In a word, goofy. Everything about Silver Scream was goofy. The premise goes like this: the owner of a bed and breakfast needs to solve a murder on her property before the authorities blame her for the death and shut her business down. I thought that was a plausible and clever way to have a civilian try to solve a mystery. A bunch of movie are staying at Hillside Manor for a movie premier. When the producer is found dead, drowned in the kitchen sink, the race is on to solve the death. Accident? Suicide? Murder? The cleverness ends here and the story becomes just plain goofy. Judith, as the bed and breakfast owner, became completely unbelievable when she promised to have an elaborate costume for an actress repaired in one day. Then there was this goofy moment: the rookie police officer, responding to aforementioned death in Judith's kitchen, makes bunny ears behind her superior officer's head while investigating the scene. This is at a potential crime scene! Goofy! And another (still at the same crime scene): Judith's husband's ex-wife shows up. She's not only allowed to enter the potential crime scene, but she hangs around for awhile. I could go on and on, listing all the silliness of Silver Scream. Even though I didn't solve the mystery right away, I wasn't sure I cared. ( )

Hollywood has descended on Hillside Manor. Genius producer, Bruno Zepf is in town for the premier of his latest blockbuster “The Gasman.” He has brought his entourage and his superstitions with him, and they have book Hillside Manor for their stay. Zepf believes that staying in a B&B prior to a premier guarantees a successful movie. He believes spiders are bad luck, too. It seems not all these are true, as his blockbuster turns out to be a bust. And so is his life, when he turns up face down in the B&B’s kitchen sink.

Once more, Judith winds up investigating murder with the help of her sister Renie. Not only because Judith has a knack for it, but also to keep the press from having a heyday and giving the B&B bad publicity.

With a number of characters to keep track of, the plot moves quickly. The Hollywood types and the regular folk, some who turn out to be not that regular, have their own twists and turns to keep this plot moving.

I will say that I did not see the solution coming, but I wasn’t disappointed in it. This series is still an enjoyable cozy read for me. ( )

I loved the hollywood types and the sideswipes of the "love" hollywood has for writers..(very true!) A fun read and a great mystery! Thanks, Ms. Daheim! ( )

Homicide has never been more hilarious than when committed (on paper) by the inimitable Mary Daheim.

I'm so far behind on this series that I feel almost like it is new again, and I remember what parts of it I dislike the most. Judith and Joe are wonderful, I love spending time with them. Cousin Renie, well, she irks me almost constantly, and Judith's mother has become a caracature of the worst mother in the world. Cranky, forgetful, difficult, snotty, etc.

Still, I do enjoy the mystery and was completely fooled by this one -- never even had the killer on my radar! When the B&B group tells Judith she is going to be having a crowd of "hollywood types" staying, she does the best she can to get out of it. But, stay at her B&B they do. The Director of the film The Gasman is superstitious and his first hit happened when he was at a B&B for the premier, so at a B&B he must stay. With him comes an assistant, a writer, a director, and a few of the stars.

When said director is found dead, the fun begins. All of which is heightened by the season, it is Halloween.

I'll read more in the series, like I said I like Judith and Joe and they are normally the main characters. Renie and Gertrude I'll continue to let them irk me but not keep me from reading the books. ( )