Synopses & Reviews
Fast-moving and suspenseful, Hollywood Buzz shows us that Pucci's got style, smarts and tricky moves on the ground as well as in the air.-Gillian Roberts, author of the Amanda Pepper seriesIt's not her usual assignment. But it's the dark hours of WWII, and Hollywood's biggest stars, studio moguls, and Washington bureaucrats are working to merge entertainment and propaganda. Pucci Lewis has been dispatched to Fort Roach, the First Motion Picture Unit, where a documentary on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) is underway.She's stepping in for a sister-WASP, now hospitalized in critical condition as a result of a suspicious plane crash. But who's the saboteur? Why the cover-up? As Pucci seeks answers, she is drawn into a high-profile homicide. Military intelligence wants Pucci to learn what she can from her inside position. Can Pucci steadfastly maneuver through movie land and its narcissistic denizens to prove she has the right stuff?Margit Liesche is the daughter of Hungarian refugees who arrived in the States in 1947. She draws inspiration from their tales of isolation, adventure, and escape as well as from the accounts of the heroic women of the WASP and OSS. This is her second Pucci Lewis WWII home front adventure, following Lipstick and Lies. Margit now lives in California.www.margitliesche.com
Review
“Liesche packs her wide-eyed adventure with tidbits about aeronautics, vintage Hollywood and the war, honoring the underappreciated women who made such a difference.” –Kirkus Reviews of Hollywood Buzz
"Liesche's engaging second Pucci Lewis mystery (after 2007's Lipstick and Lies) takes the WWII WASP (Women Air Force Service pilot) to Hollywood, where one of her sister pilots, Frankie Beall, has crashed under suspicious circumstances while shooting an important training film. As the injured Beall's replacement, Lewis must complete the film and quietly investigate the crash. Trained by the OSS, Lewis is no stranger to undercover work and relishes the opportunity to rub shoulders with Hollywood's rich and famous. On her arrival at the Beverly Hills mansion of friends of her WASP commander, she meets legendary scare-meister Bela Lugosi, a young starlet-wannabe and a number of other folks who could be friend or foe. The murder of a celebrated director raises the stakes. Liesche provides plenty of interesting WASP lore while deftly mixing the real and imagined. Though the plot can be hard to follow at times, it moves along at a good clip." -- Publishers Weekly of Hollywood Buzz
Synopsis
Pucci Lewis was used to ferrying fighter planes and undercover work. But itas the dark hours of WWII, and Hollywoodas biggest stars, studio moguls, and Washington bureaucrats are working hand-in-glove to merge entertainment and propaganda. Pucci has been dispatched to the First Motion Picture Unit, where a make-or-break documentary on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) is underway.
Pucci is stepping in for a sister-WASP, now hospitalized in critical condition after an all-too-deliberate plane crash. But whoas the saboteur? Why the cover-up? Pucci is drawn into a high-profile homicide. A big-name director has been murdered, possibly by Nazi operatives. Military intelligence wants Pucci to learn what she can from her inside position.
Bela Lugosi is a frequent visitor to the Beverly Hills mansion where Pucci is temporarily billeted. His aniece, a a rising starlet and also the housekeeper, has a history with the Hungarian resistance. But Pucci doesnat trust the girl.
Can Pucci steadfastly maneuver through movie land and its narcissistic denizens, finally unraveling the uncertainties to prove she has the right stuff?
About the Author
Margit Liesche is the daughter of Hungarian refugees who arrived in the States in 1947 following years of missionary service in war-torn central China. Weaned on her parents’ tales of isolation, adventure, and escape, intrigue is part of her DNA. Her first Pucci Lewis adventure, Lipstick and Lies, was published in 2007. Margit lives in Marin County, CA.