Infinite Books

Imagine a cute, Old Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs: here, a customer can browse vintage film magazines while sitting at the authentic horror movie table, stained with fake blood, and admire legendary costumes, perhaps even try on a green beret worn by John Wayne in “The Green Berets.” This is a dream come true for Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, who own “Hooray for Hollywood.” The couple used to be soap opera stars, but their careers ended when they disclosed their sexual orientation. At the same time, and for the same reason, their marriage dissolved in divorce, but they remained best friends and business partners.

The business is not doing well, but the upcoming deal with a 90-year-old retired movie star and true diva, Yana Tosh, promises it will change for the better. Yana embodies Old Hollywood, and her costume collection is legendary; everything is authenticated, with a letter describing how the piece was acquired. Cindy and Jay are sure they will get the exclusive rights to sell it, but a larger competitor, Dylan Redman, comes into the picture. It’s almost too convenient for Jay and Cindy when Dylan is murdered, so the handsome detective Simon Fletcher becomes suspicious of the couple’s intentions. On the other hand, a poisoned envelope addressed to Jay suggests that he might be the target. The “odd couple” – Simon sees them as Bonnie and Clyde – decides to take the matter into their own hands and investigate the case.

This is the fiction debut of Zac Bissonnette, and I enjoyed the plot’s twists. The frequent name-dropping will surely delight all movie buffs reading this cozy mystery. It’s an entertaining story, but it’s not just a shallow whodunit as the author adds some insight into loss and grief, showings how genuine friendship and determination help to deal with life’s difficulties. And, of course, the fact that two protagonists are gay is a departure from the traditional amateur sleuth image. Still, I thought that Cindy and Jay were not as interesting as the story’s villain. I hope Zac Bissonnette will continue developing the main characters in the following books of this series. It’s going to be interesting to see Cindy and Jay’s next big case!

A KILLING IN COSTUMES by Zac Bissonnetti, Crooked Lane Books, 2022