The Dead Celeb: A Lucy Freers Mystery

The Dead Celeb is a witty and engaging mystery, but what the critics seem to have overlooked is that it's also one of the most savagely skilled fictional eviscerations of Hollywood ever penned. Maracotta's tale is a mordant parable of Hollywood's awful treatment of women, but it's anything but PC: its great strength, in fact, is the way it reveals the complicity of these women in their own debasement. Ferocious, literate and funny throughout, this is a fine choice if you really want to understand the mindset of the movie business. The whole Lucy Freers series deserves to be much better known.

I love this character! Lucy is smart and funny and I loved the other books as well. The thing is that after reading this book - I too felt like a Hollywood insider! Don't know what that other person was thinking. This is a fun book and so are the others! When is the next one? It would make a great series of movies or TV! That would be way cool.

There was something funny on every page. I couldn't put it down and had to read it in one sitting. Marcotta's characters are vivid, absolutely real, and right on. I'm on my way to reading the other two in the series. A definite recommend.

I'm really surprised at the other reviewer's comments. Personally, I found this mystery very imaginative, funny. I actually read this novel from the beginning to end, not skipping a single para. Lucy is a great heroine, with an ensemble of supporting characters filling in the plot. Although I have to admit the conclusion was a little thin, I'm still looking forward to the next installment.