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Jacob Singer #8
The Marlene Dietrich Murder Case
New Year's Eve, 1931: Marlene Dietrich, as the reigning queen of Hollywood, sees fit to throw a royal bash in order to show off her legendary legs - and her secret-recipe potato pancakes. Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, and Jean Harlow are only a few of the luminaries who grace Marlene's star-studded guest list, and an astrologer's warning of danger serves only to heighten the Blue Angel's spirits. The only danger Marlene foresees avoiding is Groucho Marx after a bit too much revelry.
The danger, however, centers upon the astrologer herself, who upstages her hostess with a dire prediction about a new world war - and is subsequently murdered. But while death may be a show-stopper in some houses, it makes Marlene a detective for the prosecution.
Marlene is convinced that the culprit lies among the astrologer's clientele of show-biz greats and political heavies, and with Dietrich determination, the screen siren takes on Hollywood gossips, European power brokers, and Nazi sympathizers in order to find a star-crossed killer. In the barbed and wickedly witty style for which he is known, George Baxt has brought Marlene Dietrich to life in all her riveting charm, lively humor, and hausfraulich love of cooking.
The danger, however, centers upon the astrologer herself, who upstages her hostess with a dire prediction about a new world war - and is subsequently murdered. But while death may be a show-stopper in some houses, it makes Marlene a detective for the prosecution.
Marlene is convinced that the culprit lies among the astrologer's clientele of show-biz greats and political heavies, and with Dietrich determination, the screen siren takes on Hollywood gossips, European power brokers, and Nazi sympathizers in order to find a star-crossed killer. In the barbed and wickedly witty style for which he is known, George Baxt has brought Marlene Dietrich to life in all her riveting charm, lively humor, and hausfraulich love of cooking.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
George Baxt
54 books19 followersGeorge Baxt, the US playwright, scriptwriter and novelist, in New York City, USA.
He began his career as a radio announcer, an actors' agent, and television scriptwriter. He claimed that as an actors' agent he threw James Dean out of his office because he needed a bath. George Baxt's career developed into scriptwriting cult horror films. He made a contribution to The Abominable Dr Phibes, although it was uncredited. His first novel A Queer Kind of Death, (1966), introduced the detective Pharoah Love who was the first in the genre to be both black and openly gay. The novel was very well received and marked the start of a new career in writing. Two further Pharoah Love novels soon appeared and were widely regarded as superior to the first. Nearly three decades passed before the final outings of Pharoah Love in two novels.
Meanwhile George Baxt introduced the detective duo Sylvia Plotkin and Max van Larsen, but these were soon abandoned and several non-series novels were produced. Starting with The Dorothy Parker Murder Case, George Baxt then began to use his knowledge of Hollywood life by using celebrities as characters in a series of detective novels.
He died following complications after heart surgery.
Interesting obituary here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obi...
He began his career as a radio announcer, an actors' agent, and television scriptwriter. He claimed that as an actors' agent he threw James Dean out of his office because he needed a bath. George Baxt's career developed into scriptwriting cult horror films. He made a contribution to The Abominable Dr Phibes, although it was uncredited. His first novel A Queer Kind of Death, (1966), introduced the detective Pharoah Love who was the first in the genre to be both black and openly gay. The novel was very well received and marked the start of a new career in writing. Two further Pharoah Love novels soon appeared and were widely regarded as superior to the first. Nearly three decades passed before the final outings of Pharoah Love in two novels.
Meanwhile George Baxt introduced the detective duo Sylvia Plotkin and Max van Larsen, but these were soon abandoned and several non-series novels were produced. Starting with The Dorothy Parker Murder Case, George Baxt then began to use his knowledge of Hollywood life by using celebrities as characters in a series of detective novels.
He died following complications after heart surgery.
Interesting obituary here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obi...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 15, 2020
Excellent; Continuing character: Celebrity Murder series; when a psychic is murdered at a party held by Marlene Dietrich, the police work with her to solve the conspiracy that resulted in the death; reminds one of the Toby Peters books of Kaminsky
October 9, 2022
The book is wrongly characterized here - there's no Jacob Singer in it. A murder takes place at Marlene Dietrich's New Year's Eve party. A lot of movie stars from the period have walk-ons. The mystery is adequate but not that interesting and the motive didn't make sense.
September 28, 2010
To usher in 1932, mega-film star Marlene Dietrich invites all of Hollywood to celebrate New Year’s Eve at her home. Her guests are treated to food, alcohol, live music, and dancing while they await their hostess’s grand entrance. Shortly after Marlene sweeps down the staircase, at approximately eleven p.m., the evening’s main entertainment is set to begin. Marlene has invited the famed astrologer Mai Mai Chu.
Mai Mai’s predictions are ominous: several impending disasters such as “an ocean liner will catch fire and sink,” “an airship will explode and burn,” “a terrible second world war,” and the child of an American hero will be kidnapped and murdered. Most of the Hollywood elite are shocked and disturbed by Madame Chu’s prognostications. One group of seven is extremely interested in Madame Chu and the astrologer returns their fascination.
Madame Chu relaxes for a moment during her performance to sip on a glass of champagne. She immediately dies. The crowd is sequestered until the coroner arrives, and each guest can be questioned.
As the New Year approaches, Marlene, with her dear friend and fellow actress Anna May Wong, are invited to sit in on the interviews led by Detective Herb Villion and his assistant Jim Mallory. Before the year is a day old, the butler who served Madame Chu the glass of bubbly is found stabbed in the back. The two experts and the two novices team to discover who killed two seemingly innocent people before more bodies are found.
Mai Mai’s predictions are ominous: several impending disasters such as “an ocean liner will catch fire and sink,” “an airship will explode and burn,” “a terrible second world war,” and the child of an American hero will be kidnapped and murdered. Most of the Hollywood elite are shocked and disturbed by Madame Chu’s prognostications. One group of seven is extremely interested in Madame Chu and the astrologer returns their fascination.
Madame Chu relaxes for a moment during her performance to sip on a glass of champagne. She immediately dies. The crowd is sequestered until the coroner arrives, and each guest can be questioned.
As the New Year approaches, Marlene, with her dear friend and fellow actress Anna May Wong, are invited to sit in on the interviews led by Detective Herb Villion and his assistant Jim Mallory. Before the year is a day old, the butler who served Madame Chu the glass of bubbly is found stabbed in the back. The two experts and the two novices team to discover who killed two seemingly innocent people before more bodies are found.
September 25, 2008
I love classic movies, and I've heartily enjoyed several with Marlene Dietrich. So, I had hoped that I would also enjoy this book. Sigh. It was not to be. Baxt uses a rickety plot as an excuse to mash together some mildly scandalous (and I do me mildly scandalous) details about 1930s Hollywood. The book doesn't even seem that well researched. The plot is ridiculous. Dietrich throws a New Years party, where the astrologist Mai Mai Chu is murdered. Then the detective Herb Villion for some reason decides to let Dietrich and her friend and fellow actress Anna May Wong help with the investigation. That seemed highly irregular. And then we sorta kinda find out about some international conspiracy bigger than Hitler. None of the characters are believable, and the writing is really choppy. If you like Marlene, this is only marginally readable. Otherwise, avoid it.
June 21, 2009
Dreadful. I read something by Baxt years ago, something involving gays and lots of arch humour as I recall, but I don't remember it being *bad*. This is bad, horrible in fact - a few limp puns, a lot of clunkety dialogue, the only purpose of which seems to be to show off how much Baxt knows about Hollywood in the 30's. Marlene Dietrich is a main character and speaks often, yet I had to strain mightily to hear her voice - nothing about her dialogue sounded like Dietrich in particular, it was just bland generic Mystery Story. There was no suspense about the ending, no mystery about the mystery. Putrid.
August 26, 2012
Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, Anna May Wong and a murder. What more could a girl ask for? I found this book by accident and couldn't resist the title. I'm very glad I didn't. New Year's Eve 1932 and a psychic gets murdered at an party at Marlene's house. She hooks up with Det. Herbert Villon to unmask the murderer among a suspicious group who include a munitions magnate, a social climbing countess, a wanna be movie producer, a french actor and a chinese violinist. A well written, light book that will be thoroughly enjoyable for anyone, like me, who love the old movies and the glamour of old Hollywood.
February 23, 2017
<3
(it's not a Jacob Singer case though. The detective in this one is Herb Villon. But he's just as good and witty.)
(it's not a Jacob Singer case though. The detective in this one is Herb Villon. But he's just as good and witty.)
March 25, 2014
great fun, a bit like spending time with Marlene
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews