Some Like It Hot-Buttered

Elliot Freed is the owner of Comedy Tonight, an old movie house that shows strictly comedy movies - double feature comedy movies. But there is nothing funny about the man in row S, seat 18 Tuesday night. He's dead from...wait for it, poisoned popcorn, and Comedy Tonight has turned into a crime scene. As if that wasn't bad enough, while searching the "crime scene" the police uncovered bootleg videos. Copies of the same movie showing at Comedy Tonight, a movie that isn't available on video yet.

All leads point to Elliot's movie-obsessed projectionist, Anthony, but Anthony has vanished. Will this murder be solved before Comedy Tonight ends up the next victim?

I LOVE humor. So the use of tasteful, intelligent humor weaved into a plot always show more earns bonus points with me. SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED earned oodles of bonus points as I laughed out loud through practically the entire book. Cohen takes the humor of everyday life and expertly interjects it into dialogue, plot and character. What better way to help a reader connect with the characters and the story? I can't imagine reading this and not laughing while simultaneously thinking, "I know EXACTLY what he's talking about!" By the conclusion of the book, I realized that Cohen is an astute observer of life, and he can articulate the humor in all the absurdity. Elliot, himself, sums up Cohen's humor when he says, "I hate jokes. I like wit, not contrived stories that end with someone making an obscene pun or confusing his wife with a horse or something." Now THAT is my kind of humor!

The strengths of this book don't lie solely in Cohen's use of humor, though. Actually, the humor helps to enhance the other strengths. The characters in this book are so real you expect to walk out your door on the way to work and wave to them as you climb in your car to leave. Elliot is a man who is struggling with the loss of his marriage and the embarrassment of being on the receiving end of alimony. Sophie, his refreshment stand employee, is the epitome of a teenage girl struggling with identity, trying to establish who she is, rebelling against every form of authority. Even Elliot's father comes to life on the page. An older man trying to battle the forces of nature that are slowing him down. Cohen cements the characters with their relationships to each other and reminds the reader of how powerful those relationships are, even when we take them for granted.

There's magic on the pages of this book, either magic or glue. I simply couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what would happen with the murder investigation; I wanted to know what would happen between the characters. Cohen pulled me into Midland Height, New Jersey, and I walked away taking a part of it with me. Jeffrey Cohen's Double Feature Mystery Series will definitely be one of if not the greatest discovery of 2009 for me.

When you're ready for a healthy dose of laughter with your popcorn, I recommend SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED by Jeffrey Cohen. show less

Comedy Tonight, a comedy-only theater, shows two films each night. But when the man seated in row S, seat 18, ends up dead, Elliott Freed’s movie theatre becomes a crime scene. It isn’t long before the police determine that poisoned popcorn was the cause of Vincent Ansella’s demise and the writer-turned-theatre-owner sets out to prove that no one at Comedy Tonight is responsible for this reprehensible crime.

Delightful characters populate this tale: theatre owner Elliot Freed wrote a book that became a bad movie and now eschews writing in favor of showing comedy films in his theatre; projectionist/usher/film geek Anthony dreams of directing his own film; Goth-wannabe Sophie sells tickets and snacks. It’s a bare-bones operation show more with few regular customers, but Comedy Tonight is Elliot’s pride and joy. With a strong sense of place, larger-than-life, lovable characters, an original premise, and many delightful references, chuckling readers will find much to enjoy as they unravel clues that lead to the culprit.

Highly recommended. show less

Popping with action this newest contribution to the cozy mystery genre will please current fans and create new ones for Jeffrey Cohen. It is a nice addition to his collection of work that includes the Aaron Tucker mystery series. Some Like It Hot-Buttered is the first in the new Double Feature Mystery series

Elliot Freed is the proud owner of the Comedy Tonight movie theater. He has sunk all his savings into the idea that others may share his addiction to funny movies, both classics and current. So far he is not overwhelmed with customers. Unfortunately it takes a dead body to give a boost to the business. When the lights go on one night after the usual double feature one man is not getting ready to leave as his dead body is found still show more sitting in the seat. Elliot embarks on an investigation to clear both his name and that of his ticket seller, who vanishes after the police question him. A collection of pirated movies found in the basement of the theater does not look good for him either.

The plot is nicely twisting, with enough action to keep the reader entertained. The conclusion is unexpected but not absurd. Cohen is known for his humor and it is fully evident in this one also. His movie references and information are a great contribution to both the plot and the enjoyment of the readers. Elliot is a sweet main character who will have the reader rooting for his professional and personal lives to succeed. It will be interesting to see how he is developed in future books from the series.

This is the book for anyone who wants to relax, chuckle a bit and get involved in a good mystery. show less

This is an absolutely hilarious book! The premise revolves around a man dying while watching a movie in a comedy-only theater. Poisoned popcorn. But why and how and who did it and what it all has to do with the pirated movies in the basement is a blast to find out. The narrator's voice (Elliot Freed, the theater's owner) is a laugh-out-loud barrel of 4th-wall-breaking fun! Great book for anyone who likes lighter mysteries & humorous stories. Particularly if they're pretty well-educated & can easily follow the commentary/sarcastic remarks.

Ahhhhhh....this was such a good book to read as a bedside book! I always went to sleep smiling. I have to find more of Jeffrey Cohen's books, really anything he writes.
Elliot is my kind of guy, the people I like to surround myself with. People who want to make others happy through laughter and what a way to do so with a movie theater that only plays comedies. One classic comedy and one newer (less funny comparatively) to bring in the crowds. But the crowds don't show up until the dead guy is found in Row S seat 18. So now the cops are thinking that Elliot makes a good suspect, especially once the boxes of pirated DVDs of movies being shown at Elliot's theater are found in the basement of said theater.
Elliot gets on his bike and rides show more to each investigative clue or hitches a ride with his dad (who gladly drives to escape the house for a bit). Or he gets a ride with his ex-wife who he's still friends with even after she left him for her anesthesiologist.....
See why I went to sleep smiling each night?
So do yourself a favor and get this book! It's a wonderfully funny amateur sleuth mystery, excellent characters and fab story.
Five die laughing beans.... show less

For light mysteries with humor, engaging characters, and excellent plotting, you can't beat Jeffrey Cohen. This is the first of a planned series featuring the owner of a struggling comedy-only movie theater in New Jersey. He tosses off one-liners almost compulsively and it's easy to hear his voice in your head as you read. May there be many more "Double Feature" mysteries.

The first few pages of the book I was a little hesitant. There were quite a few references to movies I have never heard of or seen before - then again I'm not a movie buff at all. I barely watch them (as I prefer reading) and only will do so once in a while to take a break from reading. However I decided to stick with the book. I have to make my 100 page limit to see if I'm still interested. I was interested sooner than that. It actually got me hooked. Elliot is quirky, sarcastic and witty without being overly silly. The comedy in this mystery is well written and well done. The mystery and intrigue is also well done so there's a good striking balance between the two. I have to say there were at least two or three parts of the book where show more I found myself bursting out in giggles because of Elliot's wit and actions. I'd have to say I greatly enjoyed reading this book. I thought I had the mystery solved in my head - yet I was surprised. It was nothing like I had pictured and it's good! I didn't want a predictable outcome of the mystery. I believe I was close to the answer, but not quite as I had thought.

The characters in the book are all right, although the ones that have something to do with Elliot's personal life weren't really that outstanding - although I have to say, I liked Elliot's father (he reminded me a bit of a mix between Seinfeld's dad and George's dad from the Seinfeld show) and added more to the comedy, I'd like to see more of him in the next future books. When it comes to Elliot's love life, it's funny too as he doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction with any of the ones he meets except his ex-wife (which for some reason, I didn't really like her in the book she just didn't seem to be a great character in my opinion). They both seem to have a very different sort of relationship you wouldn't find in most divorced couples but perhaps that adds more to the quirkiness of this book.

The criticism I find in this book is the references to movies which I have never seen before and therefore can't really understand. Yet I'm sure if there's movie buffs out there that love reading about movies and who know their movie trivia would probably enjoy this book ten times more than I did (not to say I didn't enjoy reading this! I truly did!). If I knew the movies and understood the references, I would probably be chuckling a lot more than I did while reading. Other than that, there really is nothing else I dislike about this book.

Overall, a wonderful light story with an equal amount of mystery and comedy that makes it a delightful read. This is definitely a series to look into if you're a cozy mystery fan. If you're a movie buff, give this book a try as well. Perhaps you'll be able to identify some of the movies mentioned in this book. show less