by R. D. Rosen
First published 2013
Harvey Blissberg takes what seems like simple work for Roy Ganz, the small but arrogant producer of a declining late-night comedy show. Blissberg just needs to retrieve a missing guest host from a Times Square bar. The show tapes without incident, but celebration turns to shock when Ganz plummets from a twenty-fourth floor window. The network quietly hires Blissberg to investigate the death. He wades through the show's collection of bitter writers and frustrated actors, most of whom despised their controlling boss. Each interview reveals another motive for murder. The case forces Blissberg to dig into television's early history, uncovering secrets that reach back decades. As he navigates the cutthroat world of network television, Blissberg discovers that in show business, the line between comedy and tragedy disappears quickly. Someone wanted Ganz dead, and they may not be finished killing.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, investigation
Setting: Times Square, New York
Period: 20th-century
274 pages · ebook · MysteriousPress.com/Open Road