Imagine a cute, Old Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs: here, a customer can browse vintage film magazines while sitting at the authentic horror movie table, stained with fake blood, and admire legendary costumes, perhaps even try on a green beret worn by John Wayne in "The Green Berets." This is a dream come true for Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, who own "Hooray for Hollywood." The couple used to be soap opera stars, but their careers ended when they disclosed their sexual orientation. At the same time, and for the same reason, their marriage dissolved in divorce, but they remained best friends and business partners.

The business is not doing well, but the upcoming deal with a 90-year-old retired movie star and true diva, Yana Tosh, promises it will change for the better. Yana embodies Old Hollywood, and her costume collection is legendary; everything is authenticated, with a letter describing how the piece was acquired. Cindy and Jay are sure they will get the exclusive rights to sell it, but a larger competitor, Dylan Redman, comes into the picture. It's almost too convenient for Jay and Cindy when Dylan is murdered, so the handsome detective Simon Fletcher becomes suspicious of the couple's intentions. On the other hand, a poisoned envelope addressed to Jay suggests that he might be the target. The "odd couple" – Simon sees them as Bonnie and Clyde – decides to take the matter into their own hands and investigate the case.

This is the fiction debut of Zac Bissonnette, and I enjoyed the plot's twists. The frequent name-dropping will surely delight all movie buffs reading this cozy mystery. It's an entertaining story, but it's not just a shallow whodunit as the author adds some insight into loss and grief, showings how genuine friendship and determination help to deal with life's difficulties. And, of course, the fact that two protagonists are gay is a departure from the traditional amateur sleuth image. Still, I thought that Cindy and Jay were not as interesting as the story's villain. I hope Zac Bissonnette will continue developing the main characters in the following books of this series. It's going to be interesting to see Cindy and Jay's next big case!

This was a cozy mystery that took place in the Movie Memorabilia scene in Palm Springs. Jay and Cindy were married until they both came out. They now are living their dream of owning Horray for Hollywood and trying to keep the store afloat. They luck into a meeting with a former actress that has a valuable collection that she is looking to commission. Things get complicated quick when the biggest competitor to sell of the actress's collection is found dead - and Jay and Cindy were the last to see him alive.

The main characters are lovely and likeable. The reminiscing of Ester and Cindy’s relationship was sweet. There are plenty of other characters that keep you guessing to the end - was it the financial advisor? The lover? The sketchy son?

I liked the blooming relationship between Jay and the detective. I loved the references to Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote, two of my favorite things.

I listened to the audiobook - it was read by two narrators, one for Jay and one for Cindy. The narrator chosen for Jay was not the voice I had in my head for him, but it worked nonetheless.
One of my favorite lines: "One only needs one bed but one can never have too many costumes"

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!

I absolutely love Old Hollywood and this one? An Old Hollywood cozy mystery, I was pretty excited to read it! I enjoyed the story of a married couple who divorced because they realized they both realized they were gay. I liked how the LGBTQ community is positively portrayed in this book.


I enjoyed the selling of movie props and the reference to Chopping Mall. All of this set made for a fun mystery!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio-ARC!!

I’m torn on how to rate this book because while I didn’t really like it, I can see how others would. My biggest issue is not being able to connect with the characters. I found Cindy overbearing and annoying. Jay is a little better but not by much. There was also so much description about the Hollywood treasures they have amassed, which was interesting but I found it overdone. The story moved very slowly and finally picked up at about 70% where it hit its stride and I became more invested. All in all, it’s probably growing pains. I will probably read the next one to see how it progresses.

Narration was well done, no issues

What a great start to a new cozy series!!!! Zac really hit kicked it off with a bang! I adored Jay and Cindy and there backstory and where they are now! Let’s be real tho… the movie memorabilia theme had my heart. For fans of feeling nostalgia this is for you. Such a great setting for a cozy I never knew I needed until now! I’m looking forward to more adventure/shenanigans with Cindy and Jay as well as more touch points on Hollywood collectibles

Loved this cozy mystery! I love that both the hero and heroine are gay. I love that they are older. I love the charming kitsch of the Hollywood resale store. The mystery kept me guessing and was so fun. I would recommend this to any mystery fan. Also I thought the narrators did a great job. I usually don't like double narrator audiobooks but this one worked.

Fabulous!
This was such a great start to a cozy mystery series! I loved the Hollywood history that was mentioned throughout - I could really picture the pieces mentioned! The writing was really fast paced and I could picture the characters like I was watching a movie. Excited to see what Zac Bissonnette writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.