Razzmatazz

Noir Chronicles #2

by Christopher Moore

Repeat New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns to the mean streets of San Francisco in this outrageous follow-up to his madcap novel Noir.

San Francisco, 1947. Bartender Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin and the rest of the Cookie's Coffee Irregulars--a ragtag bunch of working mugs last seen in Noir--are on the hustle: they're trying to open a driving school; shanghai an abusive Swedish stevedore; get Mable, the local madam, and her girls to a Christmas party at the State Hospital without alerting the overzealous head of the S.F.P.D. vice squad; all while Sammy's girlfriend, Stilton (a.k.a. the Cheese), and her "Wendy the Welder" gal pals are using their wartime shipbuilding skills on a secret project that might be attracting the attention of some government Men in Black. And, oh yeah, someone is murdering the city's drag kings and club owner Jimmy Vasco is sure she's next on the list and wants Sammy to find the killer.

Meanwhile, Eddie "Moo Shoes" Shu has been summoned by his Uncle Ho to help save his opium den from Squid Kid Tang, a vicious gangster who is determined to retrieve a priceless relic: an ancient statue of the powerful Rain Dragon that Ho stole from one of the fighting tongs forty years earlier. And if Eddie blows it, he just might call down the wrath of that powerful magical creature on all of Fog City.

Strap yourselves in for a bit of the old razzmatazz, ladies and gentlemen. It's Christopher Moore time.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Comedy

390 pages, Hardcover

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.

Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters suddenly struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances. Inheriting a humanism from his love of John Steinbeck and a sense of the absurd from Kurt Vonnegut, Moore is a best-selling author with major cult status.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Moore is a witty, clever writer with good humor as Razzmatazz attests. 8 of 10 stars

[Susan Tunis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm his proofreader, and I haven't gotten my hands on this yet, but just based on our conversations, I can't wait! (Also, he was always meant to write a book called Razzmatazz, LOL.)

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Moore another great book. I was reading your book in the waiting room at my doctor's office and I couldn't stop laughing. The more I turned the pages the more I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. I know people were wondering what in the world is she reading. I loved the story and the characters. The characters are iconic and their dialogue is infectious with inappropriate hilarity. I loved Sammy Two-Toes, the Cheese, Lone Jones, and Eddie Moo Shoes. Many elements of the story are based on some historical fact or long-standing myth is equally outrageous and recognizable. You out done yourself again Christopher. Keep up the great writing. I need to laugh like this more often. Highly recommend.

[Kate The Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers for this ARC of Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore for an honest review. 📚🤩 🥰
Author Christopher Moore is simply a raucous genius writer. There’s no way to aptly and briefly describe this unbelievably fun and funny tale set in the author’s beloved city of San Francisco, so hook up your breathing devices because you’re never going to catch your breath until the last word, which is…. I’m not telling you but it’s a critter!!! You’re likely going on a vacay this summer—even for a weekend—so go grab your own copy of this book, some diapers (yep, that funny AND you won’t be able to put this down) and the most comfortable chair/lounger you can hog and get to reading. 💕

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’ve read all of Moore’s books, well most of them at least, there might be a couple I haven’t caught up to.

Back in the early 90s he was having fun and making money writing about Pine Cove and demons and becoming death and vampires and lots of occult goings on. The books were good because of his imagination and his swarthy irreverence. He wrote a few stand alone books with his Cheshire Cat style and Red Foxx dialogue and then he demonstrated his erudition with some Shakespeare inspired satires and then in 2018 he first published Noir, a murder mystery set in San Francisco after the second world war and populated his book with lots of colorful characters.

So we come to Noir’s sequel, the 2022 publication Razzmatazz. This has most of the same characters from Noir and a similar setting and A LOT going on.

First of all, this works because of Moore’s writing skill, his imagination and his knack for comical impudence. And while, like Noir, the paranormal is minimized from his earlier days, we do have some fun Chinese themed shenanigans going on and its a fun page turner of a book.

Our protagonist bartender Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin and gang solve the mystery while engaged in plenty of tomfoolery that includes rival Chinese gangsters, ancient celestial beings and a Christmas party gone a Rye!

Fun.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just your typical post-war, gum-shoe San Francisco murder mystery with a moon man, a supernatural rain dragon that instilled sentience into Mankind on a Wednesday afternoon because he (the dragon) was bored, and a whorehouse-sponsored Christmas party at the Home for the Disabled. Christopher Moore's imagination is boundless and he is my favorite fiction writer of all time. I ran into an early book of his, "Island of the Sequined Love Nun," many years ago and have read everything of his since then. He has changed genres, in a way, from wacky stories about demon keeping, to a hilarious series of vampire stories, to Middle-Ages jesters, and now, in this book -- and its prequel "Noir" from a couple years back -- he's writing something you might call a gum-shoe murder mystery, but with so many twists and such lovable characters, and so many laughs, that it's simply a step above anything ever written in that vein.

I had an email conversation with the author several years ago when he wrote "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff." I had never read anything funnier, even in all his prior books, and I wrote him to tell thim that. He was amazed, he said, that Christians like me were enjoying the book so much. He had expected those readers to be livid, and even wondered if bookstores might be picketed. I told him some people might do that, but that I was going to call the Vatican to see if we could get Lamb added to the Canon. The Vatican, though, hasn't called back.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore sees a return to post WW2 San Francisco and Sammy Two-Toes Tiffin, Eddie Moo Shoes, The Cheese, and the rest of the gang from Noir, the first book in this series. The laughs continue and we also get to learn about a little discussed time in the history of America when the Chinese were not treated as human beings. The story is out there and hilarious, the characters continue to grow, and when I read the final page, I was already hoping that there would be a third installment. Also, please don't skip the author's note at the end. It's very much worth reading.

Thank you to William Morrow, author Christopher Moore, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Pseudonymous d'Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

____________________________________
“Who are these mugs? Why do they vex me thus? And will no one rid me of them?”
___________________________________

Sammy "Two Toes" is the narrator of this story, and he is not so much of a jamoke as you may think when ya first meet him. He slings gin at a dive down in the Tenderloin District and is the type of guy who speaks perfect King’s English, if the king of which you are speaking learned English from Damon Runyon.

Sammy is the kind of innkeeper who keeps a sawed off pool cue behind his bar in case any of the mugs, thieves, addicts, pimps, panderers, jazz lovers, or other citizens who come there for the classy cultural events have need for a lesson or two in proper etiquette. In this particular tale he is seeking to disseminate, Sammy is attempting to give a helping hand to some lesbians (if I have my LBTGQs handles straight, which I most likely do not) These particular citizens have a problem what with some of them getting knocked off. Because he is currently short of doubloons, he is also trying to swipe the Black Dragon, a piece of statuary worth some serious coin. He freely admits this criminal activity. That is what I like about Sammy. He does not have any compunction about purloining your jewels, cash, or gold fillings, but he is honest about it.

I am not so fond of Christopher the Jester Moore at this current time, however. I have always thought him a stand-up mug. His books have always been welcomed in my abode, even though my supply of imported beer, which I personally imported from olde Milwaukee, seems to become much diminished whenever one of his new book hits town. But I have not complained because Jester has always been good for a chuckle.

This time, however, while my brews are still disappearing at a disturbing frequency, there are not so many chuckles as I have come to expect. I am disappointed. I wish to point out to Mr. Jester that I have had his back for many years and my purchases of his scribblings have supplied him with substantial moola with which to support his serious Rice-a-Roni habit. I personally have not complained one bit. However, I feel it is incumbent upon me at this juncture to inform Jester that if I suffer any further disappointments of this sort, he may land in the remainder bin, shod in concrete tennis shoes. Capisce?

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good news: I enjoyed this much more than Noir, which had me asking if it would be the last Moore book I read....

While this one didn't restore the (seemingly) long-ago sensation of laughing out loud, scratching my head page after page, and marveling that so much silliness could spew forth from one (potentially deeply disturbed) mind and be so efficiently packaged into novel form ... I did enjoy most of it, and, (although I found it a little slow to start) once I got into it, the pages kept turning. And there were more than a handful of laugh-out-loud moments.

I've been reading Moore for many years, and Goodreads tells me that I've now read 17 of his books ... and there's no question he's made me smile and laugh out loud over the years. I consider Lamb somewhat of a classic, and I've bought many a copy as gifts (for the right kind of friend). But that seems like quite some time ago ... before Sacre Blue, although there have been some high points since then...

My guess is I'm not giving up on Moore just yet...

[TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Christopher Moore’s humanity shines through as the true substance of his novel, despite the hundreds of pages of bawdy and inappropriate hilarity. So much respect for this writer.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If tap-dancing starts happening, let it go. It’s part of the plan.”

The plan of Christopher Moore is to write a historical novel disguised as a screwball comedy of the kind Hollywood was able to make once upon a time. You know what I’m talking about: a song and dance number, tapping your heels alongside Frank Sinatra or Ginger Rogers, cracking jokes like a machine gun, jokes that somehow were funny without being mean or cringe worthy.

Razzmatazz is one of those jazz buzzwords from the period, sadly out of fashion nowadays but all the rage in the 1940s, when the action of the novel takes place. Making Whoopee could have been the alternate title, since for Christopher Moore the two slang items are interchangeable.
It’s a noble pursuit and we know from Louis Armstrong that everybody’s doing it [from his ‘Let’s Do It’ duet with Ella Fitzgerald]. Sometimes, doing the razzmatazz can get you into major trouble [see spoiler], especially with the morality brigade that was hunting people having fun with as much fervor in 1947 as they do today.

“Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “Are you telling me that the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco was caused by dragon razzmatazz?”

Before I give you all the dirt on the plot, skipping over most of the x-rated bits of course, I should mention that this is the second book in a duology dedicated to the city and the people of San Francisco. It can be considered as a stand-alone comedy, but I believe it works better if the reader is already familiar with the cast of characters. Besides, Noir is every bit as wild and as fun as its sequel.

>>><<<>>><<<

All Sammy Two-Toes wishes from life after the turbulent times in ‘Noir’ is to tend bar and do the razzmatazz in his free time with his ginger-haired girlfriend known locally as Stilton, or ‘the Cheese’. That and doing some low-level hustling with his Chinese pal Eddie ‘Moo Shoes’ by opening a driving school for libidinous old geezers, the ones they were trying to sell snake blood cocktails to in the first book.
What could possibly go wrong?

Sammy has a reputation in the neighborhood as a problem solver and freelance detective, so when a killer start to target his friends, Sammy must put on his fedora and limp along the mean streets of the city in search of answers. His investigation is complicated by interference from the local police, who have an agenda of their own and by a secondary case related Uncle Ho, known in Chinatown as ‘the Catf_cker’ , whose life is threatened by the gangster known as the Squid Kid [I kid you not], for events that took place in the aftermath of the 1906 devastating earthquake.
Even Sammy’s girlfriend appears to be double-timing him, escaping at night on a secret project in the company of a friend from her wartime factory days. The girls were expert welders and fitters in the warship construction industry and have been co-opted by another old friend from the first book.

the diminutive moonman with the deadly ray gun:
“Let him motorboat your boobs,” said Stilton. “It’s how his people say hello.”

>>><<<>>><<<

The actual plot is too crazy to try to make sense of it in a synopsis without giving away major spoilers or talking in detail about Chinese dragons. Think screwball comedy on crack, or benzedrine to keep it more period appropriate. It’s fun, but I wouldn’t rate this books so high if Christopher Moore wasn’t aiming a lot higher with his tale.
His lampooning of zealots is spot on, as is his defense of people minding their own business. I cheered for Sammy Two-Toes and for his subversive underworld friends as he goes to bat against this guy:

The ‘Mother Superior’, or ‘Dunne the Nun’, is Captain James Dunne, the San Francisco Police Department’s new head of vice, a starched-shirt, churchgoing flatfoot who is trying to claw his way into the mayor’s office on the backs of many respectable citizens such as hookers, gamblers, hustlers, strippers, lady-lovers, pansies, pimps, pornographers, panderers, and people who like jazz – in other words, the guys and dolls I call my friends.

I laughed out loud often as I followed Sammy and the Cheese in their quest to stop a deranged killer, but I liked the historical chapters, most of them from the perspective of Uncle Ho and the young girl he rescues after the big earthquake, even better.
The main attraction of these novels is the way Moore anchors his silly story in the historical period of his choice. His research is impeccable, and the human interest angle trumps the coarse humour every time. Did you know the fortune cookies were invented by a Japanese guy in San Francisco?
Moore’s argument is that all these strange people we despise and condemn for being different than the majority are just as worthy of our attention, of our kindness and of our support as those figures of authority that so often betray our values. You see them every day on the news: politicians, cops, church leaders and captains of industry.
I would rather hang out, like Sammy and the Cheese with the oddballs at Jimmy’s Joynt, listening to a hot jazz tune, or eat something unidentifiable in Chinatown.

With the hope that we will someday recognize how the mix of cultures enriches all our lives, I dedicate this silly and absurd novel to the people of San Francisco.

also,
While I made up a lot – well, most – of the stuff in ‘Razzmatazz’, the context in which much of the story takes place is based on the real world of historical San Francisco and Northern California.

One of these real world places is the The Sonoma Developmental Center, a fascinating place in 1947 for the care of mentally challenged people – a place that could teach us a lesson or two about kindness and acceptance. It’s also the place where the explosive finale of the adventure takes place, but ... that’s another story that you will have to read for yourselves.

Here’s a final example on why you should give Christopher Moore a chance to entertain you with his improbable tales. And also a warning to stay away from the milk if he invites you to coffee. He sources it from free-range dairy squirrels:

Where do you think they got almond milk? You think the barista at Starbucks is just going to squeeze a fresh squirrel into your latte? No. The squirrels go about their business and once a day they come to the house to be milked. And they seem to quite enjoy the process, especially the male squirrels. It’s all very humane.

[Christopher Febles]

Take the characters from Guys and Dolls. Stick ‘em in San Francisco in 1947. Mix in a few cross-dressing, uh…guys and dolls. Then, throw in a whole mess of wacky, imaginative problems:

• An ancient missing artifact that controls minds
• A sort-of alien with a secret mission
• A vice cop with a reason to bust Sammy and the Cookie’s Café Irregulars
• A sad, 7-foot bouncer who’s mourning FDR…two years after he died
• There might be a monster in the Bay
• And a WHOLE lotta 40s lingo, pal. Twenty-three skidoo!



Christopher Moore is known for this: a madcap adventure with a bizarre sci-fi twist, spiced with sharp wit and some of the most memorable profanity you’ll ever read. Plenty of LOL moments, put downs and crazy arguments.

Sammy is Moore’s usual MC: a black belt level smart ass. He’s street smart, brave / dumb, and trying to do the right thing. I liked him getting involved in multiple scrapes. Nothing was as expected, and there was a twist on every path. Also, Moore loves SF and it shows. Fog City shines through, and the research on the sights and sounds of the day was extensive.

But there were just too many storylines. I figured they’d all come together, but right when I thought I had a handle on, say, the 1906 journey, we switch back to Lone Jones or “the Cheese” or the driving school or the singer or the murders. I never really understood what the heck was going on with the alien, and I guess the end made sense, but by then I was tired and confused. That seemed to be the issue I had with Secondhand Souls as well. Also, the jokes and language were nice for a while, but I’d have sacrificed a chuckle for some plot resolution. I hadn’t read the preceding novel, however, so I suppose that might’ve helped.

That said, the action toward the end was funny, fast-moving, sometimes scary, and loaded with irony. The sci-fi elements were interesting and fun. Moore has a genre all his own, and everyone should give his work a try. I suggest A Dirty Job, Bloodsucking Fiends, and Fool.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give em' the old razzledazzle..

Looking forward to this and adding it to my collection.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The one liners and humor were still spot on but it feels like he tried to shove too much into this book. The last half felt disjointed and bumpy since he was working so hard to get it all wrapped up. Hight three. Weak four.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sequel to 2018’s Noir . Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin, his significant other, Stilton “The Cheese”, and their cronies become involved with: Chinese Tongs, space aliens, corrupt cops, and a murderer of lesbians. A dark comedy, mashup of several genres in 1948’s, San Francisco. Also, Here be Dragons.


San Francisco, 1948

My audio edition was about 10-hours long. A dead tree copy would be 400 pages. The original US copyright was 2022.

Christopher Moore is an American comic fantasy writer. He has about 20-books published, in both series and standalone. This was the second book in the author’s Sammy Two Toes series. Currently there are two (2) books in the series. This was the second book I’ve read by the author. The last being, Noir (my review).

Johnny Heller was the book’s narrator. He’s a skilled narrator and enhanced the story.

It’s not necessary, but strongly recommended that the first book in the series Noir, be read before this one. Otherwise, most of the, long-term, series' plotlines would not be easily understood.

I was euchred into first reading Moore by a Goodreads pal years ago. She lured me in by taking advantage of my deep and abiding love of all things 20th Century, noir, or hardboiled. I wasn’t expecting a parody with Noir. However I found it more than amusing. It helps, if you’re a student of the post-WWII, San Francisco, and a hep cat wannabee. (A hipster is a 21st Century hep cat.) That book was more of a zany, romantic comedy than a noir story. Towards the end I was getting punchy from a novel’s worth of frantic punch lines and action, and began looking forward to the end. The same happened here.

Writing was good. Moore is an experienced writer. This book was all about the dialog, but the action sequences were well handled too. Descriptive prose followed along behind. However, the writing was all about the badinage. Whenever two or more characters were in a scene, there would be snappy, period, slangy, fast talking, with witty rejoinders. Use of period slang usage was very good. IRL, I've never known so may people, so clever at speaking, to be in one place as in the scenes of this book who weren't professional comedians.

The nominal protagonist was Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin, with his being the majority POV. Tiffen was the same character from the previous novel. He was a bartender, fixer and less a grifter than the previous story. A shame, I find a reformed grifter sad. His girlfriend, “The Cheese”, received more attention in this book. She also held down a POV. The Cheese remains a woman with many charms and talents. These included, a thirst and always being ready for the razzmatazz. Their relationship added romantic comedy to story. Moore indulged in some gender-bending within the Sapphic plotline to have her take a turn at gumshoeing. Sammy’s ex-business partner Cat Fucker Ho, the Opium Den owner gets his backstory revealed through flashbacks. Ho’s plotline took the story into the realm of fantasy. It also added 1900’s historical fiction to the mashup's 1948 setting. Although, Ho only receives 2nd person narrative.

In addition, there was a colorful, which includes people of colour cast of characters: bent and straight cops, gangsters, mooks, hangers-on (male and female), corrupt bluebloods, club owners, musicians, entertainers, bartenders, bar flies, madams, hookers (hearts of gold included), an Enfant terrible, a space alien (a Grey) and dragons (Chinese-style).

The story contained sex, drugs, little rock 'n roll, and violence. (It’s a noir, hardboiled, science fiction, fantasy novel.) The eponymous razzmatazz (the story’s euphemism for sexual relations) was not graphic. It received the historical period’s fade to black implementation. Substance abuse included a realistic, period use of tobacco and alcohol. Opium smoking was implied. Despite there being a few minor characters who were torchlight singers there was little musical content. (Too bad.) Violence against women was included in the story. Violence included use of: fire arms, disintegrator rays, ice picks, and physical violence. This book was considerably gorier than the previous story.

The story had two main-intertwined plots. The intertwined seemingly unrelated multiple plot lines are a classic noir story device. Tiffen is looking to make a life for himself and The Cheese. He’s hired to find a killer of lesbians by a lesbian club owner. Ho is being extorted by a Chinese gangster. The gangster will return the elderly Ho’s opium den in exchange for a Chinese relic. Ho knows where its hidden in a NorCal location from the days of his youth. Woven in amongst these plot lines are the trials and tribulations of Tiffen’s friends and allies. One of which includes a space alien (also from the previous book).

The story telling employed a continuous, comedy of snappy dialogue. However, after many hours, I started to find the word play to be tiring. Having read the previous book, I also knew to check my Suspension of Belief at the door. In particular, Moore added fantasy to the noir/science fiction genres of his previous world building. This took the series deep into the Science Fantasy trope. Along the way the author does a compare and contrast of contemporary political correctness with the post WWII period morality. (Tiffen was a 21st Century Man in a wide lapel, broad shouldered, and big patterned cheap suit.) However, Moore’s implementation wanders excessively through the middle of the story before coming together late in the book. I continued to have the same problem with this story I had with the previous book in the series: there was too much atmosphere. There was the: 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Chinese Immigration, post WWII economic boom, post war queer culture, space aliens, and Chinese dragons. The story's plate was overly full.

I heartily recommend auguring into the Afterward section. The author described his writing process for this book. That included how the book evolved, his research and sources. The seriousness of this section was disconcerting after the frantic, comedic dialog of the story proper. However, I found it to be very instructive as to where the many disjointed pieces of the story came from.

Moore’s narrative was OTT—it’s also deep parody of several genres. His historical research was solid. His switch-ups of characters Playing Against Type were amusing. However, the pacing of the story was too frantic. I was frankly tired of snappy dialog and touring: 1948 S.F., Sonoma, and 1890’s Guangdong province in China, after about six (6) hours. However, it was the addition of the Chinese supernatural element that was one trope too many. With the last book I drew the line with Greys and Men-In-Black. Here it was dragons.

I found this book to be "OK". If you’re a fan of the clever, snappy, badinage of 1940s romantic comedies and a dose of Science Fantasy this is the book for you. However, in this book, you’re not going to find a tightly written, noir-esque, mystery story.

[Randy Waite · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been a huge Christopher Moore fan ever since he published his first novel - I bought them all, many hot off the press. However, I feel that his writing has been going downhill for his last several novels. Unfortunately, Razzmatazz is his most down-hilly.

[J R · Rating 2 out of 5]

All over the place. I used to love Christopher Moore's early works but this one was hard to finish. The end was very simplistic and trite. It's one to skip.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Razzmatazz" is an absurdist masterpiece. Christopher Moore writes like no one else, and I can't say enough about how much this novel is incredibly, wildly entertaining. I loved "Noir," and this followup may be even better. It was a sheer joy to revisit the noir drenched streets of 1947 San Francisco, and spend time with Sammy and the Cheese, and all their flamboyant compatriots in pursuit of the Rain Dragon, and solving a multitude of murders. Moore creates a detailed time indelible and lived in, and dialogue straight out of a Humphrey Bogart movie. As outrageously comic as the surface story is, though, Moore has a deeper agenda, to illuminate the underlying Asian racism and sexual preference bias and intolerance on display. Mable's Christmas party for disabled people near the end of the book is profoundly moving. How a novel can be so outrageously laugh out loud funny and heartfelt is a credit to Moore's fecund imagination and humanity. Thanks to Lone, now I have a craving for meatloaf.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loved Noir, really looking forward to Razzmatazz. While the goofy characters were there, the story-was not funny, the quirkiness was GONE... unless you think a space alien roofie-ing then anal raping two women is "quirky". I found it gross and disturbing that Scooter, the alien, basically roofied and raped the girls. (What else do you call memory loss and waking up with a sore backside?) Giving the benefit of the doubt that this was meant as a harmless comedy sketch 'aliens probing people'.....when it happens to women while they are unaware and haven't given consent, (multiple times no less), I don't think you can put a humorous spin on that. Given Mr Moore's left leaning political views, I was was even more surprised to see this scenario made light of.

[John of Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel I've read that contains a trigger warning. Of course it's a Christopher Moore novel. I'm not saying that Moore is politically incorrect, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least to read in the Washington Post that a mob of woke p.c. villagers carrying pitchforks,torches, and placards were camped outside his office shouting slogans and burning stuff(his books?). This had everything I like in a book, a huge cast of characters, history, sparkling dialogue, outrageous puns, mystery, buddhism, and fabulous redheads. Of note, was the Afterward and Author's Note. The history was as interesting as the book itself. Anytime I can laugh my fool head off and learn something at the same time it's a win. On a serious note(maybe), I may never drink almond milk again.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite entertaining. This series would make a great movie or limited series.

[Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it just me or does Razzmatazz come off as some kind of drunken challenge that Moore took on from one of his buddies? Just read the synopsis, I count six plotlines going on in there. How in the hell is an author supposed to put all of that together and still write a coherent story that flows, makes perfect sense, and comes to a logical conclusion? Well, I guess the answer is that you have to be Christopher Moore.

Moore has allowed me to reconnect with an old friend, Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin. I first met Sammy in Noir, on the mean streets of 1940s San Francisco. It was great to spend some time with Sammy and his gang: Eddie “Moo Shoes” Shue, Thelonious, Stilton “The Cheese,” and that annoying kid who lives in his building, among many others. I laughed, I chuckled, it was better than Cats.

There are many things that Moore does incredibly well. He creates great characters, and he knows how to use them. The entire cast of Razzmatazz has something special about them, it is like they’ve all been brewing in his mind for decades just waiting for an opportunity for him to inflict them upon the world. Each character plays such an integral role in Razzmatazz that it would be missing something without each and every single one of them.

Beyond all else, Moore is an expert at tying everything together (and I don’t mean in some kind of kinky razzmatazz kind of way); with so much going on, I often wondered how all of this was going to come together in the end. I needn’t have worried, Moore had all of this well under control.

I went with the Audible for this story and it was fantastic. Johnny Heller was perfect, he seemed like he had been transported directly from the 1940s. The attitude was dripping from his voice.

I had a great time with Razzmatazz. You call fully enjoy it without having read (or listened to) Noir, but why would you want to?

[Keli · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I received a free copy of this book! I’m officially a Christopher Moore fan!

I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time I was reading this raucous comedy of a book (and I’m still laughing after the ending). On top of being hilarious, it actually had substance and a great mystery plot that never stopped surprising me. Also a beautiful author’s note at the end :)

If you don’t mind foul language and corny jokes, definitely pick up this book!

[stormiedog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok…this is Noir on steroids. It was hard enough for me to follow this quick paced, tongue-in-cheek style of writing to begin with, but then to move around like it does…it was a bit dizzying for me. Still…such a talented writer! Wow! Oh, and be careful what you wear, or don’t wear, around cats.
Just sayin’. And now, it is time for some razzmatazz. Oh yeah.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel as a Goodreads Giveaway winner! 🤩 Absurd and a little irreverent, taking place in the context of well-researched but little-known bits of San Francisco history, this is a story that will keep you smiling (in a silly/ridiculous way), ending with a smile in a rather unexpectedly heartwarming way. If you love Christopher Moore you will enjoy this one. You probably don’t have to read “Noir”’first, but you’ll know the characters better if you do. And, as is the case with all of Moore’s novels, if you’re overly sensitive or easily offended, you probably can’t handle it.

I am also happy to know, finally!, the true cause of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. And what an interesting history about the Paper Sons! Although I suspect one of those things is made up... 🤔😜

[Lboogie · Rating 5 out of 5]

****I was the grateful winner of an advance reader’s edition copy of Razzmatazz on a Goodreads giveaway😄

I love Christopher Moore, his stories are ridiculously funny page-turners with a filthy mouth & a heart of gold. Razzmatazz may be the funniest one yet (I read most of this book in a library & got a lot of dirty looks for my involuntary cackles & snorts).

Razzmatazz is the second book in a series about Sammy (2 Toes) Tiffin & his dame Stilton (aka The Cheese), who live in post-war 1947 San Francisco. With a lovable (if somewhat shifty) cast of characters, their love story goes on with hilarious, gin-soaked, extraterrestrial abandon. We learn more about the past of a certain...feline-amorous character from the last book (Uncle Ho), and about the brothel & opium den filled history of San Francisco’s Chinatown during the early 1900s. It was hard to put this one down, the type of book that sucks you into the story immediately, then keeps you up till the wee hours of the morning.

Gave this one a 5-Star rating, loved it & hope this isn’t the last time I get to read about Sammy & the Cheese! Christopher Moore is a national treasure, a bright bit of wit in an often dark & serious world, my advice: read this book in a location where you can laugh loudly without getting in trouble😄

[Theresa Lorenzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I post my reviews I usually scroll through ones already posted to see if I am on the same track as other folks. It doesn't change my review in the least. It is just interesting (to me) to do.

That being said this book has received quite a number of 5-star reviews, even from people who have not read it. Does anyone else find that strange or is it just me? I could barely give it two stars, mostly for the cover since I really liked it.

Perhaps I am getting too old to appreciate certain types of humor, but I didn't get it.

As far as I am concerned, enough said.

[Vincent Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this advanced copy in a GoodReads giveaway

I have read all of Christopher Moore's books and have enjoyed all of them. This one is no different. A combination of Film Noir and comedy.

Highly recommended

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a roaring and lively fantasy set in late 1940s San Francisco that has a very vibrant cast while it’s murder mystery stretches into more of a story of frenetic chaos. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, it's good to laugh again.

We were more or less Moore-less during the pandemic (sorry about the pun). Christopher Moore's last book, 'Shakespeare for Squirrels', came out in May 2020, before we realized How Bad Things Were Going To Get. It's been a long haul but we seem to be inching our way to recovery, and just in time Moore comes out with another book.

This one is a follow-up to 'Noir', his hard-boiled detective novel set in San Francisco in 1947. Like 'Noir' it features goofy characters, lots of alcohol and raunchy sex. This time around, however, Moore is diving into the underground history of his home town, highlighting the condition of the Chinese and Chinatown (in both turn-of-the-century SF and 1947), and the gay and lesbian clubs in operation during and after the war. Despite his typical zany madcap style, you're going to get a little history lesson about the parts of San Francisco that don't make it into the standard histories.

Still, there's plenty of nutsy escapades to make this a Chris Moore book. I don't know anyone else who could convincingly write an exchange like this, where Sammy 'Two-Toes' Tiffin is trying to convince a Catholic priest to let him borrow the church's camp bus:

***
The priest: “You want to borrow my bus to take thirty drag queens to a Christmas party for disabled children?”

Sammy: “Yes, indirectly”.

The priest: “Where, directly, are you taking them?”

Sammy: “To a whorehouse. But we are taking a bunch of people to a Christmas party for disabled children.”

The priest: “Who are you taking to the party?”

Sammy: “Thirty hookers.”

The priest: “You are using my church camp bus to take thirty drag queens to a whorehouse, and take thirty whores to a party for disabled children.”

Sammy: “They prefer to be called courtesans.”

***

Of course he gets the bus, with a littler sweetener for the priest who plays the ponies.

God bless Christopher Moore, I couldn't stop laughing.

Thanks Chris...I needed that.