Reel Stuff: A Novel (The Stuff Series)
Bruns’ latest Stuff novel (Too Much Stuff, 2011) is a lean, thoroughly entertaining mystery. Florida private eye Skip Moore, who also narrates the story, and his partner, James Lessor, are spending a few days on the set of a TV series, as part of the producers’ beefed-up security, necessitated by the guest-starring appearance of a famous big-screen actor. When the big-screen actor dies (rather spectacularly) during rehearsal for an action scene, it looks to Skip like it’s suicide. But a ditsy actress, who claims the dead man was about to propose marriage, says he was murdered. The killer, she says, is the victim’s former agent, who also happens to be his wife and the ditsy actress’ sister. (Take a moment to absorb that.) Clues, laughs, and shenanigans abound. The Stuff novels aren’t quite comedy-mysteries, but they’re about as close as you can get, effectively mixing serious crime with plenty of humor. --David Pitt