What We’re Reading
What happens when a former Court TV and Comedy Central exec writes a thriller? A pretty good mystery with legal doings intertwined with steady, dry wit.
Art Bell’s first novel “What’s She Hiding” (released Tuesday by Ulysses Press) follows his 2020 memoir “Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor,” which detailed how as an executive at HBO in the late 1980s, he pitched the idea for Comedy Channel. It launched in late 1989, a few months before MTV premiered its own comedy network, Ha!. The two eventually merged into one becoming Comedy Central. Bell went on to become president of Court TV after his comedy run and has now dedicated himself to writing, with various short stories, nonfiction and satire published in several journals.
What’s She Hiding features Henry Gladstone, a lawyer at an elite New York law firm, whose ex-wife is a piece of work. She suddenly shows up again in his life and brings a Russian-mob load of problems with her. From there, it’s a mad dash through NYC to figure out—what she’s hiding—and to stay alive. The novel has a classic noir style and pacing reminiscent of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series, complete with a best friend to help Henry along the way. And Bell has an impressive list of authors blurbing his novel—from Tess Gerritsen (The Martini Club series) to Douglas Preston (coauthor of the Pendergast series with Lincoln Child).
This book isn’t about the cable industry, but there are certainly bits that made me think about back in the day. Such as Bell’s description of how Henry’s assistant is the best way to get clued in on office gossip. “If you want to know anything about what goes on in a big law firm, check with the assistant network. It’s like the internet, only with more information.” Reporters found this to be true too—though it’s become less the case as technology has evolved the role.
I asked Bell if any parts of his book were inspired by his time in cable. “My writing owes a lot to my experience at both networks. I’ve always loved comedy, and my Comedy Central experience inspired me to include humor in almost everything I write,” he said. “I didn’t intend What She’s Hiding as a comedic thriller, but since there’s humor in almost every human experience, I was pleased that Henry’s sense of humor came through even when he was in danger.”