Murder in Focus

Johnson Johnson #4

by Dorothy Dunnett

Murder In Focus is the fourth in Dorothy Dunnett's series of suspense novels about Johnson Johnson, distinguished portrait painter and member of British Intelligence. It is as exciting and witty as its predecessors and its snapshot of Rome and the International jet set provides an extra, dizzy dimension.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Italy, Crime, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller

307 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Dorothy Dunnett OBE was a Scottish historical novelist. She is best known for her six-part series about Francis Crawford of Lymond, The Lymond Chronicles, which she followed with the eight-part prequel The House of Niccolò. She also wrote a novel about the real Macbeth called King Hereafter and a series of mystery novels centered on Johnson Johnson, a portrait painter/spy.

Her New York times obituary is here.

Dorothy Dunnett Society: http://dorothydunnett.org
Fansite: http://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/

Reviews

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astronomy, they say, is the safest of all professions.

Dorothy Dunnet sets out to convince us of the contrary in this fourth episode of the Johnson Johnson mystery series. Mixing elements of classic whodunit murder investigation, classic screwball comedies and Cold War espionage thrillers, the author takes us on a wild ride around Rome and, later, on a sailing trip to the south of the peninsula. The Starry Bird from the title is the personable young astronomer Ruth Russell who finds herself mixed up in a complex/crazy plot to recover a set of fashion photographs stolen from her boyfriend's Leica.

I have nothing, even yet, against bifocal glasses. I know some nice poufs and a couple of stockbrokers and a man who keeps a horn moustache comb in his jumpsuit. I'm a girl who doesn't shock easily.
Or so I thought until I first met Johnson Johnson, which was outside the Rome zoo in November.

We have met the double-J in previous episode, always a slick customer. A stinking rich British socialite and famous painter, with a forgettable face and unfashionable clothes, traipsing around the world's most fashionable tourist spots aboard his yacht "Dolly". Here he is in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope. Or is he?

Johnson makes it a habit of his to save damsels in distress, a different one in each episode, which makes it easy to jump into the series at random points. Except that his Birds are not your usual dumb blonde bombshells we have come to expect from screwball comedies. They are highly skilled professionals with strong wills and a wicked sense of humour. ( 'Do I look,' I said rather crankily, 'like a weak-minded female?' ) Something that we can be thankful for in any Dorothy Dunnett book, as they tend to be not only highly entertaining but also smart and progressive without becoming preachy.

"The Struggling for Knowledge hath a Pleasure in it like that of Wrestling with a Fine Woman"

Johnson Johnson quotes here the late Marquess of Halifax (whoever he or she was?), but I will refrain myself from imparting knowledge about the improbable plot that includes an old movie star holding court in the hills above Rome, night chases around the astronomy observatory, car chases, fashion show, explosive balloons, use of mild drugs and a lot of alcohol, bodies hidden in freezers, an exploration of Castel San'Angelo, of Capri and Taormina and several other islands in the sun. Even if more than once the plot seemed to be built around a tourist guide to Italy, I didn't mind because Dunnett could make even reading a phone book funny, and because I have visited recently a lot of the places described in the novel, and it was a thrill to be able to follow the heroes through familiar vistas.

If a Roman junction during one of the four normal rush hours is suicide, a Roman junction while the traffic lights are off resembles nothing so much as a herd of myopic rhinoceroses meeting eye to eye with a herd of dim-witted elephants and attempting to copulate.

All in all, an excellent beach read, highly recommended because reading could and should be a fun endeavour, not reserved exclusively to manic depressive, gloomy realism. I look forward to continue with the series, hopefully on my next tourist escape.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

These mysteries, what will all the wonderful characters, action, humor, and romance, would make wonderful movies. This one, maybe because its set in Italy, forcefully reminds me of The Tourist. In a good way.

In this book the protagonist is astronomer Ruth Russell, doing a research stint in Rome. She's wry, witty, and just pretty darn fun to hang out with.

The cast of characters are weighted heavily toward academics, most of them being the type of people we all recognize from studies abroad. Johnson seemed to have just as much fun romping with academics and artists as he does with upper-society types. These books are well-written, elegantly plotted, always keep me guessing, and a whole lot of fun. Also, I love the way Dunnett deals with heroines at the ends of books. In that she doesn't feel everyone has to be happily coupled up.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 reread: 3.5*
Despite having read this book a couple of times before, I couldn't remember who was trustworthy (other than Johnson Johnson himself, of course). A good exemplar of the 'innocent person caught up in espionage plot' type book (which I like).

Also known as Dolly and the Starry Bird. Good suspense/mystery tale and the main character Johnson Johnson is fun, but not the same caliber of writing as Dunnett's historical fiction.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I certainly had no idea whodunit. Having read Dunnett's historical fiction, it was fun to see her weave the same kinds of many-layered characters and plots into a mystery. And, use the same techniques to keep readers in the dark!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth, an Englishwoman in Rome, heads the Frazer Observatory. That sounds glamorous, but it has a staff of two. The glamour comes from her boyfriend the marquis's son and their friend the daughter of a rich Italian prince. They all run with the yachting crowd.

But something has gone wrong. Ruth and Charles, lunching at the Rome Zoological Gardens, are being followed by a pair of sinister men, one of whom gets his head blown off. From there it's a chase through Italy and across the Mediterranean, much of it in Dunnett's best rollicking tone. An uncivilized group, or maybe groups, want pictures from whichever camera Charles has been using. They are befriended by a famous artist blessed with remarkable timing, the unlikely name of Johnson Johnson, and a yacht named Dolly.

I treasure Dorothy Dunnett's style. Here's an author who knows how to write detail into a chase:
Halfway across, he glanced around and saw us and, spinning around, started off, fast, in another direction. Two Fiats, an Alfa Romeo and a Mercedes-Benz allowed him to pass and met, uncontrollably, in his absence. There was a bang, followed by a quartet of long, tinny rattles. Mr. Paladrini, in a burst of imperishable speed, nipped onto the pavement and vanished down a flight of steps signposted SOTTO PASSAGGIO PEDONALE, followed by an erratic file of afflicted motorists, a number of bystanders, two carabinieri, and us.

And some more whimsies that delight me:
Every observatory is round and has spiral staircases. That is why astronomers go everywhere in single file with their elbows tucked in.

There was the grinding noise of a number of people changing their minds.

The pebble glasses turned on the bifocal spectacles in a dazzling encounter of vitrines.

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fell into the trap. I judged a book by the author (not the cover) I found and bought a book by a author I liked and expected to like the book too.

I suspect most people have read these crime books based on their love of her historicals. Dolly and the Starry Bird was not great. Which tells me (I'm not a Dunster.... Not a starry eyed fan) the author had a special formula when she wrote the Lymond Chronicles.... Still she was a great writer.

These crime novels (I read two) were books of her time, and not timeless crime novels.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike her historicals, I found Dunnett's mysteries to be uninteresting. This is the only one I read, so maybe I'm missing something. I was always resentful of the time she took to write these...

[Runningrabbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is my very favourite Dorothy Dunnett. Witty, groovy, charming, and a great mystery story. Fabulous - I absolutely love the characters.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

International intrigue mixed with Beadeker's guide to Rome!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Oh noes! This one was sad!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roman Nights was a great addition to the Johnson Johnson series. I just did not see the twist at the end at all! Loved the characters and the mystery. Highly recommended.

[Andrea]

A good deal less annoying than the previous outing. Interesting to have an astronomer main character (though the astronomy worked mainly as a setting, and several infodumps at the beginning).

[Genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting story buried under a narrative voice I found very hard to deal with. Will read another in the series to see if it works better for me.

[Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love this series and really wish she had written more Johnson Johnson books.

[Duffy Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this solely because Dunnett wrote it and I saw it in a used book shop. I was vaguely aware that she had written a mystery series, but I know her from her large historical fiction series: Lymond Chronicles and The House of Niccolo. Based on those, I was more than willing to give this a try.

I'd been excepting something like a British drawing room mystery, and this isn't it. It's way more chaotic and comes across as part mystery and part spoof, maybe. The situation and the characters are all kind of preposterous. There is the portrait painter, Johnson Johnson, who also seems to be something of an unflappable James Bond type. Then there are several jet setting people who seem to do nothing but party, snipe at each other, and behave in promiscuous ways. There is a playwright/producer who is now semi-retired but who seems to set up his entire surroundings as a play for his own amusement. There is a mad scientist who has created an incubator within an astronomy observatory, but nobody has any idea what he is trying to do with it.

The story involves a couple of guys who steal a camera from the narrator and her boyfriend while they are at the zoo. The get chased into a bathroom, where one of them gets his head blown off. It later turns out that it was from an exploding balloon. Turns out they got the wrong camera, so later they search the observatory where the narrator works, and a guy ends up dead in the observatory freezer. And from there, more chaos ensues.

Dunnett is great at plotting, so everything ultimately gets explained in satisfactory ways. And the book is fun and kind of engaging. But ultimately I thought all the people were so silly that I simply couldn't care who were the good guys and who were the killers. They were all quite awful, except perhaps the narrator, and even with her I'm not so sure.

If I stumble into another of these Johnson Johnson books, I will probably pick it up. But I doubt I will ever go out of my way to acquire one. It was decidedly middle of the road and nowhere near as good as any of her historical books.

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Roman Nights by Dorothy Dunnett is my favourite Dolly mystery so far- a little less complicated than the earlier book but still zany.
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion.
Ruth Russell is the heroine, an astronomer and remains happily unwed to her photographer boyfriend gets caught up in strange events when someone tries to steal a camera. I found, by the end of the book, I still had very little idea about Ruth or her life which is complete contrast to the larger-than-life heroines from the previous book. Ruth came across an ordinary young woman trying her best to manage the situation she found, and perhaps because of this, I find her the most relatable and sympathetic Dolly heroine.
The plot and action is a little easier to follow compared to the previous book but still packs a lot in it’s slim page count- we are talking dangerous balloons, bodies in freezers, trigger happy policeman, unhinged ex-girlfriends to name a few of the plot twists. In fact, I will never look at red and blue balloons the same way again.
Even though this isn’t the first book in the Dolly series either chronologically or by date of publication, I think this would be great introduction to Dorothy Dunnet’s fiction. Roman Nights is more accessible read of Dunnett’s remarkable ability to write complex plots, with enigmatic heroes, plenty of twists and action all of which are set in some exotic and gorgeous locations.

[Curlemagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this, and the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that I think it was about 25 pages too long. One too many plot twists that made me dizzy, even though the ultimate murderer reveal was very satisfying. And some of the rich bitch jet set antics palled after a while, even though that was clearly the point.

Dunnett must have had a blast researching astronomy for this book, and I love that her 1970s heroines all have careers AND active sex lives and don't feel the need to apologize for either one. All of the "obituary verse" doggerel poetry is hilarious. I know Dunnett's work best from the Lymond Chronicles, where that kind of clever wordplay impresses because of her depth of knowledge regarding Tudor references -- here it impresses because it's more obvious that witty rhyming is her party trick. And what a trick!

Copying out one of my favorite paragraphs, just to keep:

At the next table, a middle-aged lady with long, shining fingernails poured a little cream delicately into her sauce and held it under her bosom. A miniature white poodle attired in a black knitted tube lie a sock emerged from the overhang and began to lap with a scrap of pink tongue. She conversed with it, in miniature Italian. (p.111)

The overhang! Miniature Italian! She destroys you with the casual wit, every time.

[Mint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I like it more when a mystery book makes it possible for me to guess along or totally impossible to guess even though every piece of information is laid down in full view, like this book. It's a good thing that I rate a book after I finish. If I were to rate this book after every quarter of the book and average the ratings, it would've been lower than this. Being the second type, my reading experience of this book can feel tedious to the point of excruciating at times, like walking through a haunted house with blindfold and earmuffs, so you get a sense of creeping horrors but never know what is going on. (Of course, this may also be because I'm too stupid to extract the important information out of all the details of Italy's architecture and food and whatnot.) But what this means is also that the revelation left me gaping in awe. It's very emotional, cathartic, and tilts my vague understanding of the story 180 degrees.

I don't know how Dorothy Dunnett always manages to do this in every book, but it's the reason I always come back for another story, and she never disappoints.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maurice had style, panache, courtship, indeed adulation. Johnson had more woolly jerseys, and the recognition due to his profession. If you discerned in his anything remarkable, he forced you to recognise it with the eye of the intellect. [p. 173]

First published in 1973, later reissued under the title Roman Nights. For my summary of the premise of the Dolly series, see my review of Dolly and the Nanny Bird .

The competent young professional woman here is Ruth Russell, an astronomer working in Rome. Her fiance Charles is a fashion photographer: one day his camera is stolen. And hemlines are big business, says the scruffy-looking portrait-painter they meet outside the zoo, who claims to be in Rome to paint the Pope.

Cue nuclear espionage, a fleeing balloon-seller, an elderly movie star holding court in a Roman villa, a savage ex-fiancee, a lady astronomer [sic], and a wholly inexplicable sub-plot about Ruth being encouraged to go on a diet.

This novel felt more dated than others in the series: that may be because it was published earlier, or it may be that Dunnett never connected with the 'astronomy' setting in the way she did with film makeup, opera, nannying ... I didn't warm to Ruth, and she felt less effectual than other Dolly-series heroines. She's competent, all right, but we don't get much of a glimpse into her professional life: it doesn't seem to provide her with much satisfaction either. Possibly one of my least favourites of the series: I've certainly read it at least twice before, and remembered nothing at all about the plot or the characters. Still, even Dunnett's worst is better than some authors' best.

[Christina Veldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Johnson Johnson series, like most Dorothy Dunnett novels, are difficult to get into and understand. However, for me, I find the end result most rewarding, and this crime story being no different. The ending was a real surprise, but that for me wasn't what was most interesting. As usual, it was the portrayal and the dissection of Johnson Johnson himself that was most thought-provoking.

[Kate McDougall Sackler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining romp mystery written in the 70s. Lots of action, misogyny, and told from the perspective of a “bird”. Very James Bond. Did not solve the mystery myself!
2022 reading challenge-a book with a language or nationality in the title

[Avril · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in the year I was born, so some of the contemporary slang went completely over my head. Or was that just Dunnett’s elliptical writing style? Still, challenging and enjoyable.

[David Chess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of fun, light British decadent-but-proper murder-mystery of (Bohemian) manners. Nice beach or airplane read.

[Amanda Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time reading this series, I love the language and the twists and turns. Is it me or is Johnson Johnson becoming more human?

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the idea of sailing around the Tyrrhenian sea on a private yacht, visiting the islands of Ischia, Lipari, Taormina and Capri as the guest of a world-famous portrait painter who is also a British secret agent, you will love Roman Nights. Because this is the latest of the Dolly novels – Dorothy Dunnett’s humorous crime series - the voyage is not the dreamy idyll its itinerary suggests. This is an action thriller with hand-to-hand fighting, bacchanalian carousing and a passionate love story. The background to the adventure is the changing sea and the beauty of the islands.
Like all Dunnett’s humorous novels, Roman Nights is narrated by a brave and clever young woman who aims to solve a crime which has hurt someone she loves. Ruth Russell is an astronomer who studies the stars from the Maurice Frazer Observatory in Rome. She lives with Charles Digham, a fashion photographer who works with top models like sultry Diana Minicucci. When Charles’ camera, containing pictures of the new season’s designs, is stolen at the zoo, he and Ruth chase the thief and find him in the toletta - minus his head. At first it looks as if competition between couture houses is getting out of hand. Then Johnson Johnson, who is in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope, makes it clear that more is at stake than the latest skirt lengths.
After Ruth and Johnson Johnson find hidden messages with details and times of future meetings, fashionistas from Charles’ world mix with scientists and academics from Ruth’s to pursue the mysterious villains across the waves. Along the way they find time to sightsee, party and dress to kill. Roman Nights is packed from start to finish with wit, action and red herrings. It was first published in 1973, so when Ruth sets out on her adventures, she cannot rely on technology to get her out of trouble. I think this adds to the suspense in the story.

I was given an advance review copy in return for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve really been enjoying the Dolly Mysteries series and this instalment does not disappoint! Originally, published in 1973 as the 4th novel in the series, Roman Nights is now the 5th in the new chronological order.
As with the other books in the series, we have a new female narrator team up with the enigmatic portrait painter and secret British agent, Johnson Johnson. This time it is the turn of astronomer, Ruth Russell, to tell the story of their crime fighting adventure, as ever, featuring Johnson’s yacht Dolly.

One thing I’ve noticed about most of the other Dolly mysteries, is they take a little while to get going; there tends to be a fair amount of exposition before we get to the action. Not so in this book! It really starts with a bang!

The first chapter features a tense chase through the Rome Zoological Gardens, which ends in the grisly discovery of a thief without a head. At this point Ruth meets Johnson and their adventure really begins.

The rest of the novel is filled with all the things I’ve come to expect from a Dolly mystery; a strong, sassy and smart female narrator; a great cast of characters/suspects, this time mostly academics; some fantastic action scenes; red herrings and plot twists a plenty; vivid descriptions of setting, this time a range of glamorous locations around Italy, which made me yearn to go back for another visit; and Dunnett’s deliciously subtle humour.

One of my favourite quotes this time: “Every observatory is round with spiral staircases. That is why astronomers go everywhere in single file with their elbows tucked in, which is quite comfortable, except in bed sometimes.”

I’m really looking forward to the last two novels in this terrific series.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here I am again....with book 5 in the Dolly Mysteries series. I've been so lucky to be able to review these books over the last few months and have read all 4 of the previous books in this series - Tropical Issue, Rum Affair, Ibiza Surprise and Operation Nassau. I'm so pleased that I've been able to read this series in order and to continue the journey so far (with book 6 coming in October and book 7 in November!)

We all know the routine now - with a leading lady caught up in a mystery that needs to be solved and the meeting and partnering up with Johnson to help solve the issue.

The setting for this book is Rome and how wonderful it was to explore this amazing city throughout this story. I absolutely love the descriptive writing that goes on beneath the main storylines which really take you on a journey around each place setting. Rome is on my bucket list of places to visit so this was a great introduction to and reminder of why I have to visit one day.

I love that our lead in this book, Ruth, was an astronomer. All our leading ladies have been super strong characters and it is really refreshing to read this knowing that these books were originally written decades ago - Dorothy was definitely ahead of her time!

Another brilliant read and I can't wait to get stuck into book 6 and see where we'll be exploring next.

[Tyler Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me a mystery!

Dorothy really had me hooked with this action packed story revolving around stolen photographs and an astronomer who will stop at nothing to get them back.

Right from the start I loved the fmc in this book she's a strong and sassy character that really makes this read interesting, you can't help but want to go on this adventure with her.The story is told from her solely from her POV which was refreshing and an aspect that I enjoyed. Johnson is also a character you wont be able to forget about anytime soon after reading this novel.

This book is not only packed with suspense and mystery but also amazing humour that leaves this book feeling like a cosy mystery rather than a super serious suspense mystery(which I loved). This was such and easy and enjoyable read for me. The plot was captivating and unique and the author did an amazing job of making me feel like I was in Rome with the main characters. This was an action packed read and you get to jump right in on it from the first chapter so there's never a dull moment while reading.

I now want to read the rest of Dorothys mystery books!

[Paula Learmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book Five in 'A Dolly Mystery Series' and I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first Four Books in this great series. The story begins with a chase through Rome Zoological Gardens, but it's not just any old chase, we end with a corpse, the only problem is, it has no head. Johnson Johnson a secret agent, along with Dolly his yacht are in Rome, Johnson is there to do a painting of the Pope. Johnson might be there for his painting but as always he ends up helping the leading lady, Ruth. Ruth in trying to get her lover and photographers Charles Digham's camera back, but what is on the camera that someone is worth killing for? I felt like I was on the adventure and journey around some beautiful places that Ruth and Johnson took to find the clues they needed to get the camera back. This book has everything you want in a mystery, adventure, action, a great plot, twists, as well as red herrings and of course humour. I can't wait until I read Book Six

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to this series recently and have become so taken by it. It has a clever flow to the story, with lots of description. The excellent level of detail really brings the story to life. I always love the names of the characters as they definitely make the story have that crime solving feel, like the names in some of the old detective films and shows.
I also particularly love the main character and her ways that she happens across both a mystery and someone who just might be able to help. This book has a particularly good way of taking us through a clever journey, from the moment the camera is stolen, right until we find just what is actually going on.
Overall a brilliant book and one I am glad to have read. I am really enjoying this series!