Review of Between Good and Hollywood
Posted: 26 Jun 2025, 15:08
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Between Good and Hollywood" by Tyler Patrick Wood.]
Show business is tough. Have you ever wondered what happens to actors, stuntmen, and technicians who fail in Hollywood? Benjamin Billings and Tabitha Johns were on a roll with their acting careers, but then everything went south. Their dreams were crushed. They had to think of a new career plan, and that is how they became con artists. We meet them at a moment when they are no longer newbies to this business. Actually, they are about to pull their biggest job so far. Ben and Tabby have been trained by the best, and there is no doubt that they are talented enough. The question is, do they have the nerve to pull it through?
Between Good and Hollywood by Tyler Patrick Wood reminded me of the movie Ocean's Eleven. As can be expected from a story about former Hollywood actors, it had some glamour. The plotline was built on multiple deceptions and counter-deceptions. The story was catchy: you could never really know who turned against whom or who ended up in a body bag on the next page. I enjoyed the unpredictability of the story, and I found this book hilarious, entertaining, and suspenseful.
This book was rich in characters, and I loved how the author's skillful wordcraft brought them alive. Benjamin Billings was arrogant but sensitive. At first, Tabitha Johns appeared almost reckless, but I later found out that she also had her neuroses and soft spots. Of course, they needed a crew for their big scam. Senna Lassiter, a beautiful but inexperienced young woman, was the newbie in the group. And then they had Fowler Dane, the bouncer type, just to mention a few of them. They were all introduced one by one as the story developed. However, my biggest favorites in this story did not belong to the Billings crew. Instead, I was mesmerized by the hideous villains. My favorites were Evan Henk, with his leaky eye and murderous temper, and Remi Dryer, a stone-cold, calculating woman with her tear-jerker background story.
I did not find anything to dislike in this book. Somehow, the author managed to include all the clichés you would expect to find in this type of story: the villains, the Billings crew, hints of romance, an FBI agent, and even a greedy politician. But it was all done with style. When Ben's mother, Rhonda Billings, got pulled into the story, I thought I'd seen it all. And I mean this in a positive sense: the outcome was perfect! However, be warned. It is not the book you want to read when you're dead tired, and your bedtime has already passed. I am saying this because it took some effort to keep up with everything that was going on. However, I loved every moment of it.
I am awarding Between Good and Hollywood by Tyler Patrick Wood a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. It was a well-edited, perfectly entertaining reading experience, and I found no reason to rate it any lower. This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys crime stories with a twist of humor. I hope the author will be inspired to write another novel about Ben and Tabby. If he does, I'll definitely be the first one in line to get it!
But what happened to Ben and Tabby's big scam? Did they pull it off? You will have to read that yourself!
******
Between Good and Hollywood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Show business is tough. Have you ever wondered what happens to actors, stuntmen, and technicians who fail in Hollywood? Benjamin Billings and Tabitha Johns were on a roll with their acting careers, but then everything went south. Their dreams were crushed. They had to think of a new career plan, and that is how they became con artists. We meet them at a moment when they are no longer newbies to this business. Actually, they are about to pull their biggest job so far. Ben and Tabby have been trained by the best, and there is no doubt that they are talented enough. The question is, do they have the nerve to pull it through?
Between Good and Hollywood by Tyler Patrick Wood reminded me of the movie Ocean's Eleven. As can be expected from a story about former Hollywood actors, it had some glamour. The plotline was built on multiple deceptions and counter-deceptions. The story was catchy: you could never really know who turned against whom or who ended up in a body bag on the next page. I enjoyed the unpredictability of the story, and I found this book hilarious, entertaining, and suspenseful.
This book was rich in characters, and I loved how the author's skillful wordcraft brought them alive. Benjamin Billings was arrogant but sensitive. At first, Tabitha Johns appeared almost reckless, but I later found out that she also had her neuroses and soft spots. Of course, they needed a crew for their big scam. Senna Lassiter, a beautiful but inexperienced young woman, was the newbie in the group. And then they had Fowler Dane, the bouncer type, just to mention a few of them. They were all introduced one by one as the story developed. However, my biggest favorites in this story did not belong to the Billings crew. Instead, I was mesmerized by the hideous villains. My favorites were Evan Henk, with his leaky eye and murderous temper, and Remi Dryer, a stone-cold, calculating woman with her tear-jerker background story.
I did not find anything to dislike in this book. Somehow, the author managed to include all the clichés you would expect to find in this type of story: the villains, the Billings crew, hints of romance, an FBI agent, and even a greedy politician. But it was all done with style. When Ben's mother, Rhonda Billings, got pulled into the story, I thought I'd seen it all. And I mean this in a positive sense: the outcome was perfect! However, be warned. It is not the book you want to read when you're dead tired, and your bedtime has already passed. I am saying this because it took some effort to keep up with everything that was going on. However, I loved every moment of it.
I am awarding Between Good and Hollywood by Tyler Patrick Wood a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. It was a well-edited, perfectly entertaining reading experience, and I found no reason to rate it any lower. This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys crime stories with a twist of humor. I hope the author will be inspired to write another novel about Ben and Tabby. If he does, I'll definitely be the first one in line to get it!
But what happened to Ben and Tabby's big scam? Did they pull it off? You will have to read that yourself!
******
Between Good and Hollywood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon