Shot on Location

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Built on a series of flippant wisecracks and a plot that lurches from one contrived situation to another, this latest effort from Cutler ( The Face on the Cutting Room Floor ) clearly takes its inspiration, however inadequate, from a much-publicized actual killing. The book opens at the Malibu compound of grossly fat actor and three-time Oscar winner Stacey Jaeger, whose son confesses to the murder of his unbalanced sister's abusive lover. Enter vodka-sodden PI Rayford Goodman--he regards drinking as ``aerobics for the liver''--and Mark Bradley, a young, gay hack writer of celebrity bios, here in their third appearance. Goodman, improbably, ends up on the son's jury and then, more improbably yet, is persuaded to collaborate with Bradley on a biography of Jaeger. More murders, Arab terrorists, a Muslim ex-basketball player, a Mafia boss and the head of an acting school hog the limelight before the final act ends. Cutler has a talent for titles, but he misdirects his energies--he tries too hard to be funny and not hard enough to generate suspense. (Feb.)

Library Journal

Fiftyish PI Ray Goodman and gay biographer Mark Bradley, whose very collaboration gives rise to humor, here make their third appearance ( The Face on the Cutting Room Floor, LJ 4/1/91). The son of a great actor admits killing his sister's boyfriend but then pleads not guilty.