The Boy Who Never Grew Up

Stewart Hoag #5

by David Handler

This time, celebrity ghostwriter Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag is caught in the middle of the biggest, ugliest divorce war in Hollywood history. The tabloids are calling it the House of Wax. The public can't get enough of it. In one corner is Matthew Wax, reclusive millionaire director of five out of the top ten blockbusters in movie history. In the other is his breathtaking leading lady, Pennyroyal Brim--America's sweetheart. Pretty Penny wants their son, George ("Little Georgie"). She also wants Bedford Falls, her husband's failing movie studio; then again, so does one of the Japanese electronics giants. Penny has Abel Zorch, Hollywood's greatest attorney, on her team. And she has hired Cassandra Dee, publishing's sleaziest ghost, to help her with her tell-all memoir about life with Matthew. Matthew has no choice but to fire back with a memoir of his own. Hoagy is the weapon of choice.
The assignment takes our reluctant hero and his faithful, neurotic basset hound, Lulu, back out to Tinseltown, where the Santa Ana winds are blowing and some of the deadliest sharks in Hollywood are circling, all of them lusting for blood and money. It isn't long before Hoagy finds one of those sharks shot to death--and himself trying desperately to uncover the awful truth in a place where there is no such thing as the truth, where everything is possible and where nothing, but nothing, is real.
The Boy Who Never Grew Up is a delightfully, deliciously nasty inside look at the madness that is modern-day Hollywood from one of the mystery world's brightest young stars.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook

324 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

AKA Russell Andrews (with Peter Gethers)

David Handler, who began his career in New York as a journalist, was born and raised in Los Angeles and published two highly acclaimed novels about growing up there, Kiddo and Boss, before resorting to a life of crime fiction.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghostwriter to the stars extraordinaire Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag takes on a wunderkind director as his client — equal parts Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, and Bill Gates — in The Boy Who Never Grew Up, the fifth novel in the fabulous series. Matthew Wax, Hollywood’s hottest direct at just 38, simultaneously churns out blockbuster hit after blockbuster hit at his studio, Bedford Falls, but he doesn’t have the social skills or confidence of your average high-schooler. He prefers immersing himself in TV Land reruns or speeding around at a go-cart track to a night on the town in Hollywood. Even so, Wax had managed to marry the prettiest ingénue in Hollywood, petite, blonde, blue-eyed Pennyroyal Brim, a USC cheerleader Wax turned into a superstar. Wax thought his life was golden until 25-year-old Penny sues Wax for divorce, custody of their 6-month-old son, and half of Bedford Falls (her share coming to $150 million). Unlike in It’s a Wonderful Life, there doesn’t seem to be a way for a happy ending. Or is there?

Enter Stewart Hoag — dapper, erudite, debonair, and a first-class smart-aleck — who has taken on the assignment of helping Wax write his autobiography — one to compete with the tell-all that pretty Penny is writing. The battle of biographies is just one piece of a brutally messy divorce; scandalous tabloid headlines, a stormy affair between Penny and her erstwhile castmate, and Penny’s unscrupulous attorney, Abel Zorch, ups the ante in the divorce wars. When Zorch and his boy toy turn up dead, Hoagy takes on the additional task of unraveling who amongst the many people who had reason to hate Zorch actually pulled the trigger — all the while wise-cracking with the best of ’em in this intelligent and humorous cozy.

Readers will adore Hoagy’s sophisticate humor and sardonic wit. In addition, author David Handler delivers an incredible denouement that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I never guessed the villain — nor did I see the startling end coming. Highly, highly recommended.

[Conny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy and love this series, it is so much fun to read. I discovered David Handler by winning his latest book of the Stewart Hoag series at Goodreads, and then had to get all the other books that came before. You really don't need to read them in order to enjoy them which is always nice. It had plenty of mystery and drama, dry sense of humor and even a touch of romance and most importantly a good storyline and great characters, I might just be a bit partial to Lulu. Can't wait to see what will happen next, great fun and very entertaining.

[Brenda Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read from David Handler

I won’t bother with a synopsis, but I really enjoyed this book. Hoagy finds himself in a pickle (in more than one way) while doing a ghosting gig for a young director. As usual, things get out of hand, but he and Lulu survive the ordeal.

[Kay Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boy Who Never Grew Up takes Hoagy and Lulu (his eccentric and somewhat star struck basset hound) to Hollywood, to help a highly successful but socially inept director write his memoirs—that is, until people around him are murdered. Lulu takes a more active roll in this installment, helping to capture the killer. As usual, Handler sprinkles real characters of the early nineties through the Hollywood parties and events Hoagy and Lulu attend. A very enjoyable series.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoagie is hired by Matthew Wax, a Hollywood writer and director, to write his biography. Hoagie and Lulu fly out to LA to stay with this director and meet a considerable number of characters. Murders happen, Hoagie gets in the middle of Matthew’s divorce from his wife of 2 years and helps solve the murders. A great romp as only DH can ensure the reader enjoys the story. Looking forward to the next book.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painfully long and fairly gruesome in spots. I saw some reviews that complained about how long it took for the first murder to occur. I get that it was a REALLY slow start. But holy crap once they started the bodies really dropped...

[BRT · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Hoagie finds himself deep in dangerous secrets and bodily harm while ghost writing his latest. A film genius is splitting from his young starlet wife and the acrimony is deep but who is behind the lies? Good mystery, fun characters, witty dialogue, and name dropping.

[Araych · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stewart Hoag #5. Nobody gets murdered until almost halfway through the book, but it's still a cute light mystery set in Hollywood in the early 1990's. I like the series and I liked this one -- 3 stars.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book draws the reader in on the first page, and holds on to the end.

[rebecca O. webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read once you get past the dialogue that Handler repeats in every book. That what keeps me at three stars.

[Lynn Sinclair]

Couldn't get into it. I will try another of his books though.

[RustyShack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best so far; total buy-in/suspension of disbelief required, as usual.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great with all its cultural references. The mystery was good but the ending was great! Can't wait for the next book.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a disappointment, but not bad.

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the biggest Hollywood divorce in decades. Pennyroyal Brim, the dimpled leading lady, has left Matthew Wax, the director who made his first film at nineteen and has had more box office hits than any director working. Wax, known for his feel-good films like “Yeti” and “Badger Hays, All-American Boy,” has hired Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag, ghostwriter to the stars, to write his biography. The couple is fighting over Wax’s latest film, ownership of the motion picture studio, and custody of their little boy “Georgie.”
Clever dialogue and an insider’s look at the seamier parts of the movie business make this mystery as fun as a romp through the Hollywood back lots.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a ghost writer who is writing about a top direct whose star actress wife has left hem. Turns into murder mystery half way through. uses the classic mystery ending with the old all the characters in the room as he spells out the plot. The dog bit I found a bit annoying (he has a basset hound who he infuses with a personality).

[Traci Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a slow start to the book but boy did it finish big.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable entry in this series featuring ghost writer to the stars Stewart Hoag and his basset hound Lulu. Listened to the audio which was ably narrated by Sean Runnette.