Book Review: Everybody Smokes in Hell

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Everybody Smokes in Hell     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
John Ridley
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Knopf, Aug 1999, $23.00, 236 pp.

Hollywood has known many failures over the years, but the Heaven’s Gate of pathetic losers probably is Paris Scott. His numerous efforts for artistic and financial success have landed him a night job at a nearby convenience store. Proving that the worse case lies in a bottomless pit, things go bad for Paris. He obtains a valuable last recording from a rock icon who just committed suicide and a cache of drugs stolen from a powerful dealer. Paris sees the contraband as a means to get rich quick.

However, an assortment of other individuals and groups do not quite see eye to eye with Paris. Instead, it seems as if half the sleaziest residents of Hollywood want the tape and or the heroin even at the cost of Paris’ life. Even though he now possesses goods worth several million dollars, Paris has no market as the demand for his goods is his life.

EVERYBODY SMOKES IN HELL is a wild ride through Los Angeles via John Ridley’s hate-love relationship with the city. The story line is not deep yet carries a strong theme that a rich quick scheme invariably fails. The characters are a wide variety of failures and flops with Paris being the leader of the pack. The city of LA seems alive, but appears as another loser rivaling that of Paris. Not for everyone, Mr. Ridley humorously but gritty work portrays the underbelly of Southern California society.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner