The Puzzle of the Happy Hooligan by Stuart Palmer, Otto Penzler

Hildegarde is working as a technical advisor on a Lizzie Borden film in Los Angeles.  She didn't expect the guy across the hall to get killed.  She also didn't expect the cop on the lot to call it an accident.

American Mystery Classics and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can grab a copy now.

Hildegarde calls her cop back home and tells him what's going on.  She even runs across a name that is familiar to him and he's anxious to stop the bad guy, so he's on the next flight out.  But the bad guy is smoke and mirrors.  So who is really breaking necks on the lot?  And why?

I really enjoy Hildegarde.  She's all common sense, never jumps to conclusions, and she always ends up solving the case.  What more could you want?