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Gil and Claire Hunt Mystery #1
Murder Is The Deal Of The Day
As Gil and Claire Hunt race against time to clear Claire's name after three women are found smothered to death while watching Claire's home-shopping show on television, they soon discover that the maniac responsible poses a threat to their lives as well. Original.
- GenresMystery
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published October 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Randisi
243 books106 followersRobert Joseph Randisi was a prolific American author, editor, and screenwriter, best known for his work in detective and Western fiction. He wrote over 650 books, including The Gunsmith series under the pen name J.R. Roberts, and edited more than 30 anthologies. A co-founder of Mystery Scene magazine, the American Crime Writers League, and Western Fictioneers, he also established The Private Eye Writers of America and created the Shamus Award. Randisi collaborated on novels with Eileen Davidson and Vince Van Patten, and created memorable characters such as Miles Jacoby, Joe Keough, and The Rat Pack. He received multiple lifetime achievement awards and the John Seigenthaler Humanitarian Award.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 7, 2014
When two women are found dead, smothered on their couches with tapes of Claire Hunt and her Home Mall shopping show playing in their VCRs, Claire and her husband Gil decide to play detective and find the killer themselves...
I really wanted to like this. After a so-so experience with another Randisi novel, I had the chance to take part in a phone interview with Randisi and his wife, the co-author of this piece, Christine Matthews, and they were hilarious. Too bad the book wasn't great. I didn't precisely hate it but it was not good. Is that clear enough?
The book went back and forth between illogical and just annoying. First off, the police treat Claire like a suspect because a video of her was playing on the victim's TVs. What the hell kind of sense does that make? Beyond that, the police are just set dressing while Gil and Claire coo over one another and run around Saint Louis tracking down leads.
The blurb on the back compares Gil and Claire to Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man. Yeah, they're a married couple but they lack the alcohol and sense of humor that makes Nick and Nora so entertaining. They're much more like Spenser and Susan Silverman, except less competent or interesting. They were like that annoying couple you're friends with on Facebook who are constantly updating their status with crap like "I love my wonderful husband!" Getting reminded how perfect their relationship is on every other page got old really fast.
The writing was really bland. Randisi has a reputation for being one of the last pulp writers but I don't think they mean that in the Chandler-Hammett sense, more in the sense of how Walter Gibson could churn out 2 or 3 Shadow novels a month back in the day. Of course, when you're busting out one or more of those Gunsmith dirty westerns every month under a pen name, you don't have time for similes, metaphors, or colorful adjectives, I guess.
I enjoyed the St. Louis references and the fact that Gil owned a bookstore but that was pretty much it. I guess the story was engaging but when there are only two suspects and one of them has cutaway scenes, you pretty much know who's doing the killing. It wasn't total crap so I'm giving it a two. It's definitely not recommended, though. I think I'm done with Randisi unless I pick up one of his Gunsmith books for comedy reasons.
I really wanted to like this. After a so-so experience with another Randisi novel, I had the chance to take part in a phone interview with Randisi and his wife, the co-author of this piece, Christine Matthews, and they were hilarious. Too bad the book wasn't great. I didn't precisely hate it but it was not good. Is that clear enough?
The book went back and forth between illogical and just annoying. First off, the police treat Claire like a suspect because a video of her was playing on the victim's TVs. What the hell kind of sense does that make? Beyond that, the police are just set dressing while Gil and Claire coo over one another and run around Saint Louis tracking down leads.
The blurb on the back compares Gil and Claire to Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man. Yeah, they're a married couple but they lack the alcohol and sense of humor that makes Nick and Nora so entertaining. They're much more like Spenser and Susan Silverman, except less competent or interesting. They were like that annoying couple you're friends with on Facebook who are constantly updating their status with crap like "I love my wonderful husband!" Getting reminded how perfect their relationship is on every other page got old really fast.
The writing was really bland. Randisi has a reputation for being one of the last pulp writers but I don't think they mean that in the Chandler-Hammett sense, more in the sense of how Walter Gibson could churn out 2 or 3 Shadow novels a month back in the day. Of course, when you're busting out one or more of those Gunsmith dirty westerns every month under a pen name, you don't have time for similes, metaphors, or colorful adjectives, I guess.
I enjoyed the St. Louis references and the fact that Gil owned a bookstore but that was pretty much it. I guess the story was engaging but when there are only two suspects and one of them has cutaway scenes, you pretty much know who's doing the killing. It wasn't total crap so I'm giving it a two. It's definitely not recommended, though. I think I'm done with Randisi unless I pick up one of his Gunsmith books for comedy reasons.
September 6, 2013
I grabbed this as I went out the door because it is set in St. Louis (my home) and because it was thin enough to fit in my purse, unlike the other two tomes I was reading. "Thin" is definitely the word: thin plot, thin characters, thin (i.e., prosaic) writing. The writers, being St. Louisans, got the setting right, but the references seemed rather forced, as though they were writing with a street map or tourist guide at hand.
April 29, 2013
I enjoyed the book, and it was a quick read. The story was good and captivating, but I got really tired of hearing about how much Gil and Claire love each other. I don't think more than 2-3 pages would go by without some mention of it.
No regrets. If you have it around, it's not a waste of time to read.
By the way, did you know that Gil and Claire are perfect for one other?
No regrets. If you have it around, it's not a waste of time to read.
By the way, did you know that Gil and Claire are perfect for one other?
October 7, 2018
Just a great book
It was a good book from the start !!! All the characters are likable !! And I recommend this book to any amateur sleuth out there
It was a good book from the start !!! All the characters are likable !! And I recommend this book to any amateur sleuth out there
November 26, 2018
Cosy Romantic Modern Story
Fairly well written, sort of silly story, a romantic cosy mystery, part of a series. Not too bad but not too believable.
Fairly well written, sort of silly story, a romantic cosy mystery, part of a series. Not too bad but not too believable.
May 31, 2020
from amazon:
As Gil and Claire Hunt race against time to clear Claire's name after three women are found smothered to death while watching Claire's home-shopping show on television, they soon discover that the maniac responsible poses a threat to their lives as well.
As Gil and Claire Hunt race against time to clear Claire's name after three women are found smothered to death while watching Claire's home-shopping show on television, they soon discover that the maniac responsible poses a threat to their lives as well.
August 15, 2011
I liked the mystery, however, Randisi spent too much time repeating and expressing Gil and Clare's love for each other.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews