From Publishers Weekly
Even Fred Astaire can't dance his way out of trouble without help from Toby Peters, detective to the stars in wartime Hollywood. In Toby's 19th entertaining case (after Tomorrow is Another Day), mob moll Luna Martin wants dance lessons. Her boyfriend, nicknamed "Fingers" because he removes those of his enemies, invites the great dancer to instruct Luna?or suffer bodily harm. After Luna bats her eyelashes once too often at the star, however, a nervous Astaire, fearing wrathful Fingers, hires Toby to stand in. But Toby doesn't "know a tango from a funeral march." The disappointed Luna complains, but not for long; someone cuts her throat. As the bodies pile up, Toby also struggles with his ex-wife's decision to marry a B-movie actor and takes poundings from an enigmatic legbreaker named Kudlap Singh, formerly a professional wrestler known as the Beast of Bombay. Clues lead to a star-filled benefit at L.A.'s historic Wiltern Theatre, where danger lurks when Astaire takes the stage. As always in this engaging series, Edgar-winner Kaminsky effortlessly choreographs Hollywood history, colorful cast and dirty doings.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This detective story attempts to conjure up the atmosphere of World War II in Hollywood. Detective Toby Peters must protect Fred Astaire from Fingers Intaglia, a gangster whose girlfriend wants dancing lessons from the star. The author (Blood and Rubles, Audio Reviews, LJ 5/15/96) serves up stereotypes and tries to play the story for laughs. His humor is blandly Yiddish and derives from vaudeville material. Unfortunately, the book seems to fall flat. Tom Parker does a competent job of narration, but it's difficult to see this getting much response except from diehard Kaminsky fans. [For a review of the abridged version, see Audio Reviews, LJ 9/15/96.?Ed.]?James Dudley, Copiague.
-?James Dudley, Copiague, Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
