With WHO KILLED ART DECO?, his second work of fiction in so many years, former GONG SHOW host Chuck Barris branches out in this parody of mystery writing. It’s not a straight-out spoof, but there are plenty of elements inside to show he must have devoured the works of certain authors.
Actually, you could call this two stories in one, since the first half of the book is taken up with a family drama that carries to the end, while the second part focuses on a rookie private investigator. The novel opens with a brief history of the Deco family and its patriarch, Arthur Deco Sr., a man who is very set in the way things should be. He is also racist, homophobic and a bully.
He beleives his son, Art Jr., should fall into line, cut his hair and get a real job. Art Jr. lives in New York City, having quit a prestigious law firm and just bums around, living off his trust fund. He makes friends with another layabout, Eddie Cotten. These two are inseparable to the point that while on a trip, they discover they are both gay — a huge black mark in the eyes of Art Sr. — so Art Jr. keeps this secret as long as he can.
Eddie has the same problem with his own parents — his father, a former bookie who probably would kill his own son if he knew. As years go by, it seems that Art Jr. and Eddie would live together forever, until Art takes up with a new man, leaving Eddie high and dry in the worst way, cleaning out their bank account.
Cue the discovery of Art Jr. dead in his apartment, made to look like a suicide. The cops are forced by their captain to close the case as such, much to their chagrin. Jimmy Netts relates his history of how he ended up as a detective after years of being a podiatrist, with Art Sr. becoming his first client. Art Sr. knows full well his son did not have the guts to kill himself; the prime suspect in his eyes is Eddie.
Barris seems to have fun coming up with these characters, leaving the mystery as a frame to populate with these people, especially since the outcome is bit of a fizzle. Barris does not go down the obvious route — more in line with the reader left asking, “Really?” Still, it’s what takes place before the final part that will keep them entertained.
Hopefully, Barris has another mystery in him. He just needs to work on a real grabber of an ending, even though Netts’ original idea of how it went down is pretty humorous to the point that it’s ludicrous. But maybe that was the point, since some authors think the more unbelievable, the better. —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE BIG QUESTION by Chuck Barris
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he’s a one of, that man!