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The Glamorous Dead Paperback – October 31, 2017

by Suzanne Gates (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Set in the dream factory of the 1940s, this glittering debut novel follows a young Hollywood hopeful into a star-studded web of scandal, celebrity, and murder . . .
 
The chipped pink nail polish is a dead giveaway—no pun intended. When a human thumb is discovered near a Hollywood nightclub, it doesn’t take long for the police to identify its owner. Miss Penny Harp would recognize that pink anywhere: it belongs to her best friend, Rosemary. And so does the rest of the body buried beneath it. Rosemary, with the beauty and talent, who stood out from all other extras on the Paramount lot. She was the one whose name was destined for a movie marquee—not for the obituaries. And for an extra twist, now an LAPD detective thinks Penny is the one who killed her . . .
 
Penny is determined to prove her innocence—with a little help from an unlikely ally, the world-famous queen of film noir, Barbara Stanwyck. Penny met “Stany” on the set of Paramount’s classic comedy The Lady Eve, where the star took an instant liking to her. With Stany’s powerful connections and no-nonsense style, she has no trouble following clues out of the studio backlot, from the Los Angeles morgue to the Zanzibar Room to the dark, winding streets of Beverly Hills. But there’s something Penny isn’t telling her famous partner in crimesolving: a not-so-glamorous secret that could lead them to Rosemary’s killer—or send Penny to the electric chair . . .
 
“Suzanne Gates hits the sweet spot at the corner of literary and genre with her exquisite
writing. . . . A captivating story of star-struck dreams and redemption.”
--Lissa Price, Internationally Bestselling Author of the Starters series
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Kensington
  4. Publication date
    October 31, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1496708121
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1496708120
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Quotes from the magazine Photoplay begin each chapter in this gritty, noir debut that vividly captures the atmosphere of glamorous parties, movie stars, and influential studios. Readers of Kelli Stanley’s ‘Miranda Corbie’ mysteries or Linda L. Richards’s ‘Kitty Pangborn’ crime novels will appreciate the celebrity and culture of the period.”—Library Journal
 
“Gates’ first novel is full of the cameos and factoids that fans of Hollywood’s Golden Age will enjoy…the book is a treasure trove of movie lore. Full of moxie, Penny is the perfect leading lady for this entertaining mystery.”—Booklist
 
“[An] impressive first novel, set in pre-WWII Hollywood….Gates skillfully evokes a Hollywood era when the studio chiefs wielded enormous power over the lives of everyone in their orbits and would go to any length to protect their stars and big-budget movies. Glamour takes a back seat to lust, lies, and greed in this well-wrought mystery.”—Publishers Weekly
 
"Suzanne Gates hits the sweet spot at the corner of literary and genre with her exquisite writing. She spins a captivating story of star-struck dreams and redemption set in the seductive glamour of forties Hollywood. This is an absolutely juicy debut from a sophisticated new voice."—Lissa Price, Internationally Bestselling author of the Starters series
 
“This is truly a glorious tale set in 1940’s Hollywood, when mysteries ran amok and characters were colorful, memorable and a whole lot of fun to be around.”—Suspense Magazine
 
“Surrounded by the rich and famous, this mystery is never cut and dry. There are no clear villains, but the mood and ambiance of the era are front and center. Recognizable names are dropped with glee throughout. While the motive for the crime(s) takes time to develop, this is an entertaining piece of work that will keep readers engaged until the end.”—RT Book Reviews

About the Author

Suzanne Gates began writing historical crime fiction after listening to family stories about her great-uncle, a gangster in 1930s Los Angeles. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of California, Irvine, and she lives in Southern California. The Glamorous Dead is her first novel. Visit Suzanne at www.suzannegates.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington (October 31, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496708121
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496708120
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

STACY SCOTT
5.0 out of 5 stars a very good read
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
i love murder/mysteries
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George Eliot
4.0 out of 5 stars a quirky murder mystery
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
a quirky murder mystery with interesting historical contextualization of old Hollywood and old Orange County
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Pageturner in NYC
4.0 out of 5 stars Dark & Moody Retro Murder Mystery with Barbara Stanwyck
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2017
Most of the action in Suzanne Gates's debut mystery, THE GLAMOUROUS DEAD, takes place in 1940, on a Hollywood movie set while Preston Sturges films his classic screwball comedy, The Lady Eve. Between takes and after hours, the film's leading lady, Barbara Stanwyck, plays amateur sleuth to solve the murder of one of the film's extras.

While the premise sounds like it will be a lightweight comedic mystery--along the lines of Stuart M. Kaminsky's Toby Peters series or George Baxt's novels featuring real celebrities solving fictional murders--Gates's mystery is deadly serious. THE GLAMOUROUS DEAD will remind genre lovers of Dorothy B. Hughes's darker noir crime fiction, especially the fever dream atmosphere and unreliable narrator in her 1947 classic, IN A LONELY PLACE.

When her beautiful roommate disappears on Halloween and is later found buried in a shallow grave, film extra Penny Harp becomes the LAPD's top murder suspect. It doesn't help matters that Penny (the narrator) has a lot of secrets and seems to alienate everyone around her, with the exception of the film's star. Why is Stanwyck suddenly best buddies with this background performer? Was Stanwyck's husband, dashing actor Robert Taylor, having an affair with the murdered girl?

THE GLAMOUROUS DEAD alternates between chapters of the two women trying to solve the murder with flashback chapters that begin to explain why neither woman is being completely honest with the other. This moody and retro noir mystery pulls readers along with carefully revealed twists, complex characters and unnerving apprehension

In this dark and moody retro murder mystery, actress Barbara Stanwyck turns amateur detective when a beautiful film extra is murdered.
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kathleen g
4.0 out of 5 stars Try this if you have an interest in 1940s Hollywood ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017
Try this if you have an interest in 1940s Hollywood. Penny enlists Barbara Stanwyck to help her clear her name in the murder of her friend Rosemary. There's a lot of cultural references from the time period as well as movie trivia. It's well written but might not appeal to everyone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
3 people found this helpful
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msluv2read
3.0 out of 5 stars Could not get into this book
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2017
I have to be honest, this book just did not work for me. I am a fan of Hollywood and it's heyday, so I was very happy to receive this book. This book left me confused many times. This was due to the style of writing and the narration. It just never flowed. I kept finding myself going back and re-reading parts due to the confusion. The synopsis of this book had me so ready for this book. I had to put the book down and come back to it hoping that it would pick up, but alas, it did not for me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publsher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
2 people found this helpful
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hydro
1.0 out of 5 stars What a mess
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2018
If this book has a distinct plotline, I couldn't find it-I never did figure out what was going on. There were flashbacks (I think) that disrupted what little continuity existed. The characters are flat and stereotypical and very unlikable. I couldn't finish it.
One person found this helpful
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Kristine Fisher
4.0 out of 5 stars The Glamorous Dead
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2018
The Glamorous Dead by Suzanne Gate is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early November.

As a kind of 40s Hollywood murder mystery, the cheeky guy/dame dialogue shines when it's coming from the likes of Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, but, from its lead narrator, a bit player for Paramount named Penny, it comes off as pensive, worrisome, and insecure. Either way, it's dripping with just-the-facts testimonials, Californian interpersonal critique, and the kind of pervasive pressure and sardonics that you'd expect from the old Hollywood elite, fixers, lawyers, and other people tasked with protecting their studio players' reputations.
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