Scan barcode
omgitsofg's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cmorgan1101's review
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
bargainsleuth's review
5.0
If you like film noir classics like Double Indemnity, The Maltese Falcon and more, you might like Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen. Set during World War II in Hollywood, the book gives off all the noir feelings those classic movies had.
If you want to know what it was like in Hollywood during the war, this novel gives off all the vibes. The Hollywood Canteen was run by local studios and movie stars themselves because Los Angeles was the ship-off port for men headed to the Pacific war front. Annie, the main character, is a playwright/screenwriter who has just made her way to Hollywood, following her “close friends.” a married couple who were actors in Annie’s most successful murder mystery plays. I say friends because the throuple lived life clandestinely in New York, but one gossip columnist made references to the “unusual” relationship the group had. In order to squash the rumors, the couple quickly signs a deal with a movie studio and leave Annie behind, but she soon has her own deal and heads west.
While in Hollywood, Annie falls into the circle of friends surrounding the very same gossip columnist who tried to out her relationship, Fiona Figg. Fiona has plenty of hangers-on of misfits called the Ambassador’s Club. One night at the Hollywood Canteen, Fiona is found dead. Soon it comes out how she died, and it just so happens it was an unusual way of poisoning someone, the same way Annie wrote about in one of her hit plays. Naturally, Annie becomes a suspect.
The rest of the book follows Annie and her friends as they investigate Fiona’s murder to clear her name and find the real culprit. She has a tendency to jump to conclusions every time a new piece of evidence is unearthed, but on the whole, I enjoyed the investigation and the quirks of the Ambassador’s Club. If you pay attention close enough, you’ll figure out who the murderer was, but you can still enjoy the mystery. A solid 4-star book!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com.
If you want to know what it was like in Hollywood during the war, this novel gives off all the vibes. The Hollywood Canteen was run by local studios and movie stars themselves because Los Angeles was the ship-off port for men headed to the Pacific war front. Annie, the main character, is a playwright/screenwriter who has just made her way to Hollywood, following her “close friends.” a married couple who were actors in Annie’s most successful murder mystery plays. I say friends because the throuple lived life clandestinely in New York, but one gossip columnist made references to the “unusual” relationship the group had. In order to squash the rumors, the couple quickly signs a deal with a movie studio and leave Annie behind, but she soon has her own deal and heads west.
While in Hollywood, Annie falls into the circle of friends surrounding the very same gossip columnist who tried to out her relationship, Fiona Figg. Fiona has plenty of hangers-on of misfits called the Ambassador’s Club. One night at the Hollywood Canteen, Fiona is found dead. Soon it comes out how she died, and it just so happens it was an unusual way of poisoning someone, the same way Annie wrote about in one of her hit plays. Naturally, Annie becomes a suspect.
The rest of the book follows Annie and her friends as they investigate Fiona’s murder to clear her name and find the real culprit. She has a tendency to jump to conclusions every time a new piece of evidence is unearthed, but on the whole, I enjoyed the investigation and the quirks of the Ambassador’s Club. If you pay attention close enough, you’ll figure out who the murderer was, but you can still enjoy the mystery. A solid 4-star book!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com.
tzinreads's review
4.0
Lights camera action!!! Murder mystery x Golden Age Hollywood, say less!
It's one of the few murder mysteries that i really quite enjoyed.
I really loved all the details about Hollywood at that time, the glitter, the cameras, the backstabbing and the secrets! Most of the characters were relatable in their own way!
The dynamic of this friend group is something else. I laughed a lot in certain scenes!
Thank you Netgalley and Sarah James for this ARC?
It's one of the few murder mysteries that i really quite enjoyed.
I really loved all the details about Hollywood at that time, the glitter, the cameras, the backstabbing and the secrets! Most of the characters were relatable in their own way!
The dynamic of this friend group is something else. I laughed a lot in certain scenes!
Thank you Netgalley and Sarah James for this ARC?
kleonard's review
1.0
I really liked the way this book began with a happy throuple of a playwright and two actors, because not many books aimed at mainstream readers have this kind of representation. But then it all went to hell and devolved into a mess of stock characters, red herrings the size of airplanes, and a dull ending. None of the characters have much depth, the story drags, and the ending feels completely untrue to the protagonist.
renzoreads's review
4.0
Murder Mystery play write Annie Lawrence is new to Hollywood. It’s 1943 and the place to be each night is The Hollywood Canteen - a night club filled with servicemen letting off some steam and staffed exclusively by the stars. It’s the place where Annie finds herself a new group of friends. Before long one of those friends, ruthless movie critic Fiona Farris is found dead in the kitchen of the Canteen. Everyone at the club that night is a suspect, particularly Annie and her new friends as they each have a motive to want Fiona to stop writing rumours about them.
This one started out a bit slow but by halfway it had really drawn me in to the mystery and I was hanging out to find out who the killer, or killers were. I liked the historical setting of WWII Hollywood and the ins and outs of the movie industry really added an exciting backdrop the the story. Annie’s group of friends were all interesting with their own quirks and flaws. This is a character driven mystery and while there were a fair few side characters to keep track of it didn’t feel like too many. Overall this was an entertaining read and one for people looking for a murder mystery with some flare and pizzazz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This one started out a bit slow but by halfway it had really drawn me in to the mystery and I was hanging out to find out who the killer, or killers were. I liked the historical setting of WWII Hollywood and the ins and outs of the movie industry really added an exciting backdrop the the story. Annie’s group of friends were all interesting with their own quirks and flaws. This is a character driven mystery and while there were a fair few side characters to keep track of it didn’t feel like too many. Overall this was an entertaining read and one for people looking for a murder mystery with some flare and pizzazz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
emilyroseh's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
katie_samsock's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.
*3.5*
Who doesn’t like diving into old Hollywood and peaking behind the show biz curtain occasionally? Especially when a murder is involved. And not just any murder but the killing of a famous review critic whose write ups are known for their brutal honesty and ability to destroy a person’s career with just a pen. Everyone either hated her or loved to hate her but like most people in Hollywood, no one really knew her, including Annie who is fresh from her Broadway smash, trying to make it in Hollywood after a break up from two people in her romantic threesome.
Oh I so wanted this to grab me. Annie’s new Hollywood friends have some terrific banter though after a while it grows stale leaving you to wonder why they all hang out together if they can’t say anything nice…ever. The beginning for me was pretty slow. Chapter 8 picked things up for me but it didn’t even start really chugging until my Kindle hit 50%. That’s dedication right there, but I did honestly want to know who was the killer. Because there are a ton of characters here, possibly too many to keep track of at first.
*3.5*
Who doesn’t like diving into old Hollywood and peaking behind the show biz curtain occasionally? Especially when a murder is involved. And not just any murder but the killing of a famous review critic whose write ups are known for their brutal honesty and ability to destroy a person’s career with just a pen. Everyone either hated her or loved to hate her but like most people in Hollywood, no one really knew her, including Annie who is fresh from her Broadway smash, trying to make it in Hollywood after a break up from two people in her romantic threesome.
Oh I so wanted this to grab me. Annie’s new Hollywood friends have some terrific banter though after a while it grows stale leaving you to wonder why they all hang out together if they can’t say anything nice…ever. The beginning for me was pretty slow. Chapter 8 picked things up for me but it didn’t even start really chugging until my Kindle hit 50%. That’s dedication right there, but I did honestly want to know who was the killer. Because there are a ton of characters here, possibly too many to keep track of at first.