Thursday, April 12, 2012

Where, oh where has my comedy gone?

Recently the HUMAN started re-reading one of her very favorite mystery novels, which got me to thinking:  there's just not enough comedy anymore. Real comedy, that is, like the slapstick comedies of old.   Where are all the Marx Brothers, Bud and Lou, Desi and Lucy, the Danny Thomases, the Red Skeletons of old?

If you are like the HUMAN and like your mysteries light and peppered with snappy one liners, you might like a little trilogy called THE DOUBLE FEATURE MYSTERIES.

The premise of the Double Feature Mystery series was that the main character, Elliot Freed, made a pile of money form selling his novel to Hollywood and used it to open a local theatre where he showed only comedies:  one old classic and one modern.  (and, as is befiting, the modern never quite lives up to the classic)  The titles were parodies on classic comedy title:

It Happened One Knife
Some Like it Hot-Buttered
A Night at the Operation

Mysteries abound, one having to do with one of Freed's employees, another with his ex-wife (with whom he remains VERY friendly).  Cohen's rapier wit spills over onto his main character, Elliott, making for some very funny one-liners.  In addition the msyteries are good whodunits in the tradition of good mystery series (think Perry Mason or Remington Steele).

It makes one wonder why this series ws not picked up for more than three books - is it that we do not like so much comedy sprinkled in with our mysteries?  Or not so much mystery sprinkled in with our comedy?  Or was perhaps the idea of somone wanting to own a theatre that played only comedies too impausible?

its a shame, because these books are GOOD.  Really, really, GOOD.

Anyway, the above is only my catly opinion, of course, but I think if you read these books, you'd come to appreciate good comedic mysteries the same way I do:  Laugh your head off while at the same time peeking around the corner to  make sure the boogeyman ins't sneakng up on you with a knife.

Comedy tonight, anyone?

If you'd like to check some of 'em out, here are some links:

http://www.amazon.com/Some-Hot-Buttered-Double-Feature-Mystery/dp/042521799X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333999977&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Operation-Double-Feature-Mystery/dp/0425228150/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334000057&sr=1-7

they are also available on Kindle!


And now I shall get off my soapbox and start preparing  my future interviews, as well as begining work on my second novel.  I am a busy kitty,  meow!


Coming soon: Sampson Weber in my hotseat! (Yes, I am going to interview a PUG!)



ROCCO
Incredibly Talented Blogging Cat





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