While the story beguiles for awhile, and the energy level runs hot, and Sharon McCone's life and personal demons engage, I admit to feeling a tad unable to accept the denouement. Also, several characters did not respond in a believable manner to me, particularly Amy, Lisa, Tracy and even McCone. I could not see Tracy Kostakos going out with Marc Emmons, a real colorless jerk. The drama queen Amy did not seem like someone who would sit around an apartment for a year living under the shadow of her roommate's drama for a year, being buried in Tracy's life. .Lisa McIntyre's behavior was a weird combination of lifeless concern for herself. Alas. I was not able to lose myself in this adventure, but instead I was wincing at the emotional dissonance to what I thought would have been natural instead. Most of the suspects and the victim's loved ones turn out to be stupid people, either too stupid to live or shallow as a shadow, and all of that goes double for the victim herself, Tracy Kostakos. That does not turn me off on a book, but it meant the story had to hook me. Instead,I lost energy to care about discovering who done it. Also, I think if you are going to write about a comedy club, there should be more detail about that business to make it come alive, but this could have been about an ordinary restaurant and its employees. Plus, my impression of comedians is they can be dysfunctional, bitter and attention seeking, but I never thought of them as empty blanks.So, anyway.
Always like this series and it still does not disappoint me. Good story. Keeps you interested.Bobby Foster, car-hop at the chic Cafe Comedie, is going to the gas chamber. He's already confessed to the murder of Tracy Kostakos, the club's rising star. But two years after the crime, Tracy's body is still missing and Bobby's confession is full of holes. All Souls Legal Cooperative's final appeal sends San Francisco's #1 P.I. Sharon McCone behind the footlights into the super-charged arena of anxious club owners and aspiring young hopefuls...into the fractured world of Tracy's privileged family and the mind of a young comedienne who was not the good little girl they thought they knew...into a labyrinth of death and deception where someone will kill to laugh last and get away with murder
What do You think about The Shape Of Dread (1990)?
Muller continues to be an excellent mystery writer. This one was a no-body murder case where she got to have a lot of fun exploring whether everyone even was correct about who had been murdered. Some of McCone's early bad-girl stylings are gone, since she actually keeps in touch with the authorities and ask for permission to stay on the case in this work. It seems like Muller & hubby had their individual sleuths triangulating, with McCone getting more law-abiding and Nameless less law-abiding, as time went on.In any case, another good read.
—Shannon Appelcline
#9 in the Sharon McCone series. Average entry.Sharon McCone series - Bobby Foster, car-hop at the Cafe Comedie, is going to the gas chamber. He's confessed to the murder of Tracy Kostakos. But two years after the crime, Tracy's body is still missing and Bobby's confession is full of holes. All Souls Legal Cooperative sends Sharon McCone into the arena of anxious club owners and aspiring young hopefuls...into the world of Tracy's family and the mind of a young comedienne who was not the good little girl they thought they knew...into a labyrinth of death and deception where someone will kill to laugh last and get away with murder.
—Ed
This was book nine in the McCone mystery series and the best yet. Muller laid out bread crumbs leading to the murderer, only to snatch away the prize at the last moment. She did this numerous times. When she finally did reveal the murderer it was a total surprise (at least to me). I thought he was way too stupid to have done the deed. The reasoning behind it made sense though.Muller also spent time in the book delving into the personal dramas of the All Souls employees. It was interesting getting a fuller view of the characters.
—Smoochys
