Hollywood Boulevard

March 15, 2012
Ardennes Thrush is adrift. Her failed marriage still haunts her; her decision to leave acting at the height of her career is a puzzle even to herself; and her second husband, a brilliant director, is totally wrapped up in his latest Hollywood project. That leaves Ardennes on her own, rehashing her past; taking solitary walks around the grounds of Hotel Muse, where the movie crew lives; and watching her neighbors, the most eccentric of which is the nosy old ex-stripper in the apartment next door. A string of odd phone calls, the unwanted attentions of a wannabe actor, and a bouquet of dead roses delivered to her door convince Ardennes to call the cops, but the hunky detective who investigates is slightly better at hanky-panky than solving crime. A little bit quirky, a little bit noir, and a little bit too coincidental, this is nevertheless an intriguing crime novel with a pitch-perfect narration that sucks you right into the peculiar business that makes Hollywood what it isand the equally peculiar business of finding one's muse.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)