Murder On The Glitter Box

Steve Allen Mystery #3

by Steve Allen

Famed talk-show host Steve Allen becomes embroiled in another villainous plot when he steps in as a late night talk-show host's replacement only to find a dead guest and lots of unanswered questions. Reissue.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery

348 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1989

About the author

Stephen Valentine Patrick William "Steve" Allen was an American television personality, musician, actor, comedian, and writer. Though he got his start in radio, Allen is best-known for his television career. He first gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He graduated to become the first host of The Tonight Show, where he was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. Thereafter, he hosted numerous game and variety shows, including The Steve Allen Show, I've Got a Secret, The New Steve Allen Show, and was a regular panel member on CBS' What's My Line?

Allen was a "creditable" pianist, and a prolific composer, having penned over 14,000 songs, one of which was recorded by Perry Como and Margaret Whiting, others by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Les Brown, and Gloria Lynne. Allen won a Grammy award in 1963 for best jazz composition, with his song The Gravy Waltz. Allen wrote more than 50 books and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Reviews

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Allen, well known in the 50s on for late night talk shows, comedy and the many songs he wrote, is the main figure of this mystery.

Steve has been asked to fill in for talk show host, Terry Cole, for two weeks. Cole has taken a “vacation” and Steve will keep things rolling.

Things start popping for Steve on the first night when one of the guests drops dead on stage. Seems the vodka Steve offered the guest, from Cole’s private stash, was poisoned!

Questions come up — who was the poison intended for? Steve? Cole? Who put it there? Is there an enemy of Cole’s who planted it — and Cole has a long list of them to choose from. And why?

The story moves at a quick pace and it isn’t deadly serious, except for some of the characters. There are some goofball moments — something I’ve come to expect from Steve Allen and found in his previous books.

The assortment of characters lends to the humour, and the threads that connect the characters from different points in time keep you guessing. Think 1980s, Hollywood, TV and Steve Allen as a detective, amateur that he is.

This is a fun read and not my first by Allen. The first book I read was fun and I know the others on my TBR shelf will be also.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Allen subs on the Tonight Show, but his guest drops dead after drinking a shot of vodka which was poisoned. Next day the associate producer is shot dead, then 2 attempts are made on Steve. He investigates and turns up shady past of all those associated with the show, including the current host and his ex-wife. Steve sneaks into a compound, is captured, but escapes and solves the mystery: everyone was guilty! Interesting, funny and well-developed story line.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be witty and well written. I suspect anyone younger than a baby boomer might not appreciate some of the references and in fact I’m sure some of them escaped me. As mysteries go, it was OK. It seemed to drag a bit for me and could have used some judicious editing.

[Christopher Rush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once you learn this (and these) were not written by Steve himself, you excuse its shortcomings a bit more, then you wonder how much better it could have been had Steve actually written it. The last 150 pages or so were wholly unnecessary. Nothing happens to progress the story, and we learn nothing interesting about "old Hollywood" in them, just reminders that current Hollywood is inferior, which we've all known since even before the book was written 35-some years ago. It really is redundant and dull throughout the last half.

No Jayne as well, just Steve and some likely made-up chauffeur sidekick and the same group of three made-up Hollywood hasbeens tediously going in circles until the out-of-nowhere reveal of the culprit.

Speaking of which, the plot and culprit and all that really embarrass. I hesitate to use the current tendentious "hasn't aged well," as that always tells us more about the critic than the thing criticized, but this plot and culprit and motivation likely embarrassed back in the day, so it will likely outrage today. Again, don't blame Steve, who probably never read it himself.

It's dull, awkwardly salacious, occasionally vulgar, rarely humorous, and the explanations for the final twist and reveal will wholly disappoint. Perhaps worse of all, we never know if the neighbors get their hat back. It just sort of ends, about 150 pages too late. But, it's about Steve, so read it once, smile wistfully at what could have been and what once was, and get rid of it.

[Roger Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a couple of Steve Allen's mystery novels at the beginning of the millenium. I had not known that he was also an author of novels, but I was not surprised, since he was a multi-talented person. He was my favourite TV host when I was growing up, mainly because he has a penchant for silliness, something I learned to appreciate more upon discovering Monty Python in the early seventies. If you were a fan of Steve's TV show, you would get a kick out of these short reads. Admittedly, they are not great, but they are fun. An aside: did you know that Steve Allen was also a prolific song writer?

[John Schumitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure Steve Allen. If you like his Schtick it's great. As a kid, I loved watching his shows and enjoy his more adventurous brand of humor. Who knew he could write a crime novel. I also learned that in addition to being a comedian, musician, writer, actor, director and producer he has also written a number of hit songs. Not the great crime novel but fun for me.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes it's fun to read the older mysteries. I like the Golden Age ones. This is a very specific subgenre. I had never read any of the Steve Allen mysteries. As far as the stories go, this was just fine. I guessed the killer pretty quickly but it was a fun read.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally got this off of my book pile. Reads like a made-for-TV movie, not very engaging. Oh well, it's done now.

[Ryal McMurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Steve Allen's mystery books. It paints a picture of Hollywood in the 1980's. His wife Jayne Meadows usually appears in the books with him and together they solve the crime, but in this case there is no Jayne, just Steve. While I missed her, I still throughly enjoyed the book.

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great talent gone when Steve Allen died. I remember watching him on television as a kid. I've loved the books I've read by him as well.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun in a shallow, name dropping, self congratulatory way. I got this book from a pile donated by Operation PAPERBACK (www.operationpaperback.org)in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thanks, anonymous donor!

[Lisa Burbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative and entertaining cozy mystery. I really enjoyed it.

[Thurston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed immensely many years ago....think i still have the paperback that i feel i should revisit.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Steve Allen, as himself, has a guest on his TV show drop dead on air! Its murder.