Smoking Out a Killer (Nicholas Chase Cigar Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: Classic mystery mixed in the movies
Review: Nick Chase is a former NYPD detective who retired and now runs a cigar store. He keeps finding himself mixed up in murder though, this time as a result of his his first case being made into a movie. The movie producer, Natalie Goodman, more of less blackmails Chase's conscience into investigating the attempts being made on her life. She manipulates all the players into an "And Then There Were None" scenario by inviting them to spend the weekend at her vacation home so that Chase can identify the villain. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and Chase has to investigate a hunky actor with a gay porno film, a fired writer, a dumped investor, a co-producer and his boy-toy of the moment, and an about-to-be-fired writer before they all end up picked off by the murderer. Although Chase is very likeable, I was distracted by having figured out who was the murderer while Chase and company ignored the obvious. However, a nice plot twist redeems the mystery and makes it a fast and entertaining read.