The Monet Murders

By: Terry Mort

Narrated by: Tony Pasqualini

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Private investigator to the stars Riley Fitzhugh finds himself caught up in the case of a missing Hollywood beauty - and a stolen Monet - in a 1930s hard-boiled caper as deadly as it is delightful.

Hollywood, 1934. Prohibition is finally over, but there is still plenty of crime for an ambitious young private eye to investigate. Though he has a slightly checkered past, Riley Fitzhugh is well connected in the film industry and is hired by a major producer - whose lovely girlfriend has disappeared. He is also hired to recover a stolen Monet, a crime that results in two murders... with more to come. Along the way Riley investigates the gambling ships anchored off LA, gets involved with the girlfriend of the gangster running one of the ships, disposes of the body of a would-be actor who assaults Riley's girlfriend, and meets an elegant English art history professor from UCLA who helps him authenticate several paintings. Living at the Garden of Allah Hotel, Riley meets and assists many Hollywood screenwriters who frequent the hotel bar. Incidentally one of these gents, whose nom de plume is Hobey Baker, might actually be F. Scott Fitzgerald.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2015 Blackstone Audiobooks

Noir light.

If Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler were the true writers of hard-boiled noir detective stories, this is a soft-boiled noir light.

The heart of the story is about a Monet painting. Is it really stolen? Is it a forgery? The art angle is central, but the story also deals with the movie industry of the times (think "casting couch") and literature. A couple of murders is thrown in, but no real tension or suspense is felt. The whole book has an intellectual feel to it. Tons of literary references and quotes from Shakespeare, poets and philosophers. Looking for action and excitement? Look elsewhere.

The protagonist is an intellectual sort of gumshoe ("I read a lot") that takes the soft approach to sleuthing. No gunplay, no fighting, you get the idea. What he does is talk, a lot! He also does a lot of sleeping around with most of the women in the story. The exception is his secretary Della. His daily banter with her is great fun. Most other female characters are dealt with more or less as sex objects for the "hero".

The writing is technically good. Just not very engaging. Some chuckles here and there, but I never really got caught up in the story.

Narration is good.

Not Noir, Not 1934

Would you try another book from Terry Mort and/or Tony Pasqualini?

Perhaps. But I would have to consider long and hard before picking one up.

What could Terry Mort have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Get an editor that would remove the repetitiveness of the dialogue and story.How many times to we have to hear about his undercover work in Youngstown?How many brassy (but gorgeous) women can he bed?The dialogue is cartoonish. I have not "researched" but the book seems to abound with anachronisms.

Would you be willing to try another one of Tony Pasqualini’s performances?

no -- his attempt to voice the protagonist as a cynical, smart guy made me cringe. I found it creepy.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It seemed to have promise but fizzled on plot and characters.

Clever and entertaining

The book is well read by Tony Pasqualini and, aside from the tedious sexual conquests of the protagonists, the story is rather intriguing. Using a rather burlesque dark humour and witty dialogue rather than a clever and complex plot it is rather obvious but slowpaced and entertaining none the less.

Con with a Heart! Fun romp and beautifully read!

I loved the main character's role as a 1930s con with character. Tone and story in the vein of Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. Fun irreverent women characters who spoke from their inner self rather than a public facade. Also this reader brought the story to life.

a stylish and funny noir

Would you consider the audio edition of The Monet Murders to be better than the print version?
Yes and no - Tony Pasqualini did a beautiful job so both versions are good and complement each other.

Who was your favorite character and why?
I loved the atmosphere and the author's intelligent and quirky sense of humor. There are lots of interesting and funny details, that make listening to the book such a wonderful experience. (Dennis Finch Hatton? LOL)

Any additional comments?
I would so love to read another book about Riley Fitzhugh. Hope this is not the last one.

Terrific writing

Where does The Monet Murders rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It falls into the "cozy mystery" category, I guess, but it transcends the genre. Superbly written.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Our main character, Bruno, is witty, amoral, insightful and just plain fun.

Have you listened to any of Tony Pasqualini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to anything else by Pasqualini, but he was terrific. One of the best I've ever heard. I imagine he could give Rich Little a run for his money.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh on every page.

Any additional comments?

English major? You'll love it. Lots of literary jokes all the way through.

Bit of an old fashioned Hollywood story

This is set back in the thirties - very traditional Hollywood mystery with a PI. If that's what you enjoy, great. Personally I found the cliches and old lines and stereotypes too much. I almost made it through but not quite.

Good story

Loved the old time feel of the book. the narrator did an amazing job capturing the characters and the time period. Looking for more with this author and narrator.

good fun

Entertaining but not a lot of substance, witty dialogue. Story is of the noir detective variety- beach read.

Need more of these in audiobooks.

Enjoyed it. Well written and the reader was good. The detective was a fun guy.