Reel Stuff

Overview

Is it suicide or murder when Academy Award winning actor Jason Londell leaps to his death during the filming of a TV show in Miami?

Londell’s actress girlfriend hires private investigators James Lessor and Skip Moore to investigate. They uncover a plot loaded with twists and fueled by money and greed.

The case sends James, Skip, and Skip’s girlfriend Emily to Los Angeles where the blonde beauty goes undercover in Hollywood and is “discovered” by a talent agent. The normally level-headed Emily gets carried away by the dream of a career in pictures, but true to the cause of the case, she works with the guys to bring down the killer.

Caught up in the world of movies, actors, actresses, and Hollywood, the trio finds that it really is the land of make-believe — but murder is still the real thing.

Reviews

 “Bruns’ latest Stuff novel (following Too Much Stuff, 2011) is a lean, thoroughly entertaining mystery…Clues, laughs, and shenanigans abound. The Stuff novels aren’t quite comedy-mysteries, but they’re about as close as you can get, effectively mixing serious crime with plenty of humor.” — Booklist

“Reel Stuff is a hilarious mystery/thriller that will have you laughing out loud at some of the characters' antics. The action moves a mile-a-minute, and the main characters are a zany lot. Throw in an eclectic mix of supporting characters: bad guys, gold-diggers, producers, directors, actors, and actresses, and Don Bruns blends it all together to produce another comical mystery/thriller in his Stuff series. I haven't read all of them, but the ones I have read are definitely worth the time and effort.”— Fresh Fiction

“Reel Stuff is a superior example of the form of writing I describe as amiable mystery. Don Bruns is one of these laid-back authors who makes the craft look easy, propelling the reader rapidly through the mists of uncertainty until our hero emerges into the light of understanding with the solution. As a whodunnit, this is satisfying. It also works as a gentle thriller. Perhaps of equal importance, the dynamic of Skip’s relationship with Emily is developing rather nicely. Too often the immediate mystery dominates and limits the space available for us to watch the characters live their lives. Reel Stuff gets the balance right and leaves us with a bittersweet ending. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next episode.” — Thinking About Books

“This is a very well written, funny, suspenseful book that keep you surprised at every turn. I highly recommend it.” ― Mysteries Galore

“Reel Stuff is another contribution to the Stuff series by the excellent Don Bruns. Yet again we have laid-back storytelling in service to a rather pleasing mystery to unravel...The result here is highly entertaining, although it does end on a slightly bittersweet moment.”— Sacramento / San Francisco Book Review

“The portrayal of the film world, both on the Miami set and in Hollywood, is nicely done with fun tidbits for the reader. Bruns writes with a light touch and a keen eye for life’s ironies that puts a smile on your face even as you’re quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.”— Suspense Magazine

“Bruns has created likable, if lackadaisical, characters. Though not overly ambitious, they step up their game when it comes to crunch time and get the job done. In this, the seventh in the Stuff series, Bruns gives readers not only a good sense of Miami, but of Los Angeles and the Hollywood scene as well. His references to movies and TV shows make for fun reading.” — Mystery Scene Magazine

“The latest Stuff mystery is an amusing thriller as the two stooges cause separate havoc in Miami and Hollywood…fans of the Stuff duo will enjoy their cross America antics and the homage to movies and TV shows.” — The Midwest Book Review

Author Biography

USA Today best-selling author Don Bruns is a musician and songwriter, a painter, a cook, an advertising guru, a traveler, and a stand-up comic. He is the award-winning author of three mystery series, his Stuff Series showcases the unstoppable yet bumbling young private investigators, Skip Moore and James Lessor, and his Quentin Archer series, which is set in New Orleans and The Music Series featuring Mick Sever. Don and his wife, Linda, live in Sarasota, Florida.