BOOK REVIEW: MIT OUT SOUND by Rick Lenz
Book Title: MIT OUT SOUND by Rick Lenz
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages
Genre: Hollywood Tie-in Literary Fiction
Publisher: Chromodroid Press
Release date: February 2025
Content Rating: PG-13 +M. My book is rated PG-13 + M for swear words, one non-explicit sex scene, adultery and references to abuse and one on page murder.
This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last! Rick
Lenz’s Mit Out Sound is a mesmerizing blend of Hollywood mystery,
metaphysical intrigue, and complex human relationships. The novel follows Emily
Bennett, a would-be movie producer who never believed in the legend of Showdown,
a lost film starring James Dean and John Wayne. However, when she encounters
two eerily talented celebrity impersonators—Jimmy Riley and Tom
"Duke" Manfredo—her skepticism fades. With the discovery of the
film’s long-missing master negative, Emily is thrust into a whirlwind journey
to complete the film, uncovering more than she ever expected.
What begins as an ambitious filmmaking endeavor quickly
becomes something much deeper. As Emily, Jimmy, and Duke navigate a tangled web
of past-life connections, artistic ambitions, and romantic entanglements, their
relationships mirror the characters they portray. Adding to the turmoil is
their enigmatic director, Solange Borugian, whose motives come into question,
further fracturing the fragile bonds between the team. Meanwhile, Emily and her
brother Ben must confront their own painful history as they grapple with their
dying father.
Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the Arizona
desert, where Apache holy grounds and the magic of cinema blur the lines
between reality and fiction, Mit Out Sound is both an engrossing
Hollywood mystery and a deeply personal tale of unresolved pasts. Lenz’s rich
prose and layered storytelling make for a compelling read, full of intrigue,
passion, and existential reflection. Fans of historical Hollywood fiction with
a supernatural twist will find much to love in this unique and haunting novel.
"It's time to make a mess," said Emily.
Would-be movie producer Emily Bennett didn't believe the legend of a lost movie, starring James Dean and John Wayne. But when she meets two uncannily talented celebrity impersonators-Jimmy Riley and Tom "Duke" Manfredo, and stumbles upon the elusive film editor who stole the master negative of Showdown, it dispels her doubts, fills her with a courage she didn't know she had, and she sets out to complete the movie.
But as Emily and her stars prepare for day one of shooting, they find themselves entangled in a complex love triangle with Oedipal undertones, mirroring their own past lives and off-screen dynamics. As doubts about their ruthless director, Solange Borugian, surface, Jimmy's and Duke's friendship is turned upside down, while Emily and her brother Ben, struggle with their own unresolved issues and are forced to confront their dying father.
On location in Arizona, amidst Apache holy grounds and the magic of day-for-night shooting, the lines between past and present blur and the flawed characters' backstories intertwine into a tumultuous finale that exposes their hidden animosities, demons, and loves.
When Rick Lenz retired as a stage and film actor (playing opposite Ingrid Bergman, John
Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Walter Matthau, Peter Sellers, etc.), his passion for drama refused to retire with him. Although he was an actor most of his life, he is also a seasoned writer.
His plays have been produced Off-Broadway, on PBS television, and in regional theatres across the country. Rick’s memoir North of Hollywood was called “masterful” by Writer’s
Digest. His first novel, The Alexandrite was named “one of the best books of the year” by Kirkus Reviews. Bret Easton Ellis called it “almost impossible to put down.” Booklife calls A Town Called Why, “An absorbing tale of mystery and revenge… nuanced … powerful.” Rick’s books have won several awards, including, Readers Views (first place), the Chanticleer Somerset Grand Prize for Literary, Contemporary and Mainstream Fiction, an IPPY Award, and a Foreword Book of the Year. Most recently, his time-travel love story Hello, Rest of My Life was a 2022 Silver Nautilus Book Award winner (fiction), and Eric Hoffer Award finalist (fiction).
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Linda and an ever-shifting array of animals.
connect with the author: website ~ x/twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads ~ bookbub
Many thanks for your lovely review. ❤️
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for having me on this tour! :)
DeleteThank you for the summary! It sounds like a very gripping book.
ReplyDelete