Review: Play Him Again by Jeffrey Stone

Play Him Again
(A Matt Hudson Novel)
Genre: Mystery
Riverdale Press
E-Book
Published on March 17, 2012
472 KB or 283 Pages

Set in California in the Roaring 20’s when silent movies are the rage and producing talkies is just too expensive. Only two studios even have equipment to add the sound and they don’t want to share even with their favorite bootlegger, Matt Hudson. His dream is to make a film with actors actually talking and rake in the dough. His oldest friend in the world, con man Danny Kincaid, tries to use the talkie gold mine angle to his favor with a Chicago mobster fresh to California. Sadly he ends up dead, swimming with the fishes. “Hud” goes on a mission to track down Danny’s killer hoping he doesn’t join Danny in the morgue.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was a quick fun read that was very interesting. Spattered with big time actors of the 20’s like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who all happen to be friends with Matt “Hud” Hudson. Hud’s girlfriend is upset she is not as friendly with the famous trio.

Referencing the success of the movie The Jazz Singer really set the time and place of the story. This piece of fiction seems to have been well researched regarding the era, movie making and prohibition which makes it believable. The plot and subplots are polished and interwoven but at times the story is a bit bogged down trying to let the reader know just too much.

I was really taken with the characters the author created. The famous ones acted as expected but “Hud” especially was multifaceted. A man trying to better himself, wanting out of bootlegging and trying to make himself something in the hot industry of the era, making movies.

I can’t wait to see where the author takes Matthew “Hud” Hudson next!