Killed in the Ratings

Witty, Smart-Talking, 70S Mischief, With an Ingenious Finale

Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1979.

A witty perspective on career advancement and corporate ambition from an author who died too soon.

Synopsis

Matt Cobb is the head of Special Projects at a New York T.V. network. Special projects “do everything that’s too touchy for Public Relations, and too messy for the legal department.” They ensure that a starlet’s cocaine habit doesn’t get splashed all over the front pages and that the Congressman on the licensing committee gets to see his favourite show.

Matt arranges to see a man who warns of the downfall of his network. Somebody clubs him on the back of the head when he arrives at the meeting. He comes around to find a body lying next to him and the police busting through the door.

After being interrogated by the police — they think him suspect number one — Matt is attacked again on his doorstep.

All of which leaves Matt with a couple of burning questions. What is the threat to the network? And more urgently, why is somebody trying to kill him?

Review

Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea may be a little dated now, but it drips 70s style, right the way down to Cobb’s corporate Oldsmobile…

Black outside, white inside. You haven’t lived until you’ve manoeuvred a dinosaur-like that out of a cellar garage onto Sixth Avenue at ten o’clock in the morning.

DeAndrea’s debut novel will take you back to a time before iPhones and emails.

He narrates the story in the first person, and Matt Cob is caustically funny. He is also unexpectedly human, obsessed with correct grammar and punctuation. The characterisation lends the story a light, entertaining quality as Matt dodges knives, bullets and rental cars. I questioned why a corporate executive who has had a couple of attempts on his life doesn’t come clean with the police. If somebody even looks at me funnily, I tell all. Matt’s behaviour is not logical, but the reason becomes apparent in the end.

Whilst DeAndrea’s tale rambles a little at the beginning, it is an acute portrayal of corporate greed and love, with a sharp and insightful ending.

Tragically DeAndrea died in the 90s when he was only 44. You can’t help but wonder what he would be writing if he was still alive today.

Excerpt

“Looking for a room?”

“Looking for a friend of mine,” I told him. “Is Mr. Vincent here?”

He checked the register. “I just come on, you know,” he explained. “Vincent, Vincent. Ah, here we go, Charles Vincent, room 414. You ain’t a cop, are you?”

“No. Do I look like one?”

“They never do, no more,” he said mournfully.

I gave him my sympathy, and headed for the elevator.

“Sorry, pal,” he said sincerely, “elevator’s busted. Stairs to your left.”

I made a face as I started up the stairs, thinking that if what Vincent wanted to tell me about was anything less than a plot to napalm Sesame Street, I would personally kick him in his head.

The stairs were carpeted in a neutral grey-beige, a color the management had picked, no doubt, to blend in with dirt. It was a good thing I was in shape, or the climb and the dust storm I kicked up would have made it impossible to breathe instead of only difficult. I was only puffing a little when I emerged on the fourth floor. The even numbers were across the hall and to my right, so I pointed myself in the right direction and walked to room 414.

Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea