A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton @michaelchrichton_official @the.ray.porter @realrayporter.bsky.social @blackstonepublishing @blackstonepub.bsky.social @librofm @librofm.com #AMurderInHollywood

the setup…
Harvey Jason is the unit publicist assigned to the movie set for Bloodrock, a Western on location in Tucson, Arizona. He’s awakened by a phone call from studio brass informing him that Arthur McDougall, the screenwriter, was found dead down the hall in his motel room. Jason (no one uses his first name) is dispatched to birddog Harlow Perkins, a brilliant insurance investigator who’s been hired to figure out what happened. At the same time, Jason is expected to keep production on track while spilling the tea to the studio bigwigs before it becomes public.

the heart of the story…
It’s the early 70s and the movie set is a reflection of that era with all its slime and excess. Jason is synthesizing all the clues Perkins is unearthing and quickly realizes the man does have skills. It’s amazingly authentic in tone and atmosphere, creating a vivid image of all the characters and the scenes. The potential suspects are clear, too, and everyone seems to be holding something back or keeping secrets.

the narration…
Ray Porter skillfully captured all that great atmosphere and tone as Harvey Jason, including his snappy cynicism. His delivery and pacing was excellent.

the bottom line…
I did a combination of listening (mostly) and reading as the foreword written by Crichton’s widow was fascinating and illuminating. He wrote this under the pseudonym of John Lange while in medical school and even though this isn’t as intricate as his later works, it still has game. I was hooked from the first chapter through that twisty Hollywood ending. Crichton was a genius.

Book Info

• Release Date: May 5, 2026
• Narrator: Ray Porter
• Audio Length: 4 hours, 42 minutes
• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

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(Thanks to Libro.fm and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.)