Reel Stuff

Reel Stuff is another contribution to the Stuff series by the excellent Don Bruns. Yet again we have laid-back storytelling in service to a rather pleasing mystery to unravel. Let’s start off with a short description of the initial death. A television series is being shot in Miami. A big star is doing a cameo appearance and he likes to do his own stunts. Unfortunately, he appears to jump at the wrong point on the scaffolding and falls to the ground some distance from the inflatable supposed to catch him. How can this be a murder?

Of course the answer to this is something of a cheat…how could it be otherwise? But it sets the tone which is ingenuity filtered through a very human story of three people trying to make something of their lives, who solve murder mysteries. In this case, we get to look around Los Angeles and the system that sucks up people of talent and spits most of them back out again. With millions to play for when a star hits the jackpot, it’s hardly surprising murder should be on some people’s agenda. The result here is highly entertaining, although it does end on a slightly bittersweet moment.