She had changed. Aware now of what happened behind the camera, she couldn't stop breaking down the effects required by each scene....She listened to the sounds of a modern port, knowing much of it had been overlaid later, in a studio...She wondered if she would ever be able to watch a television show or a film in the same way again, now that she knew too much....Yet here was Lloyd, who knew far more about what happened behind the scenes than she did, and it was still magical for him....page 321-322 of "Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
The above is what I think is called a 'hook.' "Another Thing to Fall" is one of the mystery-lite's that I so love. I am hoping that Martha gives this one a shot. (I'll drive it over today). It has several things going for it for our Maryland thespian. The book takes place in Baltimore and the story revolves around the making of a TV pilot. Added to that to salivate Ms. Martha is a great deal of word-play.
Two of the characters mis-use words like 'McGuffin,' saying instead 'McMuffin.' These little spoonerisms are used just enough to keep a reader alert but not so much as to have irritated me.
After finishing the book I found that Ms. Lippman is married to a television producer, most recently of HBO's THE WIRE.
This book has a well-crafted interesting plot that actually is based on a legal case of property rights. There is salvation, sacrifice, and sadness. (I do love alliteration.)
I so identified with a closing quote on page 317-318, "The problem with ...., the problem with most of humnakind, was that the only pain that mattered to him was his own."
Other quotes that gave me a smile: page 28 "Tess had always wondered what was in it for the Cinderella's mice. Did they really think they were going to get to live in the palace once all was said and done?"
page 34, "He could never work out whether such women had increased or decreased in value as plastic surgery became mainstream. If anyone could buy a face and a body, then was it so special to have one bestowed on you by nature?"
page 78 is just for me and Cheesehead, "I liked when those strange little men chanted, "One of us, one of us, one of us." This section has to be read in context of seeing the classic movie "Freaks." It describes an homage to an homage; and the connection to Balitmore is that one of the actors, Johnny Eck (the man born with no legs) was in actuality in real life a Baltimore screen painter.
page 85, "It was COBRA that was killing him, an apt bureaucrattic acronym if ever there was one." AMENin the category of didn't know this, page 130 "Although it was rumored (that Rosebud) was thought be William Randolph Hearst's pet name for Marion Davies' nether regions."
in the category of "I can identify:" page 244-245 "Marie didn't actually like teaching...She didn't like kids."
...continuing, "She took a job at Social Security...That was a nice irony, Social Security denying one of its benefit programs to a longtime employee."
Just liked this one: page 256, "Two women with strollers - hip moms, in stylish clothes and their fresh makeup, their children tricked out like the accesories they were...."
Page 263: "...had put out a package of Hydrox cookies with the grape soda.....Hydrox had disappeared from the snack food chain at least a decade ago, but such items often lived on in the tiny groceries....of Baltimore...Every now and then, she unearthed a dusty bottle of Wink...." The only alcoholic beverage my aunt Mickie would drik was Wink with a little but of vodka. She and my aunt sister always made my brother (and only my brother make it for them) They called it their little afternoon toddy.
For Martha: page 315, The premiere was held at the Senator Theatre.
"Another Thing To Fall" was another time to spend away from "the pain that in the ends matters most to me, my own."
Respectfully,
Kathy Albers
