SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED: A Double Feature Mystery - Jeffrey Cohen

From the back of the book: All Elliott Freed wanted to do was to make people die laughing. But not literally.

The dead guy in row S, seat 18, is no joke. Elliot Freed, recovering writer, socked all his savings--and the alimony from his ex-wife--into the Comedy Tonight movie theater, never suspecting it would become a crime scene. And murder cant' be good for ticket sales.

Death by popcorn was the cause. Poisoned popcorn. To the chagrin of the local police, Elliot takes to his bike to start his own invesigation. A growing attraction to a beautiful detective, the discovery of a DVD pirating operation, and one missing employee later, Elliot's still waiting for the punch line. But this one might knock his theater--and Elliot--out for good....

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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 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....