One Death at a Time

Waxman (Christa Comes Out of Her Shell) delivers a caffeinated Hollywood whodunit full of fast-talking characters. Disgraced movie star Julia Mann wakes up after a night of heavy drinking to find Tony Eckenridge, head of Repercussion Studios, dead in her swimming pool. The police suspect Julia had a hand in his demise—particularly since she’d previously been arrested for the suspicious death of her husband—but Julia has no memory of the incident. Under duress, she attends an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, where she meets 25-year-old delivery driver Natasha Mason, who volunteers to be Julia’s sponsor and moves into a spare room in Julia’s mansion. The two soon recognize their shared traits: straight talk, impulsiveness, and a terrier-like devotion to problem solving. They team up to find Tony’s murderer, exploiting Julia’s acting skills to go undercover in various Los Angeles subcultures. Racing from a Hollywood funeral to a dingy burlesque venue and then a Palm Springs country club, they barrel toward the truth. Waxman stuffs the narrative with colorful side characters and witty repartee, sometimes to the detriment of its pacing. Still, movie buffs and fans of comical mysteries will enjoy themselves. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (Apr.)