Hollywood Buzz (Pucci Lewis Mystery)

Margit Liesche
Poisoned Pen Press (2009)
ISBN 9781590585795
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (11/08)

 

Pucci Lewis has just been assigned to two important missions.  One task is to supervise and provide input into a film that Hollywood producers are making about WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) to be certain they are represented accurately.  Her second objective is to quietly investigate the suspicious aviation accident of a fellow WASP.  When sabotage is suspected, Pucci has difficulty finding the truth because so many people are exhibiting strange behavior and she must be wary of their possible motives.  Was it men who are angry that women have taken over their flying duties or could it have been Nazi spies who have infiltrated the country and wish to do harm to its citizens?

Set during World War II, “Hollywood Buzz” provides a good history lesson for younger adults about different war efforts, such as female pilots stepping in to fly planes while many male pilots were deployed overseas.  It also touches on the sacrifices people had to make to conserve materials that would be needed to improve national defense strategies.  This is an important concept to convey because in recent wars in which the United States has been engaged, most of its citizens have not experienced any personal negative effects in terms of material items.  Older generations will probably enjoy recollecting their past histories and teaching their families about their personal wartime experiences.  They will also better appreciate the actors and actresses mentioned in the book.  (I had heard of some of them but am completely unfamiliar with their work.)

While the story is well-conceived, I feel there are too many unnecessary characters, with small roles that do little, if anything, to advance the plot.  In the beginning sequences when Pucci first arrives in Hollywood, too many characters were introduced at one time, making it difficult for me to remember where they fit in on the making of the movie about the WASPs.  Also most of the characters seemed to behave in shady ways because they were not fully developed and their activities were not thoroughly explained.

“Hollywood Buzz” by Margit Liesche provides readers with a realistic portrayal of life in the United States in the 1940s.  The plot is engaging and will appeal to a broad adult audience.

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