Who Killed Art Deco?

By Chuck Barris

From the infamous mind of a comic madman--and the author of the sardonic The Big Question--comes a mind-numbingly hilarious parody of cop dramas, police procedurals, and America's upper crust.

- Comic legend: Chuck Barris is the creator and former producer of The Gong Show, The Newlywed Game, and The Dating Game, among many others. His memoir, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, sparked a worldwide debate as to the validity of his professed identity when he claimed to have worked as an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency during the 1960s and the 1970s. As a storyteller, Barris is the blackest comedian there is. As a satirist, he may be one of the best writers around today.

- A masterful spoof: Art Deco Jr. is heir to a vast fortune, scion of one of America's most powerful men--but he is also the black sheep of the family. When he is found murdered in his Manhattan apartment, everyone wonders who could have killed him. Was it Art's recently spurned lover, Eddie Cotton, the failed actor and gigolo? Was it one of Art's own relatives, all of whom seem ready to disown him for tarnishing the family name? As the investigation unfolds, it becomes apparent to the novice detective Jimmy Netts that without an actual license, it's tough to investigate anything resembling a crime scene. Full of uproarious investigative snafus, Who Killed Art Deco? is a dark and delightfully funny book from an equally troubled mind.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416575596
• ISBN13: 9781416575597
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Chuckie, Chuckie, Chuckie

It started out with a-fixing a permanent smile to my face. When I got to page 23, the line: "Eddie Cantelone was a twenty-five-year old lying, sleazy scuzzbag" brought about my first out-loud chuckle. By the time I was a third of the way into the book, the people at the next table were giving me weird glances. By halfway, the task of holding back the tears and trying to stop my sides from heaving were too much so I had to go home. That's Chuck Barris. Of course Chuck has always made me laugh, even when he isn't writing, but Who Killed Art Deco is bound to please everyone. Art Deco Jr. is the reluctant heir of Deco Industries who despises his father, his siblings, and everything about his wealthy lifestyle. To compensate, he undertakes the bohemian lifestyle in New York and engages a variety of misfits, any of whom could be responsible for his demise. Seeking vengeance, Deco senior persuades a novice investigator to find the killer. And as Chuck would say, the chuckles keep coming. Besides being entertaining, the book is easy to read, has an interesting little mystery connected in it, and a variety of characters who he develops just enough so that you can structure a fine superficial opinion about them. I suppose to really appreciate Barris you have to see life from his point of view, and from his point, there are a lot of funny, misfit people and situations in the world.

Chuck Barris Fans - Take Art Deco to the beach

Chuck Barris Fans - Take Art Deco to the beach Those of us who are lifelong fans of Chuck Barris will find Who Killed Art Deco to be the icing on the cake in his prolific career. He draws you inside the character's personas, paints backdrops that are perfect accompaniments to the story and weaves a tale that makes one not want to put the book down. It is a love story, a satire, a comedy, a mystery, a commentary on modern life and a fun read for any sunny beach.