Death Was in the Picture
Set in glamorous Hollywood deep in the Great Depression Era, just after the 1929 crash, this old-fashioned detective novel is the second featuring PI Dexter Theroux and his secretary-Girl Friday, Katherine (Kitty) Pangborn. Initially, Dex is retained to follow and observe a movie star. The target is arrested for the murder of a woman at the party at which Dex is observing him.
And in a twist, Dex drops the original client and now represents the movie star who hires him to find the real murderer. There are vivid descriptions of life during the Depression years, with shortages of money and food, as well as observations and background on the movie industry.
The author includes a couple of things this reader never knew, e.g., Los Angeles had a subway system in 1931, and while the infamous Hays Office was established with the help of the studios, it was ignored until strong-arm tactics forced compliance. The plot is well-told and -written, and lovers of the genre will not be disappointed.
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