Book Review: Hollywood Noir by Jeff Mariotte

Title: Hollywood Noir (Angel Tie-in series)
Author: Jeff Mariotte
Publisher: Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Inc.
Publication Date: January 1st, 2001
Genre: TV Tie-in, Horror, Mystery

Pages: 292 (Softcover)
How I came upon this book: I've had it on my shelf since the day it came out.
amazon.com    goodreads.com

Summary: 'At a Hollywood construction site, a decayed corpse is the harbinger of a supernatural evil, while at Angel Investigations, Doyle's latest vision leads him to a puzzling address.  He, Angel, and Cordelia start tracking down the real McCoy: a cigarette girl named Betty McCoy.  But they're not the only ones to do so.  There's a new PI in town -- Mike Slade -- who dresses and acts as though entrenched in the era when lounge singers, swing dancing, and martinis first made the Hollywood night scene.  The golden age of the silver screen. Tinseltown.  


Still, Mike's agenda is thoroughly modern -- he has a long-standing bone to pick with local officials.  Now Angel and his team find that their research leads them directly to Slade, and some files that are strictly L.A. Confidential.  But what do a cigarette girl, a water commissioner, and a slew of disappearing demons have in common?' - Pocket Books summary

Waiting on Wednesday: A Parliament of Spies: A Mystery by Cassandra Clark

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event, hosting by Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I picked:
A Parliament of Spies: A Mystery by Cassandra Clark
Publication Date: January 31st, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary via Amazon:
'All the danger and intrigue of 14th-century England spring to life in this "compelling" (Publishers Weekly) series about the brace, incorruptible Abbess of Meaux.  


Abbess Hildegard may consider herself "just a nun with no useful skills or connections," yet her loyalty and intelligence have brought her to the attention of King Richard II himself - not the safest place to be, when the king has enemies on all sides.  As Hildegard wrestles with her role as a spy in the parliament that is hastily gathering at Westminster, Cassandra Clark shows us the human side of history, giving readers new reason to follow Publishers Weekly's rallying cry: "Medievalists rejoice!"'


Why I'm excited: There is just something about historical mystery novels that I love.  I'm a huge fan of Lauren Willig and her Scarlet Pimpernel series, and when I was search Amazon for new reads, I came upon this novel.  I was intrigued as soon as I read the words, '14th-century', 'England', and 'spy'.  I will not have to blink twice before I get this book.  I just hope it's as good as I think it will be!