Yes, Nostalgia about sums up the essential element of the Toby Peters
mystery series, and this entry continues the tradition. Author Kaminsky
is an authority on the golden age of Hollywood, and his Peters series
abounds with name-dropping references to every conceiveable
food, drink, movie, gossip, auto, appliance, etc. that can be mentioned
in a story. If you ever wondered what brands of chewing gum, soft drink, auto, etc. were used by people in the '40s, the author supplies
the brand name. And, interestingly, most found are those that no longer
exist, so some readers will find their memories touched by old associations long forgotten.
Detective Peters himself drives a Crosley automobile, long-disappeared,
and you will rarely see such a thing even at old-auto shows. They just
weren't saved and haven't been restored; they were too small and too
inexpensive. But small and economical, so they are another example
of a product ahead of its time.
But the nostalgia is a very nice backdrop to a pleasant set of mysteries,
and the reader gets a nice intro to the detective's mind-set when
introduced to his cat, which is named after Dashiell Hammett. When you
think of Hammett, you are on your way to a nice entertainment.
This time, Peters gets called by Cary Grant, and they set off on an adventure where they chase and neutralize some Nazi spys, but only
after Peters gets his usual quota of blows to the head and punches to
the body, as well as a few forays into brambles and brush. All typical
for this detective, but we end up sympathizing with him and all his aches
and pains.
After all, Cary Grant trusts and likes him, so how can we do any less?
This story contains a trip down memory lane and a satisfactory mystery.
Recommended for all mystery lovers.

On New Year's Day 1944, Hollywood down-and-out private eye Toby Peters catches a case that again embroils him in a rough-and-tumble series of events alongside one of the silver screen's greatest stars. Cary Grant, already a legend in the making with some of his best work still before him, hires Peters to deliver a package to a clandestine meeting for him. The package contains, Grant says, five thousand dollars in cash. The movie star won't tell Peters what's in the package that he's supposed to pick up. Later, at the meeting, Peters is bushwhacked. When he regains consciousness, the money is gone, the package is missing, and the man he was supposed to meet dies after leaving a cryptic whispered message behind. Stumbling through the park, Peters finds a police officer and reports the murder, only when they return to the tree where he left the corpse, the dead man is gone. Cary Grant keeps Peters on his payroll, and the Hollywood private eye decides to stay because things are not adding up anywhere. Peters has drawn the unwelcome attention of the Los Angeles Police Department, including his brother Phil, and two agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With his usual cadre of friends, including Gunther the small person, Jeremy the poet, and Shelly the dentist, Peters struggles to find the truth in the morass of half-truths and outright lies as the body count increases.

Stuart Kaminsky is an award-winning mystery novelist with four series currently underway. TO CATCH A SPY is the twenty-second novel in the long-running Toby Peters series set in 1940s Hollywood. The titles include A BULLET FOR A STAR (with Errol Flynn), NEVER CROSS A VAMPIRE (with Bela Lugosi), MURDER ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD (with Judy Garland), HE DONE HER WRONG (with Mae West), THE DEVIL MET A LADY (with Bette Davis), and THE MAN WHO SHOT LEWIS VANCE (with John Wayne). Kaminsky's other series include Russian police inspector Porfiry Rostnikov, Chicago police detective Abe Lieberman, and Florida process server Lewis Fonesca.

The Toby Peters novels are quick and simple, each a guilty pleasure to read. TO CATCH A SPY, as in all of the series novels, offers a noirish story with plenty of Hollywood background that knowledgeable film aficionados of the 1940s era will love. One of the best aspects of this series is the cast of support characters. Mrs. Plaut is represented in rare form and Cary Grant plays quite nicely off her. Sheldon Minick, the dentist, is apparently going through some changes that are hinted at even more by the foreshadowing of the next Toby Peters book at the end of this story. One of the more interesting characters in the book is George Hall (one of several Peters turns up during the course of the novel) a voice actor for radio. Kaminsky, a former film historian and college professor, is certainly knowledgeable about this period of time and the various forms entertainment took. Cary Grant comes across much as he does in his movies, but there isn't much added depth.

The ending seemed a little rushed, and the prologue that basically takes a scene out of the final few moments of the books seems too forced. The device got the reader's attention as to why Cary Grant and Toby Peters are running for their lives, but made the ending collapse rather suddenly. Still, the novel is well worth reading.

Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters novels are not Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels. They aren't intended to be. The Peters novels are meant to be evocative of the 1940s time period and of Hollywood. Fans of Donald Westlake, Raymond Chandler, and Max Allan Collins' Nate Heller novels will probably enjoy this series a lot, and mystery readers looking for something solid and dependable will want to pick this book up if they've never tried Toby Peters or Stuart Kaminsky.

For Stuart Kaminsky this is a very light, even frivolous mystery. Cary Grant's presence in a serious case seems to add froth. But it is immensely readable. Just try to put this spy tale down without finding out where the spies are, how Gunther's research is going, or if Mrs. Plaut will ever make sense! Even Jeremy's poetry becomes more beguiling.

Most of the time he's working out of Hollywood--and managing to stay very busy! This time, Toby Peters, ace private detective, has his hands full again. But it's a special "order"! General Douglas MacArthur (a real "American Caesar") contacts him for help. It seems that the general is contemplating running for political office once he's out of uniform. Alas, however, one of his assistants has run away with the campaign funds, but some critical (and very sensitive) papers, as well. Along the way, Peters is joined by Dashiell Hammett (until he gets kidnapped) and this period piece detective story is off and running. While it lacks the suspense and poignancy of Kaminsky's Inspector Rostnikov series, this is fun reading! No, it's not P.D. James, but a good mystery, nonetheless! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Most of the time he's working out of Hollywood--and managing to stay very busy! This time, Toby Peters, ace private detective in Stuart M. Kaminsky's "Buried Caesars," has his hands full again. But it's a special "order"! General Douglas MacArthur (a real "American Caesar") contacts him for help. It seems that the general is contemplating running for political office once he's out of uniform. Alas, however, one of his assistants has run away with the campaign funds, but some critical (and very sensitive) papers, as well. Along the way, Peters is joined by Dashiell Hammett (until he gets kidnapped) and this period piece detective story is off and running. While it lacks the suspense and poignancy of Kaminsky's Inspector Rostnikov series, this is fun reading! No, it's not P.D. James, but a good mystery, nonetheless! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

This is only the second "Toby Peters" novel I've read. I started last month with the one that actually follows this effort...the Cary Grant thriller "To Catch a Spy." That's good but this is better. W.C. Fields comes off as irascible as those who know him from his great film comedies would expect, but he holds his liquor well and exhibits bravery and a good heart to boot. Toby and his buddies Gunther and Jeremy and his girlfriend Anita are present, along with nutty and incompetent dentist Shelly and the lovely secretary Violet. Toby and W.C. and Gunther go on a cross-country journey to save Fields' famous small-town savings accounts from a thief. Comedy and tragedy and danger are well-balanced here, against a backdrop of 1943 WWII headlines and name-dropping from Hollywood's Golden Era. I recommend this highly to those who like quick-reading mixtures of fun and suspense. I'll be cleansing my small town's library shelves of its stock of the "Toby" series, then looking to buy the missing ones. Kaminsky has a winner in this character and his adventures. I have also read two of his "Abe Leiberman" police procedurals, but the Peters' books are more impressive.

This book is perfect for all W.C. lovers. The absurd detective plot and a journy across the country from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in an old Cadillac are the backdrop for W.C. Fields' amusing one-liners of wit and wisdom. And the old, alcohol soaked comedian fires them in abundance. I couldn't help myself but laugh out loud. Good entertainment!

Kaminsky's Toby Peters is a classic hard boiled detective and lives up to the title in this book. It has all the elements of a good L.A. noir story and is handled well. The extra(s) are the inclusion of many historically famous personalities (Raymond Chandler, Judy Garland, Louis B. Mayer, etc.)

That being said this book suffers from the same thing all books written about pre-war L.A. by people who weren't really there. The descriptions and directions tend to sound like someone reading off of a 1940's California map along with pictures from an old Life magazine.

Its fast-paced, short, and to the point. Its worth the time, however you won't remember much of it after you're done.

The dust jacket on the hardcover is apropos. It has a picture of a bleeding Munchkin with a dagger through his heart lying on the Yellow Brick Road.

It's November 1, 1940. The Wizard of OZ premiered last year. FDR is running for a 3rd term. Who is killing former Munchkins? Is Judy Garland in danger? Tobias Leo Pevsner, (a/k/a Toby Peters) P.I. is on the case for MGM. (MGM wants to control publicity spin and avoid official police "blue tape.)

The book, written by a Northwestern University film professor, is a take-off on the "hard-boiled" detective sagas of an earlier age. In a hilarious plot twist, Toby stumbles on some guy he's never heard of who claims to be a writer of detective stories. The guy's name? "Chandler, Raymond Chandler" who tells our hero he has written a couple of books: "The Big Sleep" and "Farewell, My Lovely" - neither of which our hero has ever heard of either. Nonetheless, Mr. Chandler becomes his sometime partner on the case. If you like things Oz, I recommend this book and also the movie "Under the Rainbow" - a spoof of the making of the Wizard of Oz, with Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher trying to manage the mischievous Munchkins.

This book is one of the first mystery novels that I've ever picked up, started, and felt compelled to keep reading until I finished it. Stuart Kaminsky blends the familiar elements of a murder mystery with a good dose of humor and eroticism (don't worry, it's not obscene). The whole book is tied together with the completely unpredictable, sick, yet hilarious conclusion. I'm not a person who reads a lot of mystery novels (or a lot of books in general), but Stuart Kaminsky is the most fun author I have ever read. Murder on the Yellow Brick Road was the first Kaminsky book I read, and it led me to buy 2 more of his books (Dancing in the Dark and The Devil Met a Lady), both of which are similarly fun but not quite as good from a mystery reader standpoint. If you're just looking for a good mystery novel that is also very fun, go ahead and pick up a copy of Murder on the Yellow Brick Road. Oh, and don't let your kids read it.

The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance is a fun book. But it is not among the very best in the Toby Peters series. This is due in large part to the fact that the Duke was barely in it. I know this series is not really *about* Hollywood stars of the 40's; it's about slovenly PI Toby Peters and his comical cast of misfits. But usually the stars are not just window dressing, either. This time, the Duke had naught but a glorified cameo. If it were a film, he would fire his agent. In fact, Charlie Chaplin had a much meatier role than John Wayne.

That said, the portrayal of Duke was respectful. Far more respectful than it could have been, given his larger-than-life image and the subtly politicized subject matter.

The mystery itself is pretty good until the solution, which seemed implausible, though the motive was somewhat thought-provoking, even touching. I had better say no more than that, except to add that once the culprit was revealed, the machinations seemed a little protracted and the book a tad padded, even at its short length. And we learn Peters had figured it out a bit earlier; he may have endangered lives by not acting when he first suspected.

Plus, there is a sex scene inserted into the mix. Toby Peters mysteries always have one. They are never exploitative, but often seem out of place. Especially this one, with a "lady" calling herself Olivia Fontaine. Ugh.

Still, it is a light, entertaining read, with nice payoffs for long-time fans. Phil acting ... nice. Jeremy's wedding. Mrs. Plaut considering a hearing aid. Toby telling Shel off. Toby trying RC Cola. And a new car for our hero.

Bravo to Kaminsky for his series, which hearken back to the days of Raymond Chandler. They're not really similar, but Kaminsky's love for Marlowe, the era and the style are very evident. I would just recommend a couple others ahead of this one, that's all.

Try also: Think Fast, Mr. Peters (3.5 stars); Never Cross a Vampire (4.0-4.5 stars, because it has something meaningful to say about Lugosi's career and how it parallels the mystery. Read it, it's a nice touch.)

As a Peter Lorre fan who was very disappointed with Leslie Epstein's offensively inaccurate portrayal of my favorite actor in his novel "Pandaemonium," I was delighted when a friend tipped me off to this little-known mystery novel belonging to the "Hollywood movie star helps solve a crime" subgenre. Kaminsky cleverly uses the conceit of a Peter Lorre impersonator (at a time when Hollywood was swarming with them) as a device to draw both the real Lorre and series sleuth Toby Peters into a Macguffin chase that provides an excuse for an entertaining excursion into wartime Los Angeles society, in and out of the movie industry. The mystery angle doesn't really amount to much, but for a movie buff it's a pleasurable ride.

Judging from the number of used copies of this book on sale for just pennies, other readers shared similar reactions: That they found The Devil Met A Lady to be quite a disappointment. Kaminsky continues the (dubious) trend of casting historical figures in fictional adventures by building a mystery, involving wartime espionage, around an attempt to blackmail Bette Davis. But the character that emerges is more that of a dull drag queen doing Davis than of the Fourth Warner Brother. And the sleuth, Toby Peters, solves cases with the help of a vaudevillian network of friends and acquaintances like fortune-tellers, little people and, well, BIG people. The plotting is pretty last ditch, with coincidences aplenty and saviors unexpectedly turning up where it's unlikely they'd be (the "mystery" proves little more than an afterthought). And while a light tone is one thing, The Devil Met A Lady -- the title's a play on the 1936 Davis version of The Maltese Falcon, Satan Met A Lady -- lacks the edge and precision to be a campy romp.

The best of these Toby Peters mysteries (such as Never Cross a Vampire and to a lesser extent Murder on the Yellow Brick Road) are the ones where the celebrity clients have something to do, or where the proceedings at least parallel some aspect of their lives. This is not one of those, joining The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance as a novel where the supposed star, this time the Marx Brothers, are only the deus ex machina.

There are other ways this novel is a departure for the series, and in every way it deviates from the norm is a way in which it fails. Perhaps that is merely happenstance, but I think the changes themselves are to blame, as opposed to any faulty ideas or execution.

This novel is set in Chicago, allowing interaction with Mayor Daley and mobsters such as Frank Nitti. The plot involves Toby trying to get Chico Marx out of a situation arisen from gambling debts, which he says are not his.

There is notably less humor in this book than in previous adventures. It is freezing cold, Toby is perpetually ill and in pain, and meets a succession of characters that are sad or pitiful without ever achieving much poignancy. And as for Toby himself, his pathetic lifestyle is palatable when the comedic nature of it is trumped up; here it is more serious, almost maudlin at times. In addition, though these books are modeled after Chandler, they've never really managed the cynical wit or wry dialogue; so the humor is missed even more sorely here.

My overriding complaint with this book is this: Why have the Marx Brothers in your story if they're not going to act like the Marx Brothers? I understand that they were not the same men as their stage-and-screen personas, and were even a little frustrated by inability to transcend them. But I maintain that the injection of a little of their subversive craziness into a project which bears their image is only right, and would have improved this book immensely. It goes back to the first paragraph of this review: give the Hollywood stars something to do, or at least comment on their life and livelihood through the action. (I would have loved to read Groucho flustering a room full of corrupt cops with trademark one-liners and non-sequitirs. And I am likewise intrigued by a mental picture of Harpo using his giant Duck Soup scissors to cut a bunch of mobsters' ties, then soaking his feet in a vat of their beer.)

Only at the end, after the wrap-up, does Toby check in with any members of the usual supporting cast, and then only by phone. Too bad; it sounds like some interesting events had been happening to them back in LA.

There are nice things about the book, too, though comparatively few: Ian Fleming makes a welcome cameo, rescuing Toby in a manner not unlike his fictional creation might have, and we also meet a diseased, demented Al Capone early in the story. The "love interest" (I hate that term, because they're seldom more than warm bodies) could have been an interesting character, but she is little more in these pages than the standard harlot with a heart of semi-gold.

The book is unfortunately not enough redeemed by a thoughtful solution. Chicago in this period of history was a unique place, but I still think the mystery could have played out the same almost anywhere. Kaminsky likely had a mob story in him and had no way better to use it.

Deal yourself out of this hand, at least until you've read some of the others in the Toby Peters series.