Scan barcode
constantreader471's review
4.0
Seamy underside of Hollywood
I gave this ebook four out of five stars. Simeon Grist is a private eye hired to keep a sick film star out of trouble. Toby Vane likes to beat up women. But then a woman is brutally murdered and Simeon must find out if Toby did it. This is a funny/sad book. Funny parts include Simeon's housekeeping and computer skills.
I purchased this book during a 24 hour sale at Amazon for free in May 2012
I gave this ebook four out of five stars. Simeon Grist is a private eye hired to keep a sick film star out of trouble. Toby Vane likes to beat up women. But then a woman is brutally murdered and Simeon must find out if Toby did it. This is a funny/sad book. Funny parts include Simeon's housekeeping and computer skills.
I purchased this book during a 24 hour sale at Amazon for free in May 2012
psalmcat's review
4.0
Good mystery set in Hollywood about a spoiled and perverse TV actor whose TV 'managers' hire the book's main character, a PI, as his minder to keep him out of the papers (for doing stupid stuff) for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, several exotic dancers he is acquainted with turn up dead; he is alibied, but just barely, by another dancer. Good, suspenseful writing. Wonder if he's written anything else.
samhouston's review
4.0
These days, Tim Hallinan is well known for two different crime fiction series, one featuring career burglar Junior Bender and another featuring American ex-pat travel writer Poke Rafferty. But before Junior and Poke came along, there was Simeon Grist, a young private detective whose story Hallinan began to tell in 1990. The Simeon Grist novels (there are six of them) are perhaps not as easy to find (other than in e-book format), as the Bender and Rafferty ones, but Tim Hallinan fans that make the effort to get their hands on them in one form or another are going to be happy that they did.
Skin Deep was the third Simeon Grist novel published, but because it was actually the first one written, I chose to make it my introduction to the series. Series purists may prefer reading The Four Last Things and Everything but the Squeal first. I suspect that either way will be equally effective as a way to get to know and enjoy the Simeon Grist character.
Simeon Grist does not hesitate for a second when the handsome guy down the bar punches his girlfriend in the face, knocking her to the floor. Simeon is up and at the guy immediately – and just a few well-aimed punches later the jerk joins his girlfriend on the barroom floor. It is only when the man offers Simeon a handful of hundred dollar bills to get him out of the bar before the cops show up that Simeon begins to realize just how unusual a man Toby Vane really is.
Toby Vane, unbeknownst to Simeon, is a television star with one of those “boy next door” grins and images, and right now he stars in one of the most popular series in all of television. But Toby Vane is actually nothing at all like a boy anyone would want living in their neighborhood, much less next door to them. And his studio is willing to pay Simeon a whole lot of money to keep Toby’s secret – that he can’t resist beating and sexually humiliating women – from the public.
Simeon is not especially proud of himself for working for the likes of a Toby Vane but tells himself that at least he’s making sure that Toby won’t be beating up any more women for a while. But even that is a lot easier said than done, and when some of the women hanging around Toby start turning up beaten to death, Simeon begins to wonder if he’s working for a coldblooded killer, a sexual pervert, or some combination of both.
Skin Deep is an exciting introduction to the Simeon Grist series that has me looking forward to what will be for me the next book in the series, The Four Last Things, and wondering if a Simeon Grist revival might be in the cards someday. Don’t let this series slip by you.
Skin Deep was the third Simeon Grist novel published, but because it was actually the first one written, I chose to make it my introduction to the series. Series purists may prefer reading The Four Last Things and Everything but the Squeal first. I suspect that either way will be equally effective as a way to get to know and enjoy the Simeon Grist character.
Simeon Grist does not hesitate for a second when the handsome guy down the bar punches his girlfriend in the face, knocking her to the floor. Simeon is up and at the guy immediately – and just a few well-aimed punches later the jerk joins his girlfriend on the barroom floor. It is only when the man offers Simeon a handful of hundred dollar bills to get him out of the bar before the cops show up that Simeon begins to realize just how unusual a man Toby Vane really is.
Toby Vane, unbeknownst to Simeon, is a television star with one of those “boy next door” grins and images, and right now he stars in one of the most popular series in all of television. But Toby Vane is actually nothing at all like a boy anyone would want living in their neighborhood, much less next door to them. And his studio is willing to pay Simeon a whole lot of money to keep Toby’s secret – that he can’t resist beating and sexually humiliating women – from the public.
Simeon is not especially proud of himself for working for the likes of a Toby Vane but tells himself that at least he’s making sure that Toby won’t be beating up any more women for a while. But even that is a lot easier said than done, and when some of the women hanging around Toby start turning up beaten to death, Simeon begins to wonder if he’s working for a coldblooded killer, a sexual pervert, or some combination of both.
Skin Deep is an exciting introduction to the Simeon Grist series that has me looking forward to what will be for me the next book in the series, The Four Last Things, and wondering if a Simeon Grist revival might be in the cards someday. Don’t let this series slip by you.
More...