Several Deaths Later by Ed Gorman

Ed Gorman is one of my favorite writers. He was also a friend of my parents’. And I was fortunate enough to have some conversations with him via phone and email. He published two of my short stories in anthologies he produced. Just some background, as I’ll be reading and reviewing quite a few of his books over the course of time because I inherited pretty much every book he wrote, which he’d given to my parents. Mostly autographed, which is cool.

With all that said, this book is about justice with a heavy dose of revenge. Not a whole lot of redemption going on, though. This is book two of the Tobin series Gorman wrote. Tobin is a movie critic and small celebrity (that’s a pun, but you’ll have to read the book to understand it). In his first book, he became involved in crime solving because his movie critic partner was murdered. This gives the justification as to why a movie critic would step into a murder investigation. Generally, I’m not a fan of amateur sleuths, but Gorman makes this read fun.

In this book, Tobin is on a celebrity cruise where several celebrities no longer at their peak participate in a game show called Celebrity Circle with some of the other passengers on the cruise. Celebrity bodies start dropping. First, Ken Norris, the host of Celebrity Circle, is killed. Tobin, more for his lust for the accused murderer, than any other reason, becomes involved with the investigation because he doesn’t think Cindy McBain (an executive secretary from Kansas City) actually killed Ken. He sets out trying to prove her innocence while trying to get intimate with her. More celebrities are killed along with a couple other people that I won’t name, so as not to give away too much plot. But the game show must go on! Again, you’ll have to read the book to understand that statement.

I truly enjoy Gorman’s writing. For the Tobin series, it’s an offhand writing style. Plenty of comedic elements. Somewhat reminiscent of Elmore Leonard. He jumps into POV’s from multiple characters when it suits him, but mostly from Tobin’s. I believe Gorman is making fun of and criticizing celebrities and those who hang on them with the Tobin series. None of the celebrities are portrayed as decent people. Even Tobin is cynical and constantly in lust with beautiful women. There is some biting commentary from Tobin, who doesn’t think of himself as inside the celebrity circle (another pun).

The mystery is good. Plenty of twists and turns. It’s a short book. Only 211 pages, and the hardcover edition I have is in a medium sized font. In some sense, this could be considered a locked room mystery, as there is nowhere for the killer to go, at least until they come to port, which gives the investigation a ticking time element as well. A good mystery for mystery-lovers, especially those that like amateur sleuths.

I do warn the more sensitive readers. This book is full of sexual innuendo. No graphic on page sex, but plenty of getting ready for sex and off page sex and thinking about sex (mostly from Tobin). Again, this fits into Gorman’s commentary of the seediness of Hollywood. The violence is muted and mostly off page. There is profanity scattered throughout. I’ll rate this just below Connolly’s book, so number two at this point.

1. Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
2. Several Deaths Later by Ed Gorman
3. Citadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko Kloos
4. No Where Safe by Kate Bold

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