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Eddie Perlmutter Mystery #2
Boca Mournings
"Part Robert Parker, part Carl Hiaasen, Eddie Perlmutter is a high testosterone, no-nonsense detective with a tender core, and makes turning sixty a carnal, tropical ride." --Andrew Gross, bestselling author of The Blue Zone, on Boca Knights
Since he arrived in sunny Florida, Eddie has survived a run-in with the Russian mafia and tangled with Boca’s own family of neo-Nazis. But crime and punishment in the land of the Early Bird Special is complicated. The Russians have fled . . . but their evil lingers on; and though the neo-Nazis’ junior thug is guilty, punishing him is a lot more complicated than Eddie thought it would be when he caught the little creep harassing decent folks in the name of white supremacy. And that’s just Eddie’s unfinished business. Helped by a reformed computer conman, he’s busier with new cases than he was in Boston, ranging from a mysteriously haunted elevator to a double kidnapping. He’s got cases with trails as far as Russia and Israel. Retirement, my foot.
Good thing he didn’t retire from matters of the heart . . . because the women won’t let him. Between his amorous adventures and his burgeoning sleuth business, the twists and turns of Eddie’s life make this an edge-of-your-seat, uproariously funny thriller . . .
Since he arrived in sunny Florida, Eddie has survived a run-in with the Russian mafia and tangled with Boca’s own family of neo-Nazis. But crime and punishment in the land of the Early Bird Special is complicated. The Russians have fled . . . but their evil lingers on; and though the neo-Nazis’ junior thug is guilty, punishing him is a lot more complicated than Eddie thought it would be when he caught the little creep harassing decent folks in the name of white supremacy. And that’s just Eddie’s unfinished business. Helped by a reformed computer conman, he’s busier with new cases than he was in Boston, ranging from a mysteriously haunted elevator to a double kidnapping. He’s got cases with trails as far as Russia and Israel. Retirement, my foot.
Good thing he didn’t retire from matters of the heart . . . because the women won’t let him. Between his amorous adventures and his burgeoning sleuth business, the twists and turns of Eddie’s life make this an edge-of-your-seat, uproariously funny thriller . . .
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
107 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Steven M. Forman
5 books10 followersSteven Forman has a college degree from the University of Massachusetts. Forman founded and managed a Seafood Marketing Company. In 1992, Forman and his wife become Snowbirds in Boca Raton, FL. The contrast between Boston and Boca life styles inspired his first book, Boca Knights. His protangonist, Eddie Perlmutter, is a retired police officer who finds himself tempted to use his crime fighting skills with humorous and unpredictable results.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 26, 2010
At the beginning of this book I thought it was clever. Henny Youngman writes a detective novel. But then it began to wear on me, and the clever quips became bad puns. And there were way too many of them. The plot lines were actually interesting, but I couldn't take the puns any more, many of which were repeated (gayborhood) too many times. Oh, and the talking penis? Not.
March 19, 2013
I found this at the DOLLAR STORE and trust me it was well worth that. I enjoyed the read without having read BOCA KNIGHTS. I think with more experience, this author could really write some top drawer mysteries. I like his characters a lot and the dialogue is well written. Mr Johnson needs to be toned down in my opinion, but I am sure others would disagree with that.
July 19, 2018
Boca Mournings is the 2nd book in a 3 book series which takes place in South Florida. Eddie Perlmutter is a former Boston Detective who retires from the police force and moves to Boca Raton, Florida for a life of ease. A series of amorous and criminal events occur and steer him back into investigations. In this book, he begins to solidify his detective agency business by taking on new clients and saving others.
Steven Forman's character and writing style reminds me a little of Stuart Woods and his Stone Barrington series - just not as polished or as funny. I got bored with this book and the character pretty quickly - and everything just seemed to work out well for him from chapter to chapter - no mistakes, no tragedies and no disappointments....hmmm. I don't intend to go back and read the other two...
SPOILER ALERT: Two things about the book I did like: First, Eddie Perlmutter is definitely a guy over 60 and the author does describe all the aches, pains, tests, and health scares that come up at this stage of our lives. Second, there are a couple of chapters about 2/3 through the book that involves a trip to Israel and the history there. This portion of the book was so well written and thoughtful - it made so of the other faults in the book bearable.
Steven Forman's character and writing style reminds me a little of Stuart Woods and his Stone Barrington series - just not as polished or as funny. I got bored with this book and the character pretty quickly - and everything just seemed to work out well for him from chapter to chapter - no mistakes, no tragedies and no disappointments....hmmm. I don't intend to go back and read the other two...
SPOILER ALERT: Two things about the book I did like: First, Eddie Perlmutter is definitely a guy over 60 and the author does describe all the aches, pains, tests, and health scares that come up at this stage of our lives. Second, there are a couple of chapters about 2/3 through the book that involves a trip to Israel and the history there. This portion of the book was so well written and thoughtful - it made so of the other faults in the book bearable.
July 17, 2017
I wanna be a Boca Knight! (Read the book.)
Ok, this is the third book in a three-book series (so far, I hope) and I haven't read the first two (didn't realize there were two more), but it doesn't matter. (Of course I'm going to buy the first two asap now that I know they exist!) This book stands on its own two legs, and remarkably well I might add. I picked up this book because it was cheap and came highly recommended by quite a few of my favorite authors whom I respect and enjoy reading. To say I loved this book would be an understatement; I LOVED this book. I loved everything about it: the fast-paced prose, the story, the humor, and the characters, especially the characters. If you like ex-cop-turned-PI thrillers mixed with a good dose of humor, you will enjoy this book.
Ok, this is the third book in a three-book series (so far, I hope) and I haven't read the first two (didn't realize there were two more), but it doesn't matter. (Of course I'm going to buy the first two asap now that I know they exist!) This book stands on its own two legs, and remarkably well I might add. I picked up this book because it was cheap and came highly recommended by quite a few of my favorite authors whom I respect and enjoy reading. To say I loved this book would be an understatement; I LOVED this book. I loved everything about it: the fast-paced prose, the story, the humor, and the characters, especially the characters. If you like ex-cop-turned-PI thrillers mixed with a good dose of humor, you will enjoy this book.
July 3, 2018
A Ridiculously Crazy Story of a Good Deed Artist in Boca Ratan
There are some absurd and simply unbelievable events which I discarded as hubris. The rest of the book made up for those mistakes by introducing us to a 60 year old ex cop who has become the Boca Knight and very famous locally. He uses his reputation to help the elderly through creative solutions. It is very clever and a lot of fun!!!
There are some absurd and simply unbelievable events which I discarded as hubris. The rest of the book made up for those mistakes by introducing us to a 60 year old ex cop who has become the Boca Knight and very famous locally. He uses his reputation to help the elderly through creative solutions. It is very clever and a lot of fun!!!
July 11, 2017
Boca Mournings
Have read the first two of these books. Loved both of them! Made me laugh so much had to stop reading for a minute. Ready to start the third.
Have read the first two of these books. Loved both of them! Made me laugh so much had to stop reading for a minute. Ready to start the third.
February 18, 2018
A feel good fun ride
The tale of a smart-ass retired cop who tries to do good in a land of retirees. Made me laugh and cry.
The tale of a smart-ass retired cop who tries to do good in a land of retirees. Made me laugh and cry.
July 6, 2018
Quick witty read!
Fun and excitement with right amount of detail.
Enjoyable story lines and funny characters.
Enjoyed other Boca Knight books.
Another hit!
Fun and excitement with right amount of detail.
Enjoyable story lines and funny characters.
Enjoyed other Boca Knight books.
Another hit!
August 7, 2018
Entertaining and light hearted. I will read other Form an works. For. Great Florida humor, read Dave Barry's tricky business
February 23, 2019
Just awful! Quit after ten pages.
Read
April 25, 2011When we last saw Eddie Perlmutter he had been dubbed the “Boca Knight” by the Boca Raton press for his successful handling of some messy matters involving both the Russian mafia and a group of neo-nazis. Former decorated Boston police officer or not, it was a pretty nifty showing for a 60 year old retiree with arthritic knuckles and two bum knees.
Boca Mournings, the second book in the Eddie Perlmutter series following Boca Knights, finds Eddie having capitalized on his minor celebrity by getting licensed and officially going into business as a private investigator. And while his phone has been ringing off the hook, the majority of the callers want Eddie to investigate spouses suspected of having affairs. Not exactly what the 34 year Boston PD vet had in mind.
Things soon heat up, however, and before Eddie knows it he’s juggling cases ranging from the merely curious (Who’s sabotaging the elevator at the Delray Vista condos?), to a personal mission (Why can’t his friend Sylvia remember anything before her twentieth birthday?), to the life-altering (What happened to the gay couple who disappeared from their tight-knit community?). Along the way he manages to shut down a cyber-criminal – and pick him up as an unofficial sidekick – and parlay the results of one investigation into a project to tackle the lack of adequate health care for a nearby low income community. Oh yeah, his prostate is also acting up.
The standout of the book, however, is a continuation of the neo-nazi story from Boca Knights. Randolph Buford, the young Aryan Army member responsible for several serious hate crimes, is scheduled for trial and not doing so well in jail while waiting. There was a time when Eddie, himself Jewish, would have liked nothing more than to see Randolph either rot in jail or be killed by his Aryan “brothers” for being a traitor. As Eddie’s girlfriend notes, however, Eddie seems to be mellowing, ever so slightly, with age. Accordingly, Eddie devises an alternative to trial and certain jail for Randolph that is both brilliant and jaw-dropping in its audaciousness.
Author Steve Forman tackles some incredibly serious issues by using wonderful imagery, as with Eddie’s impression of his eldery friend Sylvia’s encroaching dementia:
When Sylvia was Sylvia, she was wonderful: smiling, alert, and a pleasure to be with. When Sylvia was not Sylvia, her eyes were like shuttered windows in a haunted house. I imagined tiny devils inside her head, hacking away at her brain with pickaxes, destroying her mind, cell by cell, day by day.
and just enough humor to prevent them from becoming too overwhelming, as evidenced by a conversation Eddie has with a friend who’s had a heart attack and needs a heart transplant, but can’t have one because he’s too old and would not survive the surgery:
“How are you, Seymour?” I asked. “I’m dying,” he said. “People survive heart attacks all the time and live to a ripe old age.” “I am a ripe old age, Eddie, ” Seymour said. “You’ll be alright,” I encouraged him. “You’re a tough old bird.” “The pterodactyl was a tough old bird and look what happened to him.”
Forman’s handling of Eddie’s interactions with Randolph is no less adept, and I can honestly say Boca Mournings brought the issue of anti-semitism and the question of whether people are really able to change into play in such a way that I was left thinking about Eddie and Randolph long after I’d finished the book. If you want to experience a slightly non-traditional private investigator series that will not only entertain you but also give you serious food for thought, take a trip to Boca Raton with Eddie Perlmutter.
Boca Mournings, the second book in the Eddie Perlmutter series following Boca Knights, finds Eddie having capitalized on his minor celebrity by getting licensed and officially going into business as a private investigator. And while his phone has been ringing off the hook, the majority of the callers want Eddie to investigate spouses suspected of having affairs. Not exactly what the 34 year Boston PD vet had in mind.
Things soon heat up, however, and before Eddie knows it he’s juggling cases ranging from the merely curious (Who’s sabotaging the elevator at the Delray Vista condos?), to a personal mission (Why can’t his friend Sylvia remember anything before her twentieth birthday?), to the life-altering (What happened to the gay couple who disappeared from their tight-knit community?). Along the way he manages to shut down a cyber-criminal – and pick him up as an unofficial sidekick – and parlay the results of one investigation into a project to tackle the lack of adequate health care for a nearby low income community. Oh yeah, his prostate is also acting up.
The standout of the book, however, is a continuation of the neo-nazi story from Boca Knights. Randolph Buford, the young Aryan Army member responsible for several serious hate crimes, is scheduled for trial and not doing so well in jail while waiting. There was a time when Eddie, himself Jewish, would have liked nothing more than to see Randolph either rot in jail or be killed by his Aryan “brothers” for being a traitor. As Eddie’s girlfriend notes, however, Eddie seems to be mellowing, ever so slightly, with age. Accordingly, Eddie devises an alternative to trial and certain jail for Randolph that is both brilliant and jaw-dropping in its audaciousness.
Author Steve Forman tackles some incredibly serious issues by using wonderful imagery, as with Eddie’s impression of his eldery friend Sylvia’s encroaching dementia:
When Sylvia was Sylvia, she was wonderful: smiling, alert, and a pleasure to be with. When Sylvia was not Sylvia, her eyes were like shuttered windows in a haunted house. I imagined tiny devils inside her head, hacking away at her brain with pickaxes, destroying her mind, cell by cell, day by day.
and just enough humor to prevent them from becoming too overwhelming, as evidenced by a conversation Eddie has with a friend who’s had a heart attack and needs a heart transplant, but can’t have one because he’s too old and would not survive the surgery:
“How are you, Seymour?” I asked. “I’m dying,” he said. “People survive heart attacks all the time and live to a ripe old age.” “I am a ripe old age, Eddie, ” Seymour said. “You’ll be alright,” I encouraged him. “You’re a tough old bird.” “The pterodactyl was a tough old bird and look what happened to him.”
Forman’s handling of Eddie’s interactions with Randolph is no less adept, and I can honestly say Boca Mournings brought the issue of anti-semitism and the question of whether people are really able to change into play in such a way that I was left thinking about Eddie and Randolph long after I’d finished the book. If you want to experience a slightly non-traditional private investigator series that will not only entertain you but also give you serious food for thought, take a trip to Boca Raton with Eddie Perlmutter.
May 24, 2012
Boca Mournings is not quite as good as Boca Knights, but still an entertaining read. These are certainly not crime novels - far from it - Forman's books are a little too much on the feel-good side for that. But they are enjoyable none-the-less.
The lead character, Eddie Perlmutter, never answers questions seriously so he would probably be tough to get along with in real life. But the character has enough good qualities where it's not too difficult to get past his annoing quips.
In Boca Mournings Perlmutter is investigating multiple cases at once, so the story is never really focussed on one specific outcome/goal. The cases range from a young woman who cannot conceive to a dispute between residents of condo over elevator repairs. Not exactly hard-hitting stuff.
In Boca Mournings it's obvious that Forman is trying to make the case for same-sex unions/marriage, and yet his gay characters seen a bit too cliched for my tastes. I'm not gay, but if I were I don't think I would like the prissy, hand-slapping, sex-obsessed characters that Forman created for this story.
But again, I liked the novel. There's nothing wrong with sometimes reading a heartwarming story where everything ties up nicely in the end. I'll be reading Boca Daze soon, and part of me does hope that the cases tackled by Perlmutter are a little closer to actual crimes.
The lead character, Eddie Perlmutter, never answers questions seriously so he would probably be tough to get along with in real life. But the character has enough good qualities where it's not too difficult to get past his annoing quips.
In Boca Mournings Perlmutter is investigating multiple cases at once, so the story is never really focussed on one specific outcome/goal. The cases range from a young woman who cannot conceive to a dispute between residents of condo over elevator repairs. Not exactly hard-hitting stuff.
In Boca Mournings it's obvious that Forman is trying to make the case for same-sex unions/marriage, and yet his gay characters seen a bit too cliched for my tastes. I'm not gay, but if I were I don't think I would like the prissy, hand-slapping, sex-obsessed characters that Forman created for this story.
But again, I liked the novel. There's nothing wrong with sometimes reading a heartwarming story where everything ties up nicely in the end. I'll be reading Boca Daze soon, and part of me does hope that the cases tackled by Perlmutter are a little closer to actual crimes.
July 20, 2010
Eddie Pearlmutter is a retired Boston cop who moved to Boca Raton. In the previous book, he became known as the Boca Knight by facing down a band of neo-Nazis. He has started a detective agency and now lives with a Haitian woman he met in the previous book. Randolph Burford is on trial in this book for his part in the Aryan Army attempt to riot; Eddie works out a deal for Randolph and he ends up in Israel. Eddie works several deals in this book and makes many people's lives better. I enjoyed Eddie's optimism and ability to make people happy. I was less happy with his ongoing conversations with his penis, Mr. Johnson. Overall, an enjoyable book. I will continue to read this series.
January 13, 2013
This is the second book in the Boca Knight Series. I have now read one and two. I liked it, but didn't love it. It is very witty and the outcome was not what I expected, but I had fun getting to the end.
This allows the adult reader to learn what it feels like to be retired with time on your hands. You find a job and it takes up more of your time than you regular job did. There are a lot of quirky but likeable characters in these books. Even the Nazi haters are interesting. In a way, the Boca Knight could be my hero. He likes to save women in distress and really mess up those who are not.
I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars and will try to find the 3rd book in this series.
This allows the adult reader to learn what it feels like to be retired with time on your hands. You find a job and it takes up more of your time than you regular job did. There are a lot of quirky but likeable characters in these books. Even the Nazi haters are interesting. In a way, the Boca Knight could be my hero. He likes to save women in distress and really mess up those who are not.
I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars and will try to find the 3rd book in this series.
July 19, 2012
We just came from a week at Delray Beach up the coast from Boca. The owner of a bookstore "Murder on the Beach" recommended this book. It was a good buy. Enjoyed the humor. Loved it that the main character is not a "big" guy. You still be smart and crafty and tough with out being over 6 foot. Learning to love Boca Raton. Forman wove several diverse plot lines together and gave us some interesting characters. Ordered more.
June 1, 2010
I slogged my way through Boca Knights a couple of years ago, so when I picked this one up, I thought I was going to like it. WRONG! I forgot the unbearable jokes and puns that run through Forman's work, and I just could not put up with it again. Got through a few chapters and had to give it up after one terrible pun. Just couldn't work that hard to like it....
November 27, 2012
Eddie's a good guy: Jewish, ex-Boston cop "retired" to Boca Raton. My hero. Number two in the series, so it moves faster (and much lighter) through the story than Number one, which spent half the book establishing the central character. Keep writing, Mr. Forman - entertaining, especially if you know the geography.
August 21, 2013
Eddie continues to be a great retired hard boiled detective. This time he's taking on three cases at once. In addition to sharp dialogue and a beach-worthy readability, this time we've got three cases at once. They all get tied up in a nice neat bundle at the end, which is surprisingly rewarding.
November 14, 2010
Another hit by Steve Forman. This is a refreshing glimpse into how our hatred for each other is so petty and how humor can help us look at each other differently. Forman writes with wit and a truthfullness that makes you think. A must read!!
July 21, 2010
Parts of the book was real good, especially the trip to Israel. In an attempt at humor, parts of the book was real bad. The humor was on the immature male side.
July 27, 2011
Another fast, fun read about Eddie Perlmutter, the Boca Knight.
July 27, 2016
This was another GREAT read, I really enjoyed reading this book!
June 15, 2012
not as funny as the new one quick read
Read
September 4, 2017"Part Robert Parker, part Carl Hiaasen, Eddie Perlmutter is a high testosterone, no-nonsense detective with a tender core, and makes turning sixty a carnal, tropical ride." --Andrew Gross, bestselling author of The Blue Zone, on Boca Knights
Since he arrived in sunny Florida, Eddie has survived a run-in with the Russian mafia and tangled with Boca’s own family of neo-Nazis. But crime and punishment in the land of the Early Bird Special is complicated. The Russians have fled . . . but their evil lingers on; and though the neo-Nazis’ junior thug is guilty, punishing him is a lot more complicated than Eddie thought it would be when he caught the little creep harassing decent folks in the name of white supremacy. And that’s just Eddie’s unfinished business. Helped by a reformed computer conman, he’s busier with new cases than he was in Boston, ranging from a mysteriously haunted elevator to a double kidnapping. He’s got cases with trails as far as Russia and Israel. Retirement, my foot.
Good thing he didn’t retire from matters of the heart . . . because the women won’t let him. Between his amorous adventures and his burgeoning sleuth business, the twists and turns of Eddie’s life make this an edge-of-your-seat, uproariously funny thriller .
Didn't finish.
Since he arrived in sunny Florida, Eddie has survived a run-in with the Russian mafia and tangled with Boca’s own family of neo-Nazis. But crime and punishment in the land of the Early Bird Special is complicated. The Russians have fled . . . but their evil lingers on; and though the neo-Nazis’ junior thug is guilty, punishing him is a lot more complicated than Eddie thought it would be when he caught the little creep harassing decent folks in the name of white supremacy. And that’s just Eddie’s unfinished business. Helped by a reformed computer conman, he’s busier with new cases than he was in Boston, ranging from a mysteriously haunted elevator to a double kidnapping. He’s got cases with trails as far as Russia and Israel. Retirement, my foot.
Good thing he didn’t retire from matters of the heart . . . because the women won’t let him. Between his amorous adventures and his burgeoning sleuth business, the twists and turns of Eddie’s life make this an edge-of-your-seat, uproariously funny thriller .
Didn't finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews