Up until this novel, I have been a big fan of Karon's books. I admit to not being interested in Hollywood politics, then or now, and I had a hard time getting into this story. It seemed to take forever to read. Reasons: Too many characters to keep track of and long, windy dialogue. Many times I lost track of who was saying what and had to backtrack to follow the thread.

Good 1940s Hollywood atmosphere, but glacially paced, far too long, and very repetitive. Also, I never cared enough about the dead brother and who might have killed him. Disappointing.

Every time I start one of Kanon's books I think this isn't what I feel like reading but then, every time, he sucks me in with his storytelling. I little bit convoluted at times but I will continue reading his books.

Lots of initial promise, a very interesting storyline, but ultimately a little disappointing. I find Kanon fascinating if only because he had a full career as a book publishing executive, then turned to writing when he was in his 50s (I'm guessing, based on the pic on the back cover.) His other work includes the very well-received The Good German, and the era of the mid-'40s to early '50s seems to be the focus of much of his work.

Premise is this: Ben Collier, a soldier in the US Army assigned to a unit tasked with filming the horrors that were found as the Allies moved across Europe at the end of WWII, is summoned to Hollywood to the deathbed of his older brother, a second unit director, who has either fallen, jumped, or been pushed off the balcony of an apartment he had secretly been renting. Ben is also being reassigned to work out of one of the studios, with orders to craft the military footage into a documentary film. He meets old acquaintances of his deceased father, a filmmaker in Germany, and other members of the German refugee community, including his brother's widow and father-in-law.

But as he tries to find out what really happened to his brother, he collides with the intersecting politics of the burgeoning movie industry and the new Cold War - and discovers that few of his assumptions about the world are correct.

PLEASE NOTE: This review is of the manuscript for this title, NOT the Audio CD.


I had a difficult time getting into this book (perhaps it was because it was the first thing I read on my Kindle, and I found that slightly disorienting), because there are many characters, and I got one or two of them mixed up. But I am glad that I did read it - Kanon kept me entertained and guessing.

There are a lot of historical events that have been slightly altered, but spies, the Holocaust, 1950s Hollywood Glitz and Glamour, and the search for Communists in Hollywood are all major issues. Family relationships are also examined, and the bonds between family members.

The backdrop for the mystery really makes the novel stand out, as does Kanon's ability to weave together a good thriller amidst true historical events.

It was a good "film noir" type of book. I felt like I needed a little bit more knowledge of that particular time in American history, and some parts felt a little bit rushed, but all in all, if you like Hollywood and the 1940s, you will probably enjoy this book.

Quite a page-turner as the plot deepens! Fascinating to learn about Hollywood after WWII and on the brink of McCarthyism.