Who Killed Art Deco: A Novel

(Paperback)

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From the infamous mind of a comic madmanand the author of the sardonic The Big Questioncomes a mind-numbingly hilarious parody of cop dramas, police procedurals, and Americas upper crust.

Comic legend: Chuck Barris is the creator and former producer of The Gong Show, The Newlywed Game, and The Dating Game, among many others. His memoir, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, sparked a worldwide debate as to the validity of his professed identity when he claimed to have worked as an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency during the 1960s and the 1970s. As a storyteller, Barris is the blackest comedian there is. As a satirist, he may be one of the best writers around today.

A masterful spoof: Art Deco Jr. is heir to a vast fortune, scion of one of Americas most powerful menbut he is also the black sheep of the family. When he is found murdered in his Manhattan apartment, everyone wonders who could have killed him. Was it Arts recently spurned lover, Eddie Cotton, the failed actor and gigolo Was it one of Arts own relatives, all of whom seem ready to disown him for tarnishing the family name As the investigation unfolds, it becomes apparent to the novice detective Jimmy Netts that without an actual license, its tough to investigate anything resembling a crime scene. Full of uproarious investigative snafus, Who Killed Art Deco is a dark and delightfully funny book from an equally troubled mind.

Reviews

"The latest novel by the author of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (1982) and The Big Question (2007) is a three-in-one literary satire, lampooning simultaneously the murder mystery, the private-eye novel, and the family drama. Barris, who gained early fame as the creator of such television fare as The Gong Show, is a wildly inventive writer whose imagination takes him, and us, to some very strange and entertaining places." -- David Pitt, Booklist
"Once he kicks into gear, Barris is as antic in mystery mode as in any other. Like a more linear Tim Dorsey, the former Gong Show host (The Big Question, 2007, etc.) deadpans his way through his detection debut, delivered shotgun style." -- Kirkus
"I thoroughly enjoyed Who Killed Art Deco! And I was fascinated once the various characters began to unfold. All in all a fun read." -- Dick Clark

Author Bio

Chuck Barris is a former television show creator and producer. The author of The Big Question, Bad Grass Never Dies, The Game Show King, and You and Me, Babe, he lives in Manhattan with his wife, Mary.