Harry Holiday’s father was nearly killed in an accident six months ago. Since then, Harry has to take care of MurderLand, a museum in the Casino district of Niagara Falls. Situated near one of the most famous attractions of the US and Canada. MurderLand was once a popular museum and visited by uncountable tourists over the years, now, the famous years are over and Harry is busy trying to save what is left of his father’s beloved museum by selling relics hidden in the basement and searching for ways to make the place become a tourist attraction again.

Besides the troubles with the museum Harry’s stepmother, together with her lover, who happens to be the family lawyer, is determined to take the whole heritage of her husband and let Harry lose everything his father built. In addition to that, Harry owes loan sharks money and his love-interest is into the family lawyer too. Finding himself in such a hopeless situation makes Harry think a lot about the benefits of murder and how it could solve all his problems in one go.

I very much liked how the author played with anti-hero Harry Holiday and his life-story of a former successful business man who ended up broke more than one time. But he always stood back up again. Now, due to the circumstances, Harry is desperate but somehow I felt like he could make it again any minute of the book. I never knew what would happen next and I like an unpredictable story and character.

It took me some time to find into the story but the likeable character of Harry made me want to know how he would deal with all his troubles and if he would find a way out. I was sure it would be an unpredictable one. You’ll need to read it yourself to see if I was right. 😉

The book is about 320 pages long and a fast read, although I honestly skipped through some of them because I am impatient when it comes to descriptions of surroundings and backgrounds which is why I tend to over read them when I find them not essential for the plot. Anyway, all in all I call it a solid read with an entertaining story and an appealing anti-hero.

About the Author

Joseph Mark Glazner is also the author of five crime novels written under his own name, including Smart Money Doesn’t Sing or Dance, and two crime novels under his pen name Joseph Louis, including the Shamus and Arthur Ellis nominated Madelaine.

He is also a co-writer of the cult science fiction feature film The Shape of Things to Come. His by-lined and ghost-written articles have appeared in such diverse newspapers and periodicals as Executive, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Sunday Express (Montreal), Omni, Cavalier, The Five Cent Review, and Midnight.

Glazner had also run a think tank and provided communications advice to governments and corporations in Canada, United States, and the Bahamas.

Glazner grew up in rural Warrenville, New Jersey. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Southern California (psychology, magna cum laude) and an elected member of Phi Beta Kappa. He and his partner Joanie Shirriff live in Toronto, Canada.