The Hollywood Murder Mysteries

Joe Bernardi's been hired as a publicist by third-rate movie studio, Continental Pictures. One night, he enters a darkened sound stage only to discover the dead body of ambitious would-be actress Maggie Baumann. When the police investigate, they immediately zero in on Joe as the perp. Short on evidence, they attempt to frame him and almost succeed. Desperate to clear himself and uncover the identity of the actual killer, Joe enlists the help of Russ Parmelee, the studio's chief of security.

Joe Bernardi was the new guy in Warner Brothers Press Department, so it was no surprise when Joe was given the unenviable task of flying to Tampico, Mexico to bail Humphrey Bogart out of jail without the world learning about it. When he arrived, he discovered that Bogie wasn't the problem. So-called accidents were occurring daily on the set, slowing down the filming of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and putting tempers on edge.

Joe Bernardi's ex-wife Lydia is in big, big, trouble. On a Sunday evening she gets a panic call from one time lover Tyler Banks to bring an envelope from his beach house safe to his office. When she arrives he is visibly frightened and orders her to leave but once outside the building, she hears a shot. She runs back inside and finds Tyler dead on the floor and the envelope missing. She races from the office into the night, fearing for her life and unwilling to trust the cops. She goes into hiding even as the police instigate a city wide search for her. Even though Joe has found a new love in reporter Bunny Lesher, he feels he cannot abandon his former wife.