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Double Feature Mystery #1
Some Like It Hot-Buttered
All Elliot Freed wanted to do was to make people die laughing. But he didn't mean it literally. The dead guy in Row S, Seat 18, is no joke. Elliot Freed, recovering writer, socked all his savings-and the alimony from his ex-wife-into the Comedy Tonight movie theater, never suspecting it would become a murder scene. And murder can't be good for ticket sales... Death by popcorn was the cause. Poisoned popcorn. To the chagrin of the police, Elliot takes to his bike to start his own investigation. A growing attraction to a beautiful detective, the discovery of a DVD pirating operation, and one missing employee later, Elliot's still waiting for the punch line. But this one might knock his theater-and Elliot-out for good...
289 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 24, 2007
14 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
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 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 25, 2023
Honestly, this has to have been the best-written cozy I've read to date. It was amusing, but the mystery plot was even better. I love the main character Elliot Freed. This is the first in a series, and I already have take out the second and third books in the series from the library. (If it wasn't for the public library system, I couldn't be an avid reader.) Anyway, Elliot owns a single old-fashioned movie theater which shows double-features of amusing and scary movies(the theatre needs a bit of renovation, if he can get enough movie-goers to afford it.) When a man is found in the audience dead(holding a fatal box of popcorn,) Elliot gives the police an (unwelcome) hand to find the killer...it is a cozy after all. I mean, the killing was good for business, but you can't expect that to happen every night. There were a few nuggets and plot twists, and frankly, the ending was quite unexpected. (There is also the matter of pirated movies found in the movie theater's basement...is it connected?) If you read no other cozies, read this one. Be warned, though, it will ruin you for most other cozy series. (No deadly popcorn recipes at the end, but there are some funny film synopses listed at the end. I even found at least one movie I hadn't seen, and I now plan to find a copy to watch.) Go read it!
May 29, 2017
This was not your traditional cozy. For starters, the main character is a man whose wife, a doctor has divorced him, leaving him to marry another doctor. His alimony checks are sometimes his primary source of income. He purchased a crumbling movie theater and decided to show only comedies, struggling to pay the bills. He bicycles around his small New Jersey town and his life seems simple until a man is found dead one night in his theater, with a bag of popcorn by his side. I won't go into the rest of the plot but the writing is extremely well-written and at times is edgy, but is still within the cozy genre.
If you're looking for something different, I highly recommend this cozy!
If you're looking for something different, I highly recommend this cozy!
February 18, 2018
couldnt get past chapter seven. very dry and dull. tried too hard to be funny & never liked any of the characters.
Read
August 11, 2011My mom collects paperback mysteries the way some people collect tourist trap teaspoons or motel matchbooks. There are stacks of them all over the place. Recently, she packed up one of those stacks and handed them off to me. Since I've got 3 things overdue at the library and just can't be bothered to go take care of the fine, I picked up Some Like It Hot Buttered - the first from Mom's mystery pile.
It's a passable book with a decent mystery plot. Cohen has some skill with dialogue - there were one or two lines that made me laugh out loud. However, Elliot Freed, the owner of Comedy Tonight, a semi-restored movie house showing (natch) only comedies, is no Groucho Marx, even though he's got an aside for *everything*. The running comedic narrative commentary on *everything* is distracting. Note to Cohen: just tell me a story. Stop telling me that you're telling me and that what you're telling me is funny. And really, I don't see how this gag works in the long-term. A movie theatre owner is going to routinely investigate crimes?
Recommend it for mystery fans as a quirky entry in the genre, but it's not going to set the world on fire. On to the next one in the pile.
It's a passable book with a decent mystery plot. Cohen has some skill with dialogue - there were one or two lines that made me laugh out loud. However, Elliot Freed, the owner of Comedy Tonight, a semi-restored movie house showing (natch) only comedies, is no Groucho Marx, even though he's got an aside for *everything*. The running comedic narrative commentary on *everything* is distracting. Note to Cohen: just tell me a story. Stop telling me that you're telling me and that what you're telling me is funny. And really, I don't see how this gag works in the long-term. A movie theatre owner is going to routinely investigate crimes?
Recommend it for mystery fans as a quirky entry in the genre, but it's not going to set the world on fire. On to the next one in the pile.
May 29, 2016
Some like it Hot-Buttered by Jeffrey Cohen was a total impulse buy. I was at my local bookshop and a friend was turning in her books so I sorted through and grabbed a couple, including this one. If I had take more time, I probably would not have bought it. The book centers around a divorced man, who purchased an old theater and is using it to exclusively show comedies in pairs, a classic with a current. Needless to say this is not a huge money making operation. A patron dies, an employee is suspected and the mystery takes off. It was just not my type of humor, the main character Elliot is the king of the one-liner and often lets loose with them, if not out loud, then in his thoughts. I just didn’t find it all that funny. To be fair, I’m not really a reader or watcher of much comedy, so this is probably just be my lack of appreciation.
February 21, 2008
Jeff Cohen's new series starts out well with this light-hearted mystery that kept me guessing till the end. His new amateur sleuth, Elliot Freed, owns a struggling movie theater in New Jersey. The shtick is that the theater only shows comedies -- double features of a classic comedy followed by a modern "comedy" (Elliot doesn't think much of the contemporary ones). One night during a showing of Young Frankenstein a patron dies. Then Elliot's college-age projectionist disappears and a trove of pirated DVDs shows up in the theater's basement. Add Elliot's propensity for one-liners, his romantic troubles, and a mysterious Lexus that attacks Elliot on his bike ride home, and you have a very good story indeed.
March 6, 2009
Elliot loves comedies. So much so that he bought an old movie theatre. Now he shows double features each week of one classic comedy and a present day comedy. During a showing on Young Frankenstein, one audience member dies with poison coating his popcorn. Then it turns out someone is storing pirated videos in his basement. Can his life get any more bizzare?
This is the first in a series and I really liked Elliott and his quirks. Not to mention his understanding of the brilliance of Young Frankenstein! LOL
The mystery had some great twists and interesting suspects. I will definitely be continuing the series!
This is the first in a series and I really liked Elliott and his quirks. Not to mention his understanding of the brilliance of Young Frankenstein! LOL
The mystery had some great twists and interesting suspects. I will definitely be continuing the series!
June 8, 2009
Loved it! It was totally entertaining and a good mystery too!
June 3, 2016
Very fluffy and fun. Easy to pick up and put down - Jeffrey tries to give us some witty & wacky dialogue and sometimes...he does. Not bad but instantly forgettable once you hit the last page
October 10, 2022
“Some Like it Hot-Buttered” is an anomaly among cozy mysteries for having a male protagonist whose gimmick is operating a movie theater that only shows comedy films. This seemed like a refreshing departure from the many cozies I have read about women who usually specialize in cooking or some other domestic or artistic hobby. It at least sounded original. What author Jeffrey Cohen delivers, though, is just another barrage of the same cliches that readers know are indispensable, but the worst part is that the writing is just plain bad.
Our protagonist Elliot Freed seems like a cool guy. He is such a strong believer in making people laugh by showing comedies in his theater Comedy Tonight. He knew the odds were against him when he bought the run-down theater, but his dream persisted and despite the laundry list of repairs and renovations the theater needs, he seems to be doing well until an attendee drops dead in his theater one night while “Young Frankenstein” is playing. Elliot knew something just had to be wrong because the man just wasn’t laughing during a key scene, a fact that he keeps reminding both the police and the readers of multiple times during the book. It couldn’t have been because tastes in comedies differ among viewers. This made me feel like I was being talked down to by a movie snob which, in a cozy mystery, is ridiculous since it goes without saying that the protagonist will fumble his or her way to solving the crime, resorting to measures that readers are apt to find stupid. The police don’t suspect Elliot or his super-Goth yet not-too-bright employee Sophie, but attention shifts to his other employee Anthony-a wannabe film director who disappears shortly after the police find hundreds of pirated DVDs in the theater. This isn’t bad, but from here the cozy mystery cliches abound under the guise of cleverness. For example, Elliot’s preferred mode of transportation is his bicycle, but if he’s ever in a hurry, he either calls his ex-wife Sharon for a ride or begs a garage owner to lend him cars that need work but still operate. Elliot may as well have dual love interests because he’s not over Sharon and is suddenly smitten with a police officer. And, unsurprisingly, instead of letting the police just do their jobs, he resorts to nosiness in hopes of clearing Anthony’s name. Cohen’s writing style is verbose, redundant, and horrible: Page 8, “I gestured toward Sophie, who looked like a Goth dear in Goth headlights.”; Page 52, “We had given each other rudimentary physical descriptions to recognize each other by (she had shoulder-length brown hair and was wearing a gray suit, and I looked exactly like me), and I had gone so far as to wear the Split Personality jacket, assuming (correctly) that no one else in the area would have one, or would at least have the good taste not to wear it in public.”; Page 135, “I gave him a “what am I stupid?” look. “What am I, stupid?” I asked him.” I also lost count in the number of times Sergeant O’Donnell had to remind Elliot that he was Sergeant O’Donnell and the number of times Elliot mentioned that his front door was green. The countless movie references were expected, but got very old quickly. Another book that is apt to make readers wonder whether high paychecks depend on the number of words written by the author.
This diminished my anticipation for the book’s ending; by the time I got to it, I was too worn out from the bad prose to care about the killer’s identity and motives. I will say that there was an unexpected twist near the end and I was so glad Sharon pointed out that Elliot’s reliance on other people’s cars is because he’s a cheapskate, but it was too little too late. I will not be returning to Comedy Tonight. This was one book that was too un-funny to even be laughed at.
P.S. Should you decide to read this book, stick with the mass market paperback published by Berkley because it did not have the same grammatical errors and improper punctuation that the trade paperback edition has.
Our protagonist Elliot Freed seems like a cool guy. He is such a strong believer in making people laugh by showing comedies in his theater Comedy Tonight. He knew the odds were against him when he bought the run-down theater, but his dream persisted and despite the laundry list of repairs and renovations the theater needs, he seems to be doing well until an attendee drops dead in his theater one night while “Young Frankenstein” is playing. Elliot knew something just had to be wrong because the man just wasn’t laughing during a key scene, a fact that he keeps reminding both the police and the readers of multiple times during the book. It couldn’t have been because tastes in comedies differ among viewers. This made me feel like I was being talked down to by a movie snob which, in a cozy mystery, is ridiculous since it goes without saying that the protagonist will fumble his or her way to solving the crime, resorting to measures that readers are apt to find stupid. The police don’t suspect Elliot or his super-Goth yet not-too-bright employee Sophie, but attention shifts to his other employee Anthony-a wannabe film director who disappears shortly after the police find hundreds of pirated DVDs in the theater. This isn’t bad, but from here the cozy mystery cliches abound under the guise of cleverness. For example, Elliot’s preferred mode of transportation is his bicycle, but if he’s ever in a hurry, he either calls his ex-wife Sharon for a ride or begs a garage owner to lend him cars that need work but still operate. Elliot may as well have dual love interests because he’s not over Sharon and is suddenly smitten with a police officer. And, unsurprisingly, instead of letting the police just do their jobs, he resorts to nosiness in hopes of clearing Anthony’s name. Cohen’s writing style is verbose, redundant, and horrible: Page 8, “I gestured toward Sophie, who looked like a Goth dear in Goth headlights.”; Page 52, “We had given each other rudimentary physical descriptions to recognize each other by (she had shoulder-length brown hair and was wearing a gray suit, and I looked exactly like me), and I had gone so far as to wear the Split Personality jacket, assuming (correctly) that no one else in the area would have one, or would at least have the good taste not to wear it in public.”; Page 135, “I gave him a “what am I stupid?” look. “What am I, stupid?” I asked him.” I also lost count in the number of times Sergeant O’Donnell had to remind Elliot that he was Sergeant O’Donnell and the number of times Elliot mentioned that his front door was green. The countless movie references were expected, but got very old quickly. Another book that is apt to make readers wonder whether high paychecks depend on the number of words written by the author.
This diminished my anticipation for the book’s ending; by the time I got to it, I was too worn out from the bad prose to care about the killer’s identity and motives. I will say that there was an unexpected twist near the end and I was so glad Sharon pointed out that Elliot’s reliance on other people’s cars is because he’s a cheapskate, but it was too little too late. I will not be returning to Comedy Tonight. This was one book that was too un-funny to even be laughed at.
P.S. Should you decide to read this book, stick with the mass market paperback published by Berkley because it did not have the same grammatical errors and improper punctuation that the trade paperback edition has.
April 2, 2018
This was my first Jeffrey Cohen book and let me tell you, I couldn't have been more satisfied with it. First of all, as far as mysteries go...it was a good one. As a matter of fact, it had two or three different good ones in it. I figured out some stuff. Was totally surprised at others. And it followed my own steadfast rule that all the necessary clues be present in the book before the solution.
But this book was more than just a great mystery...it was a fantastic comedy as well. Mr. Cohen has a great sense of humor. The narrator (it's told in first person) is witty at his cores and there were definite laugh-out-loud moments in some of the things he says through the course of the investigation. What's more, often books like this tend to try a little too hard. They lose sight of what they are. Is it a mystery or is it a comedy? In this book, Mr. Cohen did a fantastic job balancing the two. I never got the impression that this book was a comedy first. It was most definitely a mystery. But it just happened to have the perfect amount of humor poured on top like a dollop of hot butter over an incredibly tasting bag of theater popcorn.
Well done, Mr. Cohen. On to book 2 for me!
But this book was more than just a great mystery...it was a fantastic comedy as well. Mr. Cohen has a great sense of humor. The narrator (it's told in first person) is witty at his cores and there were definite laugh-out-loud moments in some of the things he says through the course of the investigation. What's more, often books like this tend to try a little too hard. They lose sight of what they are. Is it a mystery or is it a comedy? In this book, Mr. Cohen did a fantastic job balancing the two. I never got the impression that this book was a comedy first. It was most definitely a mystery. But it just happened to have the perfect amount of humor poured on top like a dollop of hot butter over an incredibly tasting bag of theater popcorn.
Well done, Mr. Cohen. On to book 2 for me!
July 31, 2020
I found this book very entertaining, not exactly laugh-out-loud but a lot of smiles &/or eye-rolling. The main character, Elliot Freed, is full of sarcasm - aimed towards both himself and the world as a whole.
There is also a lot of reminders of comedy movies, although the movies and their titles may not be known to people under the age of 50 years. They are movies when comedy was an art, not the stupidity of 90% of the trash produced in the last 30 years. If you are familiar with the movie Young Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and have a copy of it, then you'll be digging into your shelves to revisit it for a good evening laugh.( It's always been a favourite of mine.) I did, and so did the rest of the family.
The blurb gives you enough information, so I won't go further. There is humour, suspense, a bunch of twists/red herrings, and the length of the book gives it plenty of time to develop the characters.
Recommend this book.
There is also a lot of reminders of comedy movies, although the movies and their titles may not be known to people under the age of 50 years. They are movies when comedy was an art, not the stupidity of 90% of the trash produced in the last 30 years. If you are familiar with the movie Young Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and have a copy of it, then you'll be digging into your shelves to revisit it for a good evening laugh.( It's always been a favourite of mine.) I did, and so did the rest of the family.
The blurb gives you enough information, so I won't go further. There is humour, suspense, a bunch of twists/red herrings, and the length of the book gives it plenty of time to develop the characters.
Recommend this book.
January 3, 2023
Some Like It Hot Buttered is the first entry in the Comedy Tonight Mystery Series. It is a cozy mystery with a male protagonist. Elliott Freed returns back to New Jersey from Hollywood, forgets his novel and it's movie adaptation, buys a rundown theater, Hires a couple of kids, and expects to make money by showing only comedies. That is until a guy dies during a showing of Young Frankenstein. At first, it seems like a heart attack until they find out there was poison in his buttered popcorn. Elliott and later one of the kids who works for him become prime suspects. It has a good setup, The characters were interesting, and the mystery was challenging.
May 15, 2019
OMG Jeffrey Cohen what a fun and interesting mystery! Great films, wonderful characters, witty dialog combined with popcorn and Milk Duds (my favorite candy). A true comedy/mystery classic!
What a fun bike ride this is. The multiple clues and suspects are everywhere and lead you in a myriad of directions only to change direction again. A double feature of a book that turns into a trilogy. Read it and see! You will not regret picking up this book. Now I’m ready to start the next book, “It Happened One Knife”...where’s my popcorn?
What a fun bike ride this is. The multiple clues and suspects are everywhere and lead you in a myriad of directions only to change direction again. A double feature of a book that turns into a trilogy. Read it and see! You will not regret picking up this book. Now I’m ready to start the next book, “It Happened One Knife”...where’s my popcorn?
August 3, 2017
Finally finished it! I've listened to Cohen's other books, the Aaron Tucker series, and decided to give this one another try based on those. But this was not like those books. And that doesn't mean this was a bad book, but it wasn't great, either. It felt like the book was too long for the story. I found myself skimming the last half of the book just to finish it. I will say, though, that the ending wasn't entirely what I expected.
June 14, 2020
Divorced ex screen writer opens a comedy only movie theater, biking to and from his home. One night a patron dies after eating popcorn laced with prescription medications. The police think it is his projectionist, a film student who disappears soon afterwards. No one knows where he is, he is out of touch with roommates, family and professor.
Someone keeps surprising Elliot by sneaking into the theater. Meanwhile his other employee a goth girl named Sophia surprises him with her loyalty and support. He gets involved with one of the local cops involved with the case plus keeps in touch with his ex wide in a platonic way.
There are amusing side characters, like his one loyal customer and a side thread about pirated DVDs
and a lot of insight into running a theater.
No sex or violence.
Someone keeps surprising Elliot by sneaking into the theater. Meanwhile his other employee a goth girl named Sophia surprises him with her loyalty and support. He gets involved with one of the local cops involved with the case plus keeps in touch with his ex wide in a platonic way.
There are amusing side characters, like his one loyal customer and a side thread about pirated DVDs
and a lot of insight into running a theater.
No sex or violence.
April 15, 2018
Comedy Tonight
This is the story of a man who buys an old theatre and shows classic comedy movies. When a man died in his theater and fraternities are discovered in the basement, Eliott feels he must find out what happened. A great mystery with an interesting cast of characters. Highly recommend this book.
This is the story of a man who buys an old theatre and shows classic comedy movies. When a man died in his theater and fraternities are discovered in the basement, Eliott feels he must find out what happened. A great mystery with an interesting cast of characters. Highly recommend this book.
May 17, 2018
I really, really liked this book, so I am giving it 5 stars. It has great idea theme and interesting supporting characters who better return to work with Elliott in Book 2. There is a handy glossary at the back of the book that talks about the old movies). If you are a fan of E.J. Copperman's other books, I think you will enjoy this one.
February 17, 2020
A book I’ve had on my TBR shelf for years, I finally got around to this witty and engaging mystery. Jam packed with film knowledge, a couple of mysteries that had me half off track the whole way through, a really enjoyable time was had. I’m excited to see what’s next on the marquee for these Double Feature mysteries!
May 16, 2017
I love everything about this book. It is funny. It has fantastic characters. It has a marvellous plot. Elliot Freed is so likeable! He isn't perfect and doesn't pretend to be. Most realistic characters I have read for a long time.
July 16, 2018
When I read the description of the book, I had already judged it as something I would not enjoy. I am so pleased to say I was entirely wrong, love the book, couldn't put it down, was surprised by the turns in the book and would read it again. I'll be looking for more from this author
June 22, 2023
This was a first time reading Jeffrey Cohen. I found the book funny and a fast read. It would make a great beach read. I liked the characters and the movie trivia. It was well written and moved at an easy pace.
May 23, 2017
DNF. Even though I would have rated it "Liked It", I felt like 2 stars was unfair. I felt like the narrator was just too much...just tried too hard. Just not nearly as funny as he thought.
May 1, 2019
Fun read
Lightly entertaining story about a very strange man. He’s obviously smart and funny, but not quite ready to be a participating grown up. Think he’ll get there tho.
Lightly entertaining story about a very strange man. He’s obviously smart and funny, but not quite ready to be a participating grown up. Think he’ll get there tho.
April 22, 2024
I´m going to talk about this book. This book is so terrific.
February 5, 2022
Gave up after the first chapter.
May 6, 2009
Elliot Freed is the owner of Comedy Tonight, an old movie house that shows strictly comedy movies - double feature comedy movies. But there is nothing funny about the man in row S, seat 18 Tuesday night. He's dead from...wait for it, poisoned popcorn, and Comedy Tonight has turned into a crime scene. As if that wasn't bad enough, while searching the "crime scene" the police uncovered bootleg videos. Copies of the same movie showing at Comedy Tonight, a movie that isn't available on video yet.
All leads point to Elliot's movie-obsessed projectionist, Anthony, but Anthony has vanished. Will this murder be solved before Comedy Tonight ends up the next victim?
I LOVE humor. So the use of tasteful, intelligent humor weaved into a plot always earns bonus points with me. SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED earned oodles of bonus points as I laughed out loud through practically the entire book. Cohen takes the humor of everyday life and expertly interjects it into dialogue, plot and character. What better way to help a reader connect with the characters and the story? I can't imagine reading this and not laughing while simultaneously thinking, "I know EXACTLY what he's talking about!" By the conclusion of the book, I realized that Cohen is an astute observer of life, and he can articulate the humor in all the absurdity. Elliot, himself, sums up Cohen's humor when he says, "I hate jokes. I like wit, not contrived stories that end with someone making an obscene pun or confusing his wife with a horse or something." Now THAT is my kind of humor!
The strengths of this book don't lie solely in Cohen's use of humor, though. Actually, the humor helps to enhance the other strengths. The characters in this book are so real you expect to walk out your door on the way to work and wave to them as you climb in your car to leave. Elliot is a man who is struggling with the loss of his marriage and the embarrassment of being on the receiving end of alimony. Sophie, his refreshment stand employee, is the epitome of a teenage girl struggling with identity, trying to establish who she is, rebelling against every form of authority. Even Elliot's father comes to life on the page. An older man trying to battle the forces of nature that are slowing him down. Cohen cements the characters with their relationships to each other and reminds the reader of how powerful those relationships are, even when we take them for granted.
There's magic on the pages of this book, either magic or glue. I simply couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what would happen with the murder investigation; I wanted to know what would happen between the characters. Cohen pulled me into Midland Height, New Jersey, and I walked away taking a part of it with me. Jeffrey Cohen's Double Feature Mystery Series will definitely be one of if not the greatest discovery of 2009 for me.
When you're ready for a healthy dose of laughter with your popcorn, I recommend SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED by Jeffrey Cohen.
All leads point to Elliot's movie-obsessed projectionist, Anthony, but Anthony has vanished. Will this murder be solved before Comedy Tonight ends up the next victim?
I LOVE humor. So the use of tasteful, intelligent humor weaved into a plot always earns bonus points with me. SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED earned oodles of bonus points as I laughed out loud through practically the entire book. Cohen takes the humor of everyday life and expertly interjects it into dialogue, plot and character. What better way to help a reader connect with the characters and the story? I can't imagine reading this and not laughing while simultaneously thinking, "I know EXACTLY what he's talking about!" By the conclusion of the book, I realized that Cohen is an astute observer of life, and he can articulate the humor in all the absurdity. Elliot, himself, sums up Cohen's humor when he says, "I hate jokes. I like wit, not contrived stories that end with someone making an obscene pun or confusing his wife with a horse or something." Now THAT is my kind of humor!
The strengths of this book don't lie solely in Cohen's use of humor, though. Actually, the humor helps to enhance the other strengths. The characters in this book are so real you expect to walk out your door on the way to work and wave to them as you climb in your car to leave. Elliot is a man who is struggling with the loss of his marriage and the embarrassment of being on the receiving end of alimony. Sophie, his refreshment stand employee, is the epitome of a teenage girl struggling with identity, trying to establish who she is, rebelling against every form of authority. Even Elliot's father comes to life on the page. An older man trying to battle the forces of nature that are slowing him down. Cohen cements the characters with their relationships to each other and reminds the reader of how powerful those relationships are, even when we take them for granted.
There's magic on the pages of this book, either magic or glue. I simply couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what would happen with the murder investigation; I wanted to know what would happen between the characters. Cohen pulled me into Midland Height, New Jersey, and I walked away taking a part of it with me. Jeffrey Cohen's Double Feature Mystery Series will definitely be one of if not the greatest discovery of 2009 for me.
When you're ready for a healthy dose of laughter with your popcorn, I recommend SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED by Jeffrey Cohen.
January 14, 2010
The first few pages of the book I was a little hesitant. There were quite a few references to movies I have never heard of or seen before - then again I'm not a movie buff at all. I barely watch them (as I prefer reading) and only will do so once in a while to take a break from reading. However I decided to stick with the book. I have to make my 100 page limit to see if I'm still interested. I was interested sooner than that. It actually got me hooked. Elliot is quirky, sarcastic and witty without being overly silly. The comedy in this mystery is well written and well done. The mystery and intrigue is also well done so there's a good striking balance between the two. I have to say there were at least two or three parts of the book where I found myself bursting out in giggles because of Elliot's wit and actions. I'd have to say I greatly enjoyed reading this book. I thought I had the mystery solved in my head - yet I was surprised. It was nothing like I had pictured and it's good! I didn't want a predictable outcome of the mystery. I believe I was close to the answer, but not quite as I had thought.
The characters in the book are all right, although the ones that have something to do with Elliot's personal life weren't really that outstanding - although I have to say, I liked Elliot's father (he reminded me a bit of a mix between Seinfeld's dad and George's dad from the Seinfeld show) and added more to the comedy, I'd like to see more of him in the next future books. When it comes to Elliot's love life, it's funny too as he doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction with any of the ones he meets except his ex-wife (which for some reason, I didn't really like her in the book she just didn't seem to be a great character in my opinion). They both seem to have a very different sort of relationship you wouldn't find in most divorced couples but perhaps that adds more to the quirkiness of this book.
The criticism I find in this book is the references to movies which I have never seen before and therefore can't really understand. Yet I'm sure if there's movie buffs out there that love reading about movies and who know their movie trivia would probably enjoy this book ten times more than I did (not to say I didn't enjoy reading this! I truly did!). If I knew the movies and understood the references, I would probably be chuckling a lot more than I did while reading. Other than that, there really is nothing else I dislike about this book.
Overall, a wonderful light story with an equal amount of mystery and comedy that makes it a delightful read. This is definitely a series to look into if you're a cozy mystery fan. If you're a movie buff, give this book a try as well. Perhaps you'll be able to identify some of the movies mentioned in this book.
The characters in the book are all right, although the ones that have something to do with Elliot's personal life weren't really that outstanding - although I have to say, I liked Elliot's father (he reminded me a bit of a mix between Seinfeld's dad and George's dad from the Seinfeld show) and added more to the comedy, I'd like to see more of him in the next future books. When it comes to Elliot's love life, it's funny too as he doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction with any of the ones he meets except his ex-wife (which for some reason, I didn't really like her in the book she just didn't seem to be a great character in my opinion). They both seem to have a very different sort of relationship you wouldn't find in most divorced couples but perhaps that adds more to the quirkiness of this book.
The criticism I find in this book is the references to movies which I have never seen before and therefore can't really understand. Yet I'm sure if there's movie buffs out there that love reading about movies and who know their movie trivia would probably enjoy this book ten times more than I did (not to say I didn't enjoy reading this! I truly did!). If I knew the movies and understood the references, I would probably be chuckling a lot more than I did while reading. Other than that, there really is nothing else I dislike about this book.
Overall, a wonderful light story with an equal amount of mystery and comedy that makes it a delightful read. This is definitely a series to look into if you're a cozy mystery fan. If you're a movie buff, give this book a try as well. Perhaps you'll be able to identify some of the movies mentioned in this book.
March 16, 2013
When I finished high-school, I decided to end it all with a bang and chose literature research paper as a substitute for one of my final exams. So as my all time favorite author was Tolkien, I researched the hell out of him, and tried to find any books that even mentioned his name.
That was surprisingly hard thing to do at the time, because it was an era before the LOR blockbuster movies and before complete frenzied media love towards his books. Only hard-core fantasy fans knew who he was, and felt deep connection to his worlds. So I finally finished my paper and gave it to that person who has to give his/her professional opinion on it, before you defend your work (if that is the correct way to say it) orally. So this person who happened to be a young woman teaching literature, gave her review and basically told me and everyone, that I was incapable of writing sentences that make sense. Even though truth hurts, I agree with her, I do have clear tendency towards never-ending thoughts and rambling sentences.
So the point I am trying to make is this. As a silver lining of sorts, I guess, she also told that the best part of my research paper was the genuine love I had for Tolkien that shone through my writing. And the best part of Some Like It Hot-Buttered is the love for old movies that shines through the writing in this book. No matter what the subject is or the level of writing skills, an author will always write his or her best books about things close to heart, because that's where inspiration lives.
I enjoyed the banter, I liked the strange movie facts and I loved the self deprecating humor.
That was surprisingly hard thing to do at the time, because it was an era before the LOR blockbuster movies and before complete frenzied media love towards his books. Only hard-core fantasy fans knew who he was, and felt deep connection to his worlds. So I finally finished my paper and gave it to that person who has to give his/her professional opinion on it, before you defend your work (if that is the correct way to say it) orally. So this person who happened to be a young woman teaching literature, gave her review and basically told me and everyone, that I was incapable of writing sentences that make sense. Even though truth hurts, I agree with her, I do have clear tendency towards never-ending thoughts and rambling sentences.
So the point I am trying to make is this. As a silver lining of sorts, I guess, she also told that the best part of my research paper was the genuine love I had for Tolkien that shone through my writing. And the best part of Some Like It Hot-Buttered is the love for old movies that shines through the writing in this book. No matter what the subject is or the level of writing skills, an author will always write his or her best books about things close to heart, because that's where inspiration lives.
I enjoyed the banter, I liked the strange movie facts and I loved the self deprecating humor.
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