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Clyde McCoy is a heavy drinker and a talented screenwriter. McCoy also has the reputation of being difficult to work with, and this reputation is well justified. Mark Hayes feels that he has no choice but to become involved with McCoy's latest endeavor -- an independent film based on McCoy's story BLONDE LIGHTNING. Hayes' previous boss came to a bad end due to his actions and the industry has turned its back on him. Hayes believes that if this film is successful, it might give him the start-up capital he needs for a private project. As production begins, things do not go smoothly, though. McCoy's girlfriend is being threatened by low-life Marc Thornburg, who is also threatening the majority of the members of the industry. In addition, tensions are high on the set and they have an unrealistic deadline to shoot the film. There are incidents on the set and several almost fatal accidents. Hayes sees that everything is beginning to spiral out of control. McCoy calls in some heavy hitters to try to even the score. But things go terribly wrong and Hayes must decide where his priorities lie. He must decide whether he values his life and livelihood more than seeing a completed project. BLONDE LIGHTNING is a noir thriller. The plot moves quickly and the action within the plot makes sense. It is not always reasonable but it makes sense in the context of the story and the characters' world view. The characters, even those who appear to be light-hearted, have secrets they prefer remain hidden. The image of 'The Industry' presented in this book, is very unsympathetic and almost demonic. Those involved seem willing to sacrifice anything to get ahead. In addition, those in the 'Industry' are just as catty and gossipy as bored teenagers. This makes it difficult to take them serious or understand their struggle. Luckily for the reader, Mark Hayes is an appealing character. While he is just as caught up in movie making, he seems to be able to view it from the outside. He sees the weaknesses of those around him, while not always seeing his own. Hayes' ability to explain his surrounding dispassionately makes him the ideal protagonist for this book. His sense of humanity provides a focus within an unfriendly world.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, June 2006
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