If your narrator-hero works as a stand-up comic, he'd better be laugh-out-loud funny, and therein lies the trouble in Barton's third Biff Kincaid mystery (after 2001's Heckler). Biff, who ekes out a living in the comedy clubs of L.A., is simply not that funny, though to be fair, his situation doesn't offer a lot of humor. After he discovers the dead body of comedy club manager Bernie Coleman, he receives a severe whack on the head and a note warning him to watch his back. For rather vague reasons, Biff assumes the role of amateur sleuth to find out who killed Bernie and why. The trail of clues leads to a tabloid TV show, a staged riot at a nearby prison (enabling the escape of two seriously bad guys, Johnny Whiteside and Sam Agar), and a rising comedic star, Peter Marling. Barton effectively depicts the milieu of stand-up comedy, but his satiric targets—exploitation TV, self-important Hollywood types and show-business wannabes—are too easy and too familiar to command much interest. There's also a disconnect between the world of comedy and the intensity of the fast-paced and violent plot. It's as if the book is confused about its intent—farcical on the one hand, hard-boiled grim on the other—which may account for Barton's occasionally awkward prose. When stand-up comics don't get a great response, they blame the audience and call it a "dead crowd." Sometimes, though, the problem lies in the material itself. Nonetheless, established Barton fans won't be disappointed. (May 15)
