. I found this one to be slightly more serious than the first two, as movie theater owner Elliot Freed's ex-wife has disappeared. A doctor, she's given a critical diagnosis to an elderly patient, who then commits suicide.
Things often aren't as they seem in Elliot's world, and it makes for some nifty plot twists. The characters are fully fleshed out and growing. It's fun to see teenaged Sophie, who started out in "Some Like It Hot-Buttered" as a sullen semi-Goth, blossom into a young woman looking ahead to college. It would have been too easy to turn her into a caricature, but Jeff Cohen has been a loving parent to his characters.
The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because the suspense suddenly became anti-climactic (for me) about halfway through and quite never got its mojo back. But then, that's strictly my opinion. At any rate, there's enough mystery and humor in the second half of the book to keep me glued to it.
Overall, it's a fun, light read, and I highly recommend it. I do recommend reading the previous 2 books in the series first. Unfortunately, this appears to be the last book in the series, as it came out in 2009 and there aren't any more after that. If the series has to end, "A Night at the Operation" is the perfect way to do it. However, it makes me very sad to think that there won't be any more new Elliot Freed adventures.
Things often aren't as they seem in Elliot's world, and it makes for some nifty plot twists. The characters are fully fleshed out and growing. It's fun to see teenaged Sophie, who started out in "Some Like It Hot-Buttered" as a sullen semi-Goth, blossom into a young woman looking ahead to college. It would have been too easy to turn her into a caricature, but Jeff Cohen has been a loving parent to his characters.
The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because the suspense suddenly became anti-climactic (for me) about halfway through and quite never got its mojo back. But then, that's strictly my opinion. At any rate, there's enough mystery and humor in the second half of the book to keep me glued to it.
Overall, it's a fun, light read, and I highly recommend it. I do recommend reading the previous 2 books in the series first. Unfortunately, this appears to be the last book in the series, as it came out in 2009 and there aren't any more after that. If the series has to end, "A Night at the Operation" is the perfect way to do it. However, it makes me very sad to think that there won't be any more new Elliot Freed adventures.
June 19, 2009
Third installment in the series.
Although Elliott Freed and his ex-wife Sharon have been divorced for some time, they are still close friends and still celebrate their wedding anniversary together. However, this time, Sharon's soon-to-be new ex-husband Gregory tells Elliott that Sharon has disappeared. Elliott is certain that this is a mistake, and that Sharon will contact him to let him know where she is, but there is no word from her at his house or his theater, Comedy Tonight. Elliott's friend the police chief says it's too soon to search for her so Elliott decides to do it himself. He goes to her office and learns of the suicide of a patient whom she apparently misdiagnosed. The staff all believe she's gone away for a few days to get her head together, but Elliott doesn't think she would do that without telling a soul, and he's convinced that foul play has come to her.
Elliott is blessed with family and friends who are somewhat eccentric, and he seems to attract disastrous incidents, such as being hit by a brick while walking down the street. The accident-prone part of me really identifies with him.
Although Elliott Freed and his ex-wife Sharon have been divorced for some time, they are still close friends and still celebrate their wedding anniversary together. However, this time, Sharon's soon-to-be new ex-husband Gregory tells Elliott that Sharon has disappeared. Elliott is certain that this is a mistake, and that Sharon will contact him to let him know where she is, but there is no word from her at his house or his theater, Comedy Tonight. Elliott's friend the police chief says it's too soon to search for her so Elliott decides to do it himself. He goes to her office and learns of the suicide of a patient whom she apparently misdiagnosed. The staff all believe she's gone away for a few days to get her head together, but Elliott doesn't think she would do that without telling a soul, and he's convinced that foul play has come to her.
Elliott is blessed with family and friends who are somewhat eccentric, and he seems to attract disastrous incidents, such as being hit by a brick while walking down the street. The accident-prone part of me really identifies with him.
February 8, 2013
The third in a current trilogy--and a fitting ending if it's the last.
Cohen knows why you're here. You want to laugh a little, sleuth a little, and laugh a little more. He's not out to write a book that changes the world. He wants you to have half as much fun reading as he is writing. Mission accomplished.
The characters in A Night at the Operation are, just like the previous two before, colorful and memorable enough to stick in your mind. I will say the added weight of reading the first two books helps. Sometimes, the humor tries too hard, but it's earnest and in good taste, so you can overlook a few too many trips to a certain well.
A Night at the Operation is a great diversion. From serious fiction, from breathtaking thrillers, from everyday life--and the reader can't help but feel like that's exactly what Cohen intended. This time, that very theme is even stitched into the subtext, but it's what he's been doing with the whole series.
I (probably) won't remember A Night at the Operation years down the road as one of my favorites. But Cohen accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do in this novel, and that's a complete success no matter how you slice it.
Cohen knows why you're here. You want to laugh a little, sleuth a little, and laugh a little more. He's not out to write a book that changes the world. He wants you to have half as much fun reading as he is writing. Mission accomplished.
The characters in A Night at the Operation are, just like the previous two before, colorful and memorable enough to stick in your mind. I will say the added weight of reading the first two books helps. Sometimes, the humor tries too hard, but it's earnest and in good taste, so you can overlook a few too many trips to a certain well.
A Night at the Operation is a great diversion. From serious fiction, from breathtaking thrillers, from everyday life--and the reader can't help but feel like that's exactly what Cohen intended. This time, that very theme is even stitched into the subtext, but it's what he's been doing with the whole series.
I (probably) won't remember A Night at the Operation years down the road as one of my favorites. But Cohen accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do in this novel, and that's a complete success no matter how you slice it.
June 7, 2009
Jeff Cohen's third Elliott Freed book, A NIGHT AT THE OPERATION, is even better than the first two. (And no, they were not chopped liver, either.) Elliott can't resist a snappy comeback, and I was chuckling before I finished reading the first page, but there was also a page where I had to put the book down for a while to breathe, because the suspense was too much for me to handle. Readers of the previous books in the series know that Elliott has an amicable (and even more, on his side at least) relationship with his ex-wife, Sharon. So he's worried when she disappears without warning, and even more so when she's named as a suspect in the death of a patient. Everyone in Elliott's life has a part to play in this drama, and nearly everyone has a secret to keep, which complicates the investigation. Elliott's young theatre employees have their own dramas going on. A NIGHT AT THE OPERATION is full of surprise plot twists, deepening characterization, and great one liners. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2011
Elliot is such a sweetie. I enjoy watching his mind work out problems that occur, how he manages to get rides to places that are too far for him to ride his bike to get to, taking care of his people and his people taking care of him: at the theater, at the bike shop, at his ex-wife's medical practice. Even how he gets involved in the murder solving that keep happening around him.
He has extra reason this time since it's Sharon, Elliot's ex, who is accused of causing the death of one of her patients. Sharon disappears, not answering her phone, and it makes her look all the more guilty. Elliot to the rescue.
Would that I had a movie theatre around here in our neck of Colorado so I could see these classic comedies. Heck I'd want to work there. I hope he's working on another Double Feature Mystery, but at least I have the Haunted Guesthouse series to keep me happy, since he writes that one as E J Copperman...YAY!
Five let's go to the movies beans....
He has extra reason this time since it's Sharon, Elliot's ex, who is accused of causing the death of one of her patients. Sharon disappears, not answering her phone, and it makes her look all the more guilty. Elliot to the rescue.
Would that I had a movie theatre around here in our neck of Colorado so I could see these classic comedies. Heck I'd want to work there. I hope he's working on another Double Feature Mystery, but at least I have the Haunted Guesthouse series to keep me happy, since he writes that one as E J Copperman...YAY!
Five let's go to the movies beans....
June 14, 2010
Elliot Freed owns Comedy Tonight, the only movie house in New Jersey showing only comedies. His ex-wife, Sharon, who left him for another physician, is missing. She disappeared after one of her patients committed suicide, but did he? While Elliot frantically searches for Sharon, he wonders why she disappeared; he knows she is not responsible for the death of Russell Chapman. Soon we know that Sharon is planning to leave her current husband, Gregory. Elliot surmises she has gone away to think about her life but he is still concerned because the dead man's family feels she is responsible for their father's death and they are nuts. Lots of laughs, as always, with Jeff Cohen as author. References to vintage movies abound. It is always a treat to read a book by Jeff.
December 5, 2009
Doctor Sharon's patient Mr. Chapman is dead. Well, thinks her ex-husband Elliot, who owns a decrepit movie house that shows only comedies, that comes with the territory. Then Sharon's second husband, whom she is also divorcing, tells Elliot that Sharon has disappeared. When she doesn't call him or her practice, he starts to get worried--especially when Chapman's corpse disappears. There are too many spoilers in this for more plot description, but Cohen's sad sack character, his still-burning torch for Sharon, and his determination to find her safe carry the day.
March 20, 2014
Comedy theater owner Elliot Freed is upset when his ex-wife goes missing. Then the police start looking for her in a suspicious suicide. What's going on? Yes, this is a comic mystery. And I laughed the entire way through. The climax came a little abruptly and the new characters were a tad flat, but I loved every minute of it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
June 4, 2009
I love the one-liners and just how funny this whole series is. In this one, I think Elliott grows up a little and his relationship with Sharon is at the forefront. I like the secondary characters, too. They're all well-drawn and seem real, even the teenage employees. The mystery is a little quirky, but well-done.
August 5, 2009
In this third Double Feature Mystery, Jeffrey Cohen manages to maintain his constant flow of humor and keeping his subsidiary characters active while introducing a whole new crew. The mystery is sound and full of complications with well-planted clues, but above all, I enjoy Elliot, his unusual life, his cohorts, and an apparently unending stream of one-liners. How does he do it?
November 6, 2012
This is a fun madcap type of mystery, that doesn't forget it is a mystery. I have really enjoyed this third installment in this series. Elliott Freed is an intelligent, quirky protagonist. I wish there were hints of another book in this series but I don't see any, alas.
May 2, 2009
good characters, wisecracking New Jersey type protag., nice comedy elements (Marx Brothers, etc.). He has another series which features his son who has Asperger's; that's good too. 3.5
May 16, 2009
Very funny and part of a series. Protagonist runs a comedy movie theatre in New Jersey where things happen. Likable characters.
December 27, 2011
Lightweight mystery, but a thoroughly delightful read!
December 15, 2012
4 1/2 really.
February 16, 2014
An enjoyable series. A good mystery with a fun comedy movie education to boot!
August 28, 2014
Still some humor but not able to get through this one quick like the others. Didn't care for the focus on his ex wife in the second and third books
May 10, 2016
This one was a disappointment. It really dragged on and on. I enjoyed the first two in the series, but this one lacked the humor and was overly clichéd.
September 16, 2011
this series is just plain FUN!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews