theater

Rosemary Simpson: Death Takes the Lead

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Gilded Age #9

Death Takes the Lead is the ninth book in Rosemary Simpson’s Gilded Age Mystery series set in New York City in the 1890s, with protagonists Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter.  Prudence comes from one of New York’s wealthiest families–one of Mrs. Astor’s Four Hundred.  Rebelling against the life of a society lady, she has passed the New York bar and become one of the first female lawyers in the state.  Geoffrey is an ex-Pinkerton agent and a Civil War veteran.  He is the son of a Southern plantation owner and, after seeing the horrors of slavery firsthand, has run away from his home and fought for the North.  Both characters are rebels against the society in which they were born, and the two are now partners in an investigative law firm.  A slow-burning romance has developed between them, and, I am pleased to say, without giving away too much, this book takes it to a new level. read more

Scott Lyerly: The Last Line

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Debut

This dark theatre cozy is set in Avalon, Massachusetts, in the tiny Kaleidoscope Theater.  Theater owner and producer Ellie Marlowe, our main character, is opening a solid sounding show titled Murder in a Teacup. The attendance numbers look good and the show looks to be a success, with just one problem: the leading man is not a nice guy.  In the first few scenes, in encounter after encounter, the reader is shown (not told) of the man’s arrogant, demeaning, and downright rude behavior to basically all other humans in his orbit.  Since this is a murder mystery, he is quickly dispatched, though the question remains: did he simply have a heart attack?  Again, this is a murder mystery. read more

Frank Anthony Polito: Rehearsed to Death

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Domestic Partners in Crime #2

I have always insisted I don’t read fantasy novels, but I actually do, because I read cozy mysteries. While the stories themselves are set in more than recognizable places, the behavior of the amateur sleuths in most of them enters the realm of the fantastical.  I could care less.  The world is a hard cold place, and a cozy novel provides respite, comfort, and very often laughs.  Sign me up!  The best of them have characters that have emotional truth and often seem very much like our own friends and neighbors, with the added super power of solving crimes. read more

Laura Levine: Death by Smoothie

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Death by Smoothie, Laura Levine’s latest work, has Jaine Austen tossed into investigating two murders: that of a classic sitcom turned musical, and that of the lead actress starring in said musical. Jaine is approached by her friend and neighbor Lance Venable and asked if she would be interested in doing the screen writing for the musical remake of an old sitcom called ‘I Married a Zombie’. While she isn’t a fan of the sitcom or of the idea of a musical based upon it, she is definitely interested in the paycheck the job would bring. David and Becca are the couple who are funding and directing the project using the winnings from David’s recent lotto ticket. While she is hesitant about working on such a tacky project, Jaine is won over by the large pay out promised. read more