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Star Struck Dead: A Lauren Atwill Mystery
by Sheila York
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Thorndike Press (2004-01-02)
ISBN: 0786261706
EAN: 9780786261703
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Hardcover: 386 pages
Edition: 1
SKU: H4794
Condition: New
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
When talented screenwriter Lauren Atwill wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there, it's more than enough to make her nervous. All she remembers is driving home from a hot Hollywood night spot. Before she can put the pieces of her shattered memory together, she's approached by a stranger who produces incriminating -- and compromising -- pictures. It's blackmail, pure and simple. With nowhere else to turn, Lauren needs the help of private eye Peter Winslow, who's as tough as he is debonair -- and who may be hiding some secrets of his own. Available only in Americana 5.
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Customer Reviews
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Dreadful
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-03-03
If there were a contest for worst Raymond Chandler wannabe, (and I think there is such a contest), then Sheila York would certainly be the winner. I believe someone had recommended it to me. If I can remember who it was, I will be sure to not take any more suggestions from them. As this book is out of print, I had to seek it out from one of the associated sellers. More effort than it was worth.
I have never written a bad review. But I feel an obligation, after devoting the time to have read this book to warn others not to waste their time.
I was in trouble from the get-go, with stilted dialogue, parlor settings and unbelievable situations. The plot, what there is of one, meanders along, seemingly without end. One thing I will give Ms. York credit for-- she did utilize Chandler's axiom that when the action and or plot gets bog down, throw in a corpse. There are far too many people dying for no reason. And there are characters that are , to be kind, incidental, confusing, by their names, aliases and nicknames. The lawyer Sheridan, referred to as Sherry stands out in my mind, but then again, so does Sudsy. Yes-- a character named Sudsy!
The pool party scenes, the heroine's house in Pasadena, the nigihtclub-- I kept visualizing this as a scratchy black and white movie with Magaret Dumont and the cast of characters in a Marx Brothers movie.
Ms. York admits on her website that she was unfamiliar with Los Angeles, and it shows. From the gambling joint in Topanga Canyon to the 101 freeway (in the 40's!), she is clueless. Authenticity is one of the keys of the genre. In most crime fiction that takes place in Los Angeles, the city is one of the characters. The references feel like she did some research, but didn't know Bunker Hill from Holmby Hills. I do have to say that Ms. York wrote with authority regarding handguns. Considering her character is a screenwriter, she seems to know way too much on the subject.
I'm still trying to figure out why the heroine so lightly forgave the detective for posing on top of her in the blackmail scheme-- one of the sinister plots, along with crooked cops, heroin, smut films and evil movie extras. Another great bit is when our heroine is in the midst of a life and death criminal investigation and she decides to go hit some tennis balls. Hmmm. She makes a point of making breakfast and not eating it, leaving hospital rooms at will, etc. And, toward the end, she casually throws the name "Siegel" in the book, in the context of gambling in the city. Well, I know she meant Bugsy and maybe others know... but (a) what is he doing here and (b)why no explanation of the reference or even use of the first name. It is presumptuous and meaningless.
If this book is supposed to be taken as serious crime fiction, it completely misses the mark. If it is supposed to be a light fun-filled romp, well, the stack of stiffs kind of makes it otherwise. Neither fish nor fowl, it just stinks.
Although the book is out of print, it amazes me it even got that far. Star Struck Dead reminds me why Raymond Chandler is held in the high esteem he is. Imitation is somtimes not the sincerest form of flattery.
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Like pineapple curry
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-04-10
Hot & spicy, tangy, with just enough sweetness. I just re-read this one and can't believe the sequel didn't make it to print. What happened??
I've read quite a bit of neo-noir recently and most of it is sad, dirty, and depressing (however well written). This one has enough wit and romance to keep it fun, while delivering a dark and suspenseful storyline.
The heroine is a real standout: smart, resourceful, and self-aware. The hero is just mysterious enough to keep us guessing about his true motivations, and the supporting cast ranges from Hollywood cast-offs to the top of high society.
I hope a new publisher decides to take a chance on a reprint edition, and follow up with the sequel (a chapter of which appears at the end of this paperback original). Some new cover art would be a good idea, too.
Definitely a keeper!
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Literate mystery with vivid characters & strong atmosphere
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-12-04
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
The theme is blackmail in 1940s Hollywood, where appearances are everything and no one cares what you're doing as long as it doesn't become public knowledge.
The heroine is a strong-minded, intelligent woman who suddenly finds herself the victim of ruthless blackmailers. What they don't count on is that this is a woman who refuses to be a victim and will fight back just as ruthlessly.
York has written a wonderfully literate mystery, rich in setting and characterization. The characters are vivid and very believable, and the atmosphere created makes you feel like you've gone back in time and space to Hollywood in the late 1940s.
Be prepared -- once you start reading, you won't want to put it down!
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Philip Marlowe is Reborn...
Rating (5)
Date: 2004-04-27
I believe that "Star Struck Dead" is Sheila York's first novel. It is a terrific one! Think of a mystery that takes you back in time to Hollywood's golden era of the 1940's... The year is 1946, the place is "TinselTown," and Lauren Atwill has had enough. Separated from gorgeous matinee idol, Franklin Atwill, Lauren knows that she is no longer willing to endure his countless infidelities. Waking up, bruised and scraped from the ill-effects of the night before, Lauren discovers herself in a hospital room. She is baffled as to why anyone would have abducted her on her way home. Her jewelry and money have been taken, but she has not been harmed physically - only drugged. When she receives compromising photos of herself, she learns that she is just one of the many victims of a blackmailing gang. In a town where careers are broken like hearts, Lauren hooks up with streets smart, private eye - Peter Winslow to discover who is behind these incriminating setups. The plot is complex, but so refreshingly solid that few readers will see this ending coming! Now, imagine a writer that can style her writing to that sort of "Raymond Chandlerish" use of deadpan humor. ["A few women in very short skirts and very high heels were walking in pairs up and down the pavement...They were probably just waiting for their husbands."]Wow! Sheila York is great at this. Her descriptive use of truly unique metaphors(?) only adds to her brand of writing. Some phrases were so good that they just amazed me. "Except for the soft brushing of the wind in the eucalyptus, it was quiet." I have a feeling that Laura Atwill is going to be one of my favorite characters. I hope that York is hard at work!
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This book should be a contender for an award
Rating (5)
Date: 2004-04-14
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book made me want to go back and read mysteries from the era that this story was set in -- the period just after World War II has ended. The setting is Hollywood, and McCarthyism is just starting to rear its ugly head. The "heroine/detective" is Lauren Atwell, a screenwriter who is independently wealthy and separated from her famous actor husband. It is a time when a separated woman can go to parties with someone other than her husband but wouldn't dare be caught in the act of adultery -- she'd lose everything financially and socially. The theme of the mystery is blackmail in Hollywood, where appearances are everything and no-one cares what you're doing as long as it doesn't become public knowledge. The blackmailers first attempt to blackmail Lauren, and although she is not susceptible, from that she begins to suspect that some of the Hollywood crowd she knows are also being blackmailed. There are a series of murders somehow related to the blackmail. Lauren gets involved in trying to sort this mess out before someone she cares about gets falsely accused of murder. What's not to like? Well,frankly, the plot was so complicated that after a while, I was having a very hard time keeping it all straight -- trying to remember who someone was, or what had been said fifty pages ago that was being referred to. You'd need to take notes, I found myself thinking, to sort it all out. What's to like? Although complicated, the plot is impeccable; the characters for the most part not only vivid and interesting, but likeable; and the atmosphere created makes you feel like you've gone back in time and space to Hollywood in the late 40s. The quality of writing is excellent -- it's a very literate book. This is the kind of mystery that creates a mood and that you can hardly wait to get back to. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I expect this book to pick up some awards, like an Edgar.
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