Bottom Feeders - Softcover

Shepphird, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1538469200 ISBN 13: 9781538469200

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing, 2018

Synopsis

A page-turning whodunit set in the wilds of a remote movie ranch, Bottom Feeders describes the hapless Hollywood cast and crew that eke out a living working on low-budget fare.

Their ambitious TV movie needs to be made fast and cheap, but a brutal murder grinds production to a halt. An approaching forest fire forces everyone to evacuate. In the confusion not everyone gets out. Eddie is the alcoholic director, Sheila the vulnerable camera assistant, Tom the self-centered actor, and Sondra the spurned sheriff's deputy. Who will survive?

Death comes sudden and silent. The camouflaged killer's weapon-of-choice is a high-tech hunting bow capable of firing razor-sharp arrows four hundred feet per second. The mysterious assassin has an agenda. Those left behind must find out what it is and who is behind this bloody slaughter in the fight for their lives.

About this title

Review

"A thrill-ride. Blood, sweat, and fears among Hollywood's low-budget ne'er-do-wells. This is the real deal."

-- "Fred Olen Ray, director of over 150 titles, including Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers"

"From years of experience fighting in the trenches of low-budget films, Shepphird has crafted a pulse-pounding thriller of page-turning fun."

-- "Andrew W. Marlowe, creator and executive producer of ABC's Castle"

"A fast-paced, fun read that explores a part of the movie business that often gets overlooked...The pages move quickly, the story adheres to a classic whodunit formula, and from 'Action!' to 'Cut!' it's a pleasure to read."

-- "Mystery Scene"

"Instead of attempting to link the drastically different halves of this tale, Shepphird seems to revel in the contrast between them. Like-minded readers will get two stories for the price of one."

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"The plot construction is straightforward, effective, and the stuff of classic mystery...[which] captures the vanities, pretensions, rivalries, and insecurities of all the film's participants...The author handles the thriller part with dexterity. He keeps the tension high and the narrative moving...It's an entertaining mystery, but it also provides a sharp look at what it's like to toil for a living in the low-budget movie trenches."

-- "Criminal Element"

"A crackling good yarn about the inner workings and intrigues behind the scenes of a Hollywood low-budget movie...Shepphird knows the terrain and gives the reader a deliciously voyeuristic view of the Hollywood dream factory at work. A great read!"

-- "Clive Rosengren, author of Red Desert"

"Classic Hollywood noir, complete with racetracks, drunks, has-been movie stars, and murder. I absolutely devoured this book, and still can't believe it's a debut novel...I'll be waiting for whatever he writes next!"

-- "Steve Hamilton, New York Times bestselling and two-time Edgar Award-winning author"

"Reader Pinchot adds depth to the large cast of characters in Shepphird's suspenseful thriller...Screenwriter-director Shepphird enhances his nonstop chiller with authentic behind-the-camera activity, while Pinchot works his vocal magic on the author's gallery of colorful characters."

-- "Publishers Weekly (audio review)"

"The low-budget project is scheduled to film in San Bernardino County on a tight schedule, but the pressures of making the deadline are forgotten after members of the cast and crew become the targets of a murderous archer, leaving Eddie and Sheila scrambling to survive."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"This audiobook is great entertainment from start to finish, and narrator Bronson Pinchot relishes every minute of it...Great fun ensues, as well as an opportunity for Pinchot to gently poke fun at Hollywood types. This audiobook will certainly provide a welcome distraction for anyone in need of an action fix."

-- "AudioFile"

About the Author

John Shepphird is a writer and director of nine feature films and hours of television. His credits include SyFy Channel's Jersey Shore Shark Attack, Chupacabra Terror, and ABC Family's I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. He is an award-winning author with a continuing private-eye series published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1538469200
• ISBN 13: 9781538469200
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240