Screenscam
A
Rep and Melissa Pennyworth Mystery
Michael
Bowen
Poisoned
Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-890208-91-4 (1890208914)
ISBN-13: 978-1-890208-91-2 (9781890208912)
Publication Date: October 2001
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Hoosier lawyer Rep Pennyworth faces the client from
hell. She is Charlotte Buchanan, author of And Done to
Others’ Harm, a mystery of no particular merit. Charlotte
contends the 1997 novel is the basis for the 1999 film Contemplation of
Death. She wants to sue. Rep would blow her off, but Charlotte is the
steely daughter of the CEO heading the firm’s major corporate
client, Tavistock, Ltd. Charlotte is resolute in demanding recognition.
Rep digs in, aided by his literature-addicted wife Melissa, and files
suit. By return mail comes a death threat, a grisly (and gristly)
version of “Hold Your Tongue.”
Research shows the film’s director to be Aaron Eastman,
Hollywood legend, whose Red Guard should have been a box office and
critical smash but fell oddly short. Eastman contends the Oscar
balloting was sabotaged. Now he’s on the comeback trail and
anxious not to derail. He and Rep talk and, bit by bit, the outline of
a bizarre scheme to destroy the credibility of Red Guard—and
Eastman—emerges ...
Review:
Michael Bowen introduces a new series character, Reppert "Rep"
Pennyworth, an Indiana-based lawyer, in Screenscam,
an entertaining if decidedly odd mystery.
The synopsis implies the plot may be a bit convoluted, but it's much
more than that. In addition to the intricate weaving of the corporate
takeover of Tavistock and manipulation of the film industry's highest
award, the FBI plays a role as does an organization that caters to
individuals who enjoy a good spanking. It's easy to lose track of the
various threads here, but in a way, it doesn't matter much ... it's a
fun book to read.
Bowen does a good job of making Rep, his wife Melissa, his employer and
his client, more than the one-dimensional caricatures they could easily
have been. This suggests the start of an interesting series for Rep
rather than a single mystery novel.
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Screenscam for this review.
Review Copyright © 2001 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Screenscam? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Screenscam
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2001
ISBN-10: 1-890208-91-4 (1890208914)
ISBN-13: 978-1-890208-91-2 (9781890208912)
Unforced
Error
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), April 2004
ISBN-10: 1-59058-109-1 (1590581091)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-109-4 (9781590581094)
Putting
Lipstick on a Pig
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), July 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59058-287-X (159058287X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-287-9 (9781590582879)
Shoot the Lawyer Twice
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-529-1 (1590585291)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-529-0 (9781590585290)
Service Dress Blues
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), September 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-667-0 (1590586670)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-667-9 (9781590586679)
Omnimystery
keywords for Screenscam
...
Location(s) referenced: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
