Catch a Falling Clown (Toby Peters Series #7)

Library Journal

Blackstone Audio deserves a round of applause for bringing back to life a series of Kaminsky's mysteries written in the 1970s and early 1980s. Although the author has moved on to darker and more convoluted plots in his more recent books, his Toby Peters series was a delight. They were written with more than a dash of humor and featured a variety of improbable real-life characters, ranging from the Marx Brothers to Judy Garland and - in this circus murder mystery - famed clown Emmett Kelly. Just for fun, Alfred Hitchcock also shows up...as a suspect! Someone is wreaking havoc on a small circus; an elephant has been killed, and Kelly narrowly escapes death. Toby reluctantly revisits the town of Mirador where he had a previous run-in with a corrupt sheriff and his violent deputy. In short order, Toby finds himself standing over another dead body, almost gets trampled by yet another elephant, and winds up locked in a cage with a killer gorilla. Reader Tom Parker is an absolute master of voices - his police chief sounds like Strother Martin on Ecstasy - and brings the circus scene to life. A fun, light-weight book for all mystery fans. Recommended for all libraries. - Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.