Weekly Reader: All Eyes on Me: A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier; An Eye For A Good Gruesome Murder Mystery About The Trappings of Fame

 

Weekly Reader: All Eyes on Me: A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier; An Eye For A Good Gruesome Murder Mystery About The Trappings of Fame

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: For all those who love graphic gruesome murder mysteries especially when the victim is a divalicious star laid out in a grotesque way say "Eye!" Then read All Eyes on Me A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier.

Miranda Steele has had a traumatic past. She survived an abusive first marriage, the abduction and return of her daughter, and a near death experience. While most would be justified in wanting to cower into their home and hide, Miranda instead teams up with private investigator Wade Parker. Their relationship has gone from associates, to lovers, to a married couple. When one is called, the other is there as an equal partner.

Their current case is a pretty violent one that puts them right in the forefront of public consciousness. Ambrosia Dawn, a famous pop singer/diva has been found the desert outside of her Las Vegas home, dead, bruised and possibly poisoned. As if that wasn't bad enough, her eye has been gouged out by a melon baller. Kind of ironic since one of her biggest hits is the love song, "All Eyes on Me." The killer certainly has a sick twisted sense of humor and possibly a desire for revenge against the beautiful famous singer.

All Eyes on Me combines a great protagonist with a gripping mystery. The best detectives for these type of mysteries are the ones that have personal demons of their own or where the case involves them specifically. In this case, we have Miranda whose emotional baggage is ever present. After what happened before with her ex and daughter, Miranda's nerves are on edge and her senses are sharply acute all symptoms of PTSD. However, she is also able to use that private pain to help others. She can put herself in their situation, because she had been in their situation before. Miranda empathizes with the victims and sometimes with those who commit crimes because she can see where they are coming from.

Besides her observational and empathetic skills, Miranda is a good detective good enough that Parker puts her in charge of the investigation. Besides leading the inquiries, she answers media questions and challenges the mysoginistic Sgt. O'Toole who isn't happy about working with a woman.

Parker isn't as developed as Miranda, but he proves to be as competent and dedicated to the pursuit of justice as his wife. He is caught between believing in Miranda's abilities to solve the mystery and concern for her because of all that she had been through. One nice touch that the duo have is they use their original last names and don't let people know that they are married. It's hard enough for a woman like Miranda to be taken seriously in detective work, acknowledging their marriage would only further complicate things. When police officers or suspects look at Miranda, they are able to see an investigator that happens to be a woman rather than the lead private investigator's wife. Their hidden marital status make them equals.

Besides the detectives themselves, the mystery is pretty fascinating. The deceased, Ambrosia Dawn, is the typical murder victim that spent a lot of time cultivating a public image of beauty, charm, and kindness but those closest to her could see the bad tempered violent bitch underneath. There are plenty of suspects that could have killed her because they have all felt her wrath. Her husband, Cameron, a former Elvis impersonator is very emotional but seems to be keeping extra company during the grieving period. Ambrosia's sister, Blythe, stood behind the scenes and now has her chance in the spotlight. The cook, Suzie, who has been at the bad end of Ambrosia's rants and knows Ambrosia's favorite treats and how to make them just right. Scottie, the bodyguard, has had a few flings with staff members and is just the kind of muscle to drag a woman's body through the desert and hold her down if necessary. It is a house and staff full of potential leads that lead to other clues. Since multiple suspects look possible to be the killer, the resolution is a genuine surprise and is very well handled.

All Eyes on Me is a great mystery in the hard boiled detective genre. It is definitely worth a read. After all, the eyes have it.

Weekly Reader: Slow Down by Lee Matthew Goldberg; A Dark Drug Fueled Thriller About Fame, Ambition, Addiction, and Selling One's Soul

Weekly Reader: Slow Down by Lee Matthew Goldberg; A Dark Drug Fueled Thriller About Fame, Ambition, Addiction, and Selling One's Soul

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: Lee Matthew Goldberg's novel, Slow Down, could be considered The Millennial Version of What Makes Sammy Run? In Budd Schulberg's 1941 novel/expose of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Sammy Glick, a shifty opportunistic copyboy steals screenplays, connives against rivals, beds and discards mistresses, and makes life a living Hell for those around him in his climb to the top of the Hollywood scene, only to find his success hollow and empty when there are others waiting to replace and destroy him.

Slow Down has characters that could be considered Sammy Glick's protegees. Only they have benefits from such modern tools as technology and drug use to their advantage.

Slow Down is a dark comedy of a book that seems like one long drug fueled trip into the excesses of fame, ambition, and selling one's soul to those who are better players in the ruthless game of instant celebrity.

Noah Spaeth, is a young ambitious writer with a big mouth who comes from a rich dysfunctional Central Park West family. In his early 20's, Noah has a troubled relationship with just about everyone in his life: from his constantly traveling parents, to his screwed up brother, to his spoiled sister, to his bitchy boss, to his long train of weird friends and clingy ex-girlfriends. Just recently he got fired from his job because he accidentally sent an insulting email to his boss. No problem, Noah says, he has time to focus on his writing and to finally get that one success story which will propel him to gaining that reputation as a bright young genius. Okay, he only has a margin of a idea for his novel with only a few scenes written and one character named Nina. But he is certain his time will come.

Noah's former girlfriend, aspiring actress, Nevie invites him to a swank party and introduces him to experimental filmmaker, Dominick Bambach. Dominick's previous success was an erotic thriller, Detached. His latest project is even more off the beaten path. It is Slow Down and will feature him only giving his actors a small semblance of a scene and have them react as he films. He wants to film their reactions and natural behaviors injecting realism to his production. Noah is fascinated with the project and would like to be mentored by Dominick, at least long enough to give his own career a boost.

Unfortunately, that fascination turns to revulsion when Noah is introduced to a drug called Fast, which produces psychotic after effects. He also encounters a few young actresses, working on Dominick's film, who have similar tattoos of a yellow circle and become insanely violent whenever that tattoo is touched. Could Dominick be so obsessed with filming a natural performance that he is willing to drug his actresses to get it?

Noah also has further questions when he encounters Dominick's wife, Isadora who seduces the young writer and questions her husband's writing and directing ability. Noah's ambitious drive increases and he plots to steal Dominick's movie and his wife.


Slow Down is one ironic title. Things move along at a regular pace, then something happens that speeds up the action to a dizzying pace. There are moments where you can't be sure if what you are reading is really happening, if Noah (or the Reader) is hallucinating, or if the action is completely fictional and instead just the product of a writer finally creating his magnum opus.

The drug scenes are terrifying because of the uncertainty. Many of the women go from bright, ambitious, attractive, budding starlets to animalistic homicidal maniacs, almost as a symbol of the control that Dominick and Noah have over them. Noah also goes through various drug trips with Fast that further confuses things and puts him at Dominick's mercy while he believes that he is in control.

When the yellow circle reappears in Noah's life, it is almost like a warning of terrifying lines that shouldn't be crossed.


The biggest drug in the book is not Fast, but ambition and it hits Noah hard. The more Noah becomes entangled with Dominick and his movie, the more he wants Dominick's life. He entertains notions of the lengths that he will go to pursue his goals from stealing the film to murdering Dominick and marrying Isadora. He beds Nevie and various other actresses to act on his frustrations of his wasted life. He conspires with Isadora so that he can replace Dominick by her side and obtain the filmmaker's reputation via osmosis.

Noah's ambitions are cold, but Noah is more like the little kid who robs cash registers in convenience stores then says, "I'm really bad, honest!" in front of a violent street gang who are ready to commit mass murder. Noah never realizes that he is playing in the big leagues until he reads the final draft of Slow Down and realizes that he is a figurative character just moving along in other people's schemes. He followed someone else's script and was controlled by other's machinations and his own ambitions.

Slow Down is a dark book that gets to the center of various kinds of addiction, not just drugs but fame and success as well. Noah started out brilliant, but angry that he was not put in a position for others to recognize that talent and drive. In the end, he may want fame but the fame is only temporary and once the excitement is done, he wants more. More success on his own terms, more money, a penthouse apartment, more dates, more beautiful mistresses, more drugs, more everything. The price when it comes down is that Noah is no longer in control, still the neurotic insecure mess that he always was, not directing and instead playing out other people's scripts.