Do you like to read about . . .

. . . the Roaring 20s, gangsters, bootlegging, and the beginning of talkies? If so, I've got a suggestion for you: 

Play Him Again (Stone)


From Amazon:

It’s the Roaring Twenties but silence remains golden for Hollywood. Sound is scorned by movie moguls. It’s too expensive. Only two studios have sound equipment. Only one picture has contained limited spoken dialogue.

Matt Hudson, a rumrunner and the preferred bootlegger of the movie industry, wants to produce a talking picture. Hud’s gut tells him a talkie would rake in the dough at the box office but neither sound studio will lease him their facilities.

Hud’s oldest friend, con man Danny Kincaid, uses the talkie gold mine angle to con a transplanted Chicago gangster into buying a bogus sound device. But when the gangster gets wise, Danny ends up dead.

Now Hud has a score to settle and nothing can stop him from finding Danny’s killer. After Hud unravels a web of deception, blackmail, and murder that leads to a studio controlled by the gangster, he sets up another con to play the gangster again. A con that will either avenge Danny or get Hud killed.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of that era, so I have not read the book. The author offered it up for review and due to my lack of interest, ultimately I declined. However, we corresponded back and forth, and I discovered that I enjoyed his email writing style.  Also, I found him to be a real gentleman.  So, this shout-out is my way of giving this self-published author a chance. You can check out reviews on Amazon and Goodreads (my understanding is there is only one friend or relative included) for further inquiries about Play Him Again.

Best wishes, Jeffrey!