Book Review: "A Murder in Hollywood" by Michael Crichton (writing as John Lange)

I know, you’re probably thinking, “Didn’t Michael Crichton die a while back? What is this book?” So, Crichton did die in 2008, but apparently he started writing while he was in medical school, and was afraid he’d be perceived as not dedicated enough if his professors knew he was writing. So he wrote under two different pseudonyms, including John Lange. This book was written in 1973 but never published.

Harvey is a publicist for Bloodrock, a movie being filmed that is highly anticipated. He’s on location with the cast and crew in Tucson, and he’s expected to keep a lid on any problems or delays in filming. Everybody always blames the publicist when things go awry.

But Harvey is not expecting that Arthur McDougall, the screenwriter, will be found dead in his hotel room bathtub. McDougall was an alcoholic, irascible letch whom no one seemed to like. While his death could’ve been an accident, the fact that he had a fight with the film’s leading man the night before has the police thinking murder.

While Harvey tries to keep a lid on the news and make sure that the actors don’t talk to the press, he’s also responsible for dealing with the egos of everyone on the set. And then the studio head sends Harlow Perkins, the dogged insurance investigator, to look into what happened.

Harvey is amazed how quickly Perkins can break down the case with just a few questions. And while Perkins expects Harvey to do his bidding yet doesn’t disclose any of his thoughts, Harvey tries to do a little detective work on his own. But Perkins is always one step ahead. Was McDougall’s death murder? Will the movie go on filming?

I was a huge fan of Crichton’s books. While this doesn’t feel as polished as his later books, this is a twisty mystery which kept me guessing. I loved the 1970s nostalgia, and the fact that as much as things have changed through the years, things really have stayed the same. Blackstone has released a bunch of these never-before-published books of Crichton’s and I’ll definitely check them out!!