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Steve Allen Mystery #10
Murder in Hawaii
Excited to be guest-starring on the detective series Hawaiian Wave with their friend, actor Billy Markham, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows arrive in Hawaii only to discover that someone is permanently eliminating the competition, and Billy and the dynamic sleuthing duo are next on the list.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Steve Allen
98 books45 followersStephen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 2, 2020
Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows receive a call from the son of an old friend. He’d like them to come to Hawaii and appear in the hot, new series he is the star of, “Hawaiian Wave.” An offer not to be refused.
When they arrive, they find their roles are of a couple who own a polo pony ranch and are a bit on the shady side. It is not the only roles they are being asked to play. There is the star’s fear that he is being stalked with a possibility of being killed. He wants Steve to find out who is after him and why.
During the filming of the episode, two bodies are found, each at different times and locations. The men are affiliated with the show and that throws Billy, the star, into panic mode. Not as if he hasn’t been that way from the start. His security system at his house rivals a military site complete with Bernard, his large-sized, lavalava wearing, machete toting Samoan body guard and Killer the trained German Shepard guard dog.
Steve really has his hands full between the show and Billy’s paranoia. There is a stalker, but they are as slippery as can be and just can’t be caught.
This is a mystery with humour. Light, fun reading, some name dropping and storytelling about Steve by Steve, but he is focused on solving the mystery, even if it does get him coated with mud, a torn-up wardrobe and some good prat falls. The cast of characters is varied and keeps it fun.
When they arrive, they find their roles are of a couple who own a polo pony ranch and are a bit on the shady side. It is not the only roles they are being asked to play. There is the star’s fear that he is being stalked with a possibility of being killed. He wants Steve to find out who is after him and why.
During the filming of the episode, two bodies are found, each at different times and locations. The men are affiliated with the show and that throws Billy, the star, into panic mode. Not as if he hasn’t been that way from the start. His security system at his house rivals a military site complete with Bernard, his large-sized, lavalava wearing, machete toting Samoan body guard and Killer the trained German Shepard guard dog.
Steve really has his hands full between the show and Billy’s paranoia. There is a stalker, but they are as slippery as can be and just can’t be caught.
This is a mystery with humour. Light, fun reading, some name dropping and storytelling about Steve by Steve, but he is focused on solving the mystery, even if it does get him coated with mud, a torn-up wardrobe and some good prat falls. The cast of characters is varied and keeps it fun.
November 9, 2016
Everybody knows something about what Steve Allen squeezed into one very busy lifetime. He was the first host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC TV. He composed over 6000 songs. He was an accomplished jazz pianist. He wrote extensively about religion. He hosted radio programmes. He was a stand-up comic and wrote comedy. But who knew he wrote murder mysteries!? I have a long-time policy of taking murder mysteries set in Hawaii with me whenever I visit those islands so as to read them in the environment to which they refer. This story stars Steve and his wife Jayne Meadows as themselves, appearing in a television show being filmed in Oahu, but as amateur detectives, as well. With wit typical of Steve Allen, he spins an effective story.
March 23, 2018
Fun, fluffy, and a bit ridiculous. Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, stars of the small screen, solve several murders when they visit the set of a Hawaiian program where they are guest stars. I found some of Steve and Jayne's antics a bit hard to believe -- they were both roughly 80 when this was published. The likelihood of them chasing bad guys on foot, swimming with the dolphins, etc at 80 is a bit too far-fetched.
The mystery is a bit dated. But, like Magnum, PI, is still a fun trip down memory lane.
The mystery is a bit dated. But, like Magnum, PI, is still a fun trip down memory lane.
October 25, 2025
Awful script and dialogue.
June 22, 2016
Steve Allen and his lovely wife Jayne Meadows are asked to step in at the last minute to film a two-part episode of a popular detective series set in Hawaii. The young actor who stars in the show, Billy Markham, is the son of dear friends of Steve and Jayne’s, so they agree to take on the roles out of loyalty to his parents. But things are not happy and peaceful in paradise or on the set – Billy is being stalked by a mysterious stranger and two murders are associated with the show.
Allen was an incredibly talented guy. An actor, comedian, writer, and musician, he was one of the most popular entertainers on stage and screen. This is one of a series of mysteries starring himself and his wife as “amateur sleuths.” It’s a relatively entertaining read. The plot moves forward at a good pace, and the dialogue is crisp. However … Towards the end of the book the character Steve Allen muses: This case was growing more and more complicated … My mind was going around and around, back and forth from crooked polo to blackmail to drug running trying to figure out how all these things added up. I think the author felt the same way; certainly this reader did! The ending wraps up a little too quickly and a little too cutely to be fully satisfying to the serious mystery buff.
Allen was an incredibly talented guy. An actor, comedian, writer, and musician, he was one of the most popular entertainers on stage and screen. This is one of a series of mysteries starring himself and his wife as “amateur sleuths.” It’s a relatively entertaining read. The plot moves forward at a good pace, and the dialogue is crisp. However … Towards the end of the book the character Steve Allen muses: This case was growing more and more complicated … My mind was going around and around, back and forth from crooked polo to blackmail to drug running trying to figure out how all these things added up. I think the author felt the same way; certainly this reader did! The ending wraps up a little too quickly and a little too cutely to be fully satisfying to the serious mystery buff.
August 7, 2016
Very clever & well-done mystery that just happens to be set in Hawaii. A crazy, big cast of characters keeps you guessing whodunit right till the very end! Steve Allen plays himself along with his wife, Jayne Meadows, to solve this strange mystery. The celebrity couple are summoned to Hawaii to help a young family friend who thinks someone's out to get him. As the star of 'Hawaiian Wave' Billy Markham's in the public eye a lot and has called on his old friends not only to help him figure out what's really going on, but to appear in the TV series to help make their amateur sleuthing seem believable.
September 7, 2013
A good mystery. Lots of plot twists, and beautiful descriptions of Hawaii. Makes me want to go back! It added to the reading of the book that I actually remember Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows on TV when I was a kid. Never realized just how diverse and accomplished they were. Did a little internet research and found out he passed away from a heart attack the year after this was published. Jayne is still with us! Nice, nostalgic mystery.
August 28, 2012
I really liked this book. It sets familiar veteran actors, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows in a light mystery/sleuth situation while in Hawaii. The descriptions of Oahu are lovingly detailed. Fast moving action.
January 26, 2009
i like the extensive descriptions the author gives of hawaiian geography and culture but i found this book painfully slow
January 29, 2014
The story was very slow and I didn't care about any of the characters or what was happening to them.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews