Play Him Again, by Jeffrey Stone: A Reveiw

Did you read yesterday’s post about how to request a book review? Good.

Do you remember me talking about Jeffrey Stone’s novel, Play Him Again? Good.

Here’s the blurb he provided me in his email (Number 5 in yesterday’s list of guidelines):

It’s the Roaring Twenties but silence remains golden for Hollywood.  Sound is expensive.  Only two studios have installed sound equipment.  Matt Hudson, the preferred bootlegger of the film industry, wants to produce a talking picture but neither sound studio will lease him their facilities.  After Hud’s oldest friend, con man Danny Kincaid, dupes a gangster who controls a small movie studio into buying a bogus sound device, the gangster gets wise and Danny ends up dead.  To settle the score, Hud runs another con to play the gangster again.  A con that will either avenge Danny and land Hud a studio, or get him killed.

And here’s my review, which can also be found on my Books I’ve Read In Bed review page:

A fascinating bit of historical fiction! Taking place during the days of Prohibition, Play Him Again follows “bootlegger to the stars” Matthew Hudson, Hud to his friends, in his efforts to seek vengeance for his friend’s murder as well as introduce “talkies” to a reluctant Hollywood. This novel is the perfect blend of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire laced with old Hollywood. There were no historical gaffes, which pleased me greatly. Cars, guns, situations, etc all rang true for the time period. The background research needed for the setting must have been challenging, but worth the effort. The facts about Hollywood in its infancy and the bootlegging industry were truly captivating. What struck me most was the dialogue. Some of the best I’ve ever read in that it never came off forced, contrived, or “cardboard.” My only complaint would be in regards to the nautical lingo. I was a bit lost. But, overall, an excellent novel and I really look forward to the next in the series. (*I received a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review.*) Rating: JJJJJ

Click to purchase!