Written in 1973 under his John Lange pseudonym but previously unpublished, this book steps away from Crichton’s usual techno thrillers to deliver a classic whodunit.
The story unfolds on a movie location in Tucson, Arizona, where the production of a Western film called BLOODROCK is thrown into chaos when the film’s unlikable screenwriter is discovered dead in his bathtub. Studio heads arrange for a meticulous insurance investigator, Harlow Perkins, to come to the set and solve the case before everyone panics. Harvey Jason, the studio publicist for this picture, follows Perkins around as they dig into all the cast and crew members who might be the killer.
Lots of the usual technical detail with all the accuracy detailing the gritty, unglamorous logistics of a 1970 movie set. There’s no romanticism here but a sort of cynical realism. It captures the mood of a remote location shoot with all the budget anxieties and the tension on the set. This isn’t an action packed plot but more a steady procedural deduction process.
Definitely not character driven, this is more focused on the puzzle of what happened and who did what. Because it’s set in the 1970s it reads like a time capsule of earlier, less sophisticated movie making days.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Ray Porter, did a fantastic job with the voice work. His tone and delivery were perfect for the content and for the time period. His performances really enhanced my enjoyment of the book by creating a really immersive feeling. I recommend it.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre tags: Movie making, 1970, on location, Tucson, Arizona, whodunit
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