Schindler (Sewer Balls
; From the Block
) has two decades of TV producing and writing under his belt, so it's no surprise that his third novel, an erratic blend of slapstick farce, meandering mystery and winsome romance, reads like an extended TV dramedy. Johnny Koester, formerly a New York TV producer of vaguely intellectual arts segments, is transplanted by sudden unemployment to Los Angeles, as the ash from post–Rodney King riots sifts over the city. There he lives off his savings in a rundown Hollywood apartment building, where neighbors include a busty Russian stripper and her darling three-year-old son; a chirpy spinster and her nosy, aged mother; and, most ominously, a down-on-his-luck former porn-film director. When Johnny finally finds work, it's as producer for two sleazy tabloid-TV series, Psychic CrimeBusters
and Shocking Hollywood Secrets
—where romantic sparks arc during Johnny's first interview with the vibrant woman running a shelter for teenage runaways. The story's mystery is less than energetic, as good-hearted Johnny slowly uncovers why his hangdog neighbor is hiding from the world. The romance? A happy-ever-after ending is never in doubt. Schindler's cockeyed insider's take on how bottom-feeder TV gets made is what gives this entertaining novel its oomph. Agent, Andrea Barzvi at ICM
. (Aug.)
