Elizabeth Crowens

Fan of old classic movies? Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is a fun, cozy mystery with cameos from some of 1940’s biggest Hollywood stars. It’s nostalgic, humorous, and full of twists. There’re a lot of cute famous dogs too!

After an abusive marriage & dreams of being an actress fizzled, Babs Norman started her own detective agency with her friend Guy Brandt. When she meets Basil Rathbone star of the Sherlock Holmes movies offering a reward for his missing dog, she begs to be put on the case. But, Basil’s dog isn’t the only one missing, Astra from the famous Thin Man movies, Toto from the Wizard of Oz, and others have been dog napped too. It’s up to Babs, Guy, and Basil, taking on his Sherlock Holmes role, to find the suspects.

This book was really quite unique. I love old movies and so it was fun to see so many stars from that era in the story including Myrna Loy, William Powell, Nigel Bruce, Errol Flynn, the Marx Brothers, and even Humphrey Bogart. The author did a fantastic job capturing their on and off screen personalities.

The mystery is far deeper than a simple dog napping. At times, it was a bit confusing with all the storylines going on at once. There are a host of suspects and red herrings. It all comes down to a nail biting conclusion on the Queen Mary.

Definitely a fun, unique start to a new cozy mystery series. It’ll be fun to see what Elizabeth Crowens comes up with next. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author via Partners in Crime Tours. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: Mild, infrequent swearing & innuendo.… (altro)

When Hollywood went to the dogs…

Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is the premiere novel in author Elizabeth Crowens’s new historical cozy mystery series, the Babs Norman Hollywood Mysteries. Set in 1940 Hollywood, the story is a smorgasbord of actors from the Golden Age of Film as two novice detectives search for the missing dogs of silver screen royalty.

Babs Norman is the principal partner in a new detective agency with her best friend and aspiring actor, Guy Brandt. She’s serious and assertive in her efforts to make good as a PI in Tinseltown after her own attempts as an actor fell short. I liked how when Babs overhears Basil Rathbone talking about his missing cocker spaniel, Leo, she is confident and bold enough to approach the film legend and sell her agency’s services. She parlays that success into getting the job of finding Asta, of The Thin Man fame, who has coincidentally also gone missing at around the same time.

The plot moves quickly from Babs gaining the jobs to following every lead that comes their way. Famous faces and historic Hollywood locations make appearances, with a lot of film trivia and biographical tidbits about the various stars finding their way into the story. Both actors Basil Rathbone and William Powell, known for their portrayals of fictional screen detectives, consult on the mysterious disappearances early on.

While I enjoyed the cameos, film lore, and historical settings, the story got a tad convoluted, the dialogue was occasionally uneven, and there were a few continuity issues. However, none of this was enough to prevent this book from being a good time. I was very impressed at the amount of research the author had to have done in crafting the story, including so many well-known personalities, the social mores of the era, and fitting it all within the framework of the world political situation of the times.

I recommend HOUNDS OF THE HOLLYWOOD BASKERVILLES to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a historical setting, especially that of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.… (altro)

Soulmates by Mike Renick and Lezli Robyn is a collection of short stories that express life through a slightly different lens. The opening story, "Benchwarmer" tells of children's toys and pretend friends. Boy and Mr. Paloobi are a wonderful pair. The reader views the world from the perspective of the imaginary toys. The Boy as Old Man needs Mr. Paloobi again to play chess and keep him company. The slightly tilted lens of these stories includes aliens, monsters, and talking cats. Readers of science fiction, short stories, and of "Twilight-Zone" style fiction will be delighted with this collection. Fine writing and good characters provide an entertaining reading opportunity.… (altro)