Hotel Detective

May 2, 1994
Russell ( The Forest Prime Evil ) launches this series with a book as light as a chocolate souffle--and about as filling. At San Diego's landmark hotel--readers may think of the Coronado, where Some Like It Hot was filmed--assistant general manager (AGM) Am Caulfield is forced by the nasty new GM to take on the job of head of security. The GM leaves for a long weekend with the hotel's owners and Am is quickly confronted with a suspicious suicide, the theft of a Las Vegas showgirl's customized (``Fifty-eight double F'') bras and the knifing murders of a local lawyer and his unknown mistress. Also on his agenda is a convention of a few hundred members of the Bob Johnson society (all named Bob Johnson), a temperamental chef's serving of roadkill to a food critic and the daily downside of running a large hotel. Russell gets off plenty of one-liners in this unsubstantial offering and solves the various subplots (even the lingerie thief is caught). Amateur sleuth Am is fairly phlegmatic as well as unflappable, and the setting is mined for easy jokes rather than quirky, memorable characterization.