On the cusp of the twentieth century, Manhattan is a lively metropolis buzzing with talent. But after a young soprano meets an untimely end on stage, can one go-getting leading lady hit the right notes in a case of murder? New York City, 1899. When it comes to show business, Gilded Age opera singer Ella Shane wears the pants. The unconventional diva breaks the mold by assuming “trouser … assuming “trouser roles”—male characters played by women—and captivating audiences far and wide with her travelling theatre company. But Ella’s flair for the dramatic takes a terrifying turn when an overacting Juliet to her Romeo drinks real poison during the final act of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
Weeks after the woman’s death is ruled a tragic accident, a mysterious English duke arrives in Greenwich Village on a mission. He’s certain someone is getting away with murder, and the refined aristocrat won’t travel back across the Atlantic until Ella helps him expose the truth.
As Ella finds herself caught between her craft and a growing infatuation with her dashing new acquaintance, she’s determined to decode the dark secrets surrounding her co-star’s fatale finale—before the lights go dark and the culprit appears for an encore . . .
[Author Photo]
Kathleen Marple Kalb lives with her family in Cheshire, Connecticut. She’s currently a weekend morning anchor at New York’s 1010WINS Radio, capping a career she began as a teenage DJ in rural Western Pennsylvania. She’s currently working on the next Ella Shane historical mystery.
Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com
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In A Fatal Finale, Kathleen Marple Kalb raises the curtain on the tarnished glamour of the New York City theater scene in the Gilded Age, with a cast of characters so genuine and loveable you won’t want to leave them when the book is over. Bravo to this engaging debut! I look forward to encore after encore!
This is an outstanding debut novel, set in early 20th-century New York. The main character is an opera singer who specializes in “trouser roles.” In other words, she’s a woman who plays male parts. The background is fascinating and fully realized, and the characters are great!
Gilded Age opera singer Ella Shane plays “trouser roles”, can fence like nobody’s business and is a fabulously witty narrator. This cozy mystery has all the elements necessary for a page-turner, including an intriguing cast of characters, sparkling dialogue, and just the right amount of historical accuracy. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel!
A FATAL FINALE by Kathleen Marple Kalb
The First Ella Shane Mystery
Ella Shane is an opera diva, although not quite your stereotypical one. From a humble background, this mezzo soprano has made a career of opera’s trouser roles and has created her own opera company which travels the country. Another tour finds yet another difficult soprano in the role of Juliet. But when she dies on stage, it’s not an act. Ella, who didn’t care for the new girl, feels badly that she didn’t try harder to get to know her. When the young singer’s cousin, an English duke, appears, Ella realizes she never knew her at all. She and the Duke decide to look into the young woman’s life and tragic death only to find a lot more than they bargained for!
Ella Shane is a wonderful protagonist. She’s worked hard to be where she is and doesn’t mind standing apart from the crowd. Ella has a deep sense of responsibility and respectability, but also a sense of adventure and fun. I love her inherited parrot and the rest of her unusual household and entourage.
Admittedly, A FATAL FINALE starts off slowly. While there is a dead body early on, it isn’t treated as a murder. The story itself was interesting and I loved seeing how Ella and her company lived and worked. Gradually the story evolves into questioning who the victim really was in life and finding there was much more to her death than a tragic accident. By the end, I was rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next and I adored the finale, which left me both satisfied yet eagerly anticipating Ella’s next story.
A FATAL FINALE is an intriguing mystery that captures the work ethic as well as the flamboyancy of a Gilded Age opera company.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
I loved this glimpse into life in the late 1890s. The characters were all strong and appealing. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Delightfully intriguing, A Fatal Finale is a Gilded Age gem of a mystery. Kathleen Marple Kalb has gifted us with a glimpse of behind-the-scenes opera at the turn of the 20th century and introduced us to Ella Shane, an unconventional diva and the perfect plucky heroine. Readers will adore this immersive tale!
This is one of those special mysteries that I have so enjoyed that I have my fingers crossed that it will become a series. It’s that good. Historical mysteries are a favorite of mine, especially those set in the Gilded Age, so my attention was drawn to the blurb and I wasted no time starting it. Ella Shane (full name Ellen O’Shaunessy, daughter of a Jewish immigrant father and an Irish immigrant mother) runs an opera company with her cousin Tommy. She sings the male roles and at the end of their run of Romeo and Juliet, the young singer playing Juliet really dies on stage. She’s the victim of poisoning. Soon Ella and Tom learn that she had quite a background – she was a member of British aristocracy and her cousin is a Duke. When he arrives seeking answers to her untimely death, he makes some assumptions about Ella that she soon sets him straight. When poisoning is revealed as the cause of death, Ella, Tommy, Gilbert, the Duke set out to catch a killer. With a large extended family to help along the way, Ella will find justice for the deceased young woman, Violette Saint Claire. Might there also be a budding relationship with Gilbert, the Duke?
Besides being a very well written mystery with a great cast of characters, there is lots of depth regarding the social structure of the 1890’s regarding immigrants and the upper classes. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Ella, Tommy et al.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first book in Kathleen Marple Kalb’s An Ella Shane Mystery series. It’s set in New York 1899 and follows Ella Shane, a successful opera singer known for singing men’s roles. She runs her own company with her cousin Tommy, and during one of their Romeo and Juliet performances, the soprano Violette, who is playing Juliet to Ella’s Romeo, dies in a suspicious manner. The death is ruled an accident, but Violette’s cousin, who happens to be a duke, travels to New York to find out what really happened to her. Ella and Violette may not have gotten along with each other but she feels a sense of responsibility for what happened to the young singer and does everything she can to help the duke.
This is a fun and entertaining historical cozy, with a great cast of characters, an interesting mystery, and a touch of romance. The author’s writing style flows smoothly, and she has clearly done her research into the setting and society’s views on women at the time. Ella is a character that readers will find easy to like and relate to. She’s independent, very kind-hearted, and a huge bookworm. She comes from humble beginnings and has worked very hard for everything she has- money, a successful career, and a good reputation. Yet, she has never forgotten her roots and is always willing to help anyone in need and she treats her staff like family. I enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to spending more time with her. While the mystery kept me guessing, it didn’t really play a huge role in the story. However, I was enjoying the characters and the setting so much that it didn’t bother me. The reveal was action-packed and definitely made up for it.
Overall, I think this series is off to a great start and I look forward to the second book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. (
1890s, historical-research, historical-setting, mystery, acting
What a wonderful story! It really has it all: a mystery, historical insights into class and religious distinctions and discriminations, misogyny, and a bit of romance. And don’t forget the velocipedes! The characters are real (the good, the bad, and the disgusting), the research and motivation that brought out things about bullemia in the late nineteenth century, and the plight of stage people that lingered long into the twentieth century. Very enjoyable and well written. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I LOVE Ella Shane!
What a beautifully cozy mysteryI The setting is interesting, the mystery solid, and the characters absolutely wonderful. These are people I look forward to spending more time with.
We are introduced to the mystery almost immediately. The story begins in New Haven, 1899, but quickly moves on to New York City. As it progresses, we get to know Ella, an opera star from humble beginnings, and those closest to her. Ella is kind, talented, self-possessed, self-educated, yet humble. She not only sings, she’s an excellent swordswoman. If she wasn’t as awesome as she is, I’d have a hard time choosing my favorite character. There’s her Irish cousin Tommy, former prizefighter, who left boxing to become her manager. There’s the outspoken, poker-playing Father Michael and Hetty, a rare, female reporter. Montezuma, the foul-mouthed parrot, is absolutely hilarious. There are still other endearing characters who add to the coziness of the story, but I won’t list them all here. Of course, this romance fan is not about to leave out Ella’s possible romantic interest, the gorgeous Gilbert Saint Aubyn, Duke of Leith. Every character bursts with personality, and you cannot help but love them.
The author sumptuously presents the cultural/societal atmosphere of the time. The story has a deliciously historical flavor, but the main characters are forward-thinking. It’s the first novel I’ve read featuring an opera star, and I found that aspect to be very interesting as well. Of note, there’s a subtle, beautiful dignity and morality to the book that match the fineness of the characters.
When you can spend time with characters you love, enjoy a solid mystery, sigh over a hint of romance, learn a little something, and overall feel uplifted by a book, well, that’s saying more than a little something.
Thank you for a great read, Kathleen Marple Kalb. I look forward to more Ella Shane mysteries!
Nearly 4 Stars for FATAL FINALE, an Ella Shane Mystery written by Kathleen Marple Kalb, narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley.
MY RATING GUIDE: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I ENJOYED IT; 4= I LIKED IT, A LOT!; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
I found FATAL FINALE more a Historical fiction novel with a side mystery element and a light touch of Romance than what I think of as a true Mystery. Commentary on women’s lives during the Gilded Age (1899), and the FMCs and her close “family” members in particular, underlined much of the story. After I adjusted my expectations, I ended up enjoying FATAL FINALE rather well. The main characters were well developed – honorable and kind. When judgement occurred, the MCs reaccessed their opinions as more information became available to them – as I would hope most intelligent people might. FATAL FINALE was a glimpse into another time and place – I enjoyed visiting it and have marked the later books in the series for purchase if they go on Sale ($12.99/book is too steep for my pocket). Historical fiction fans might especially be attracted and/or readers looking for a Clean Cozy, not necessarily a complex mystery. I would call FATAL FINALE a gentle story, appropriate for readers looking for a Clean read. Those who prefer darker, grittier – perhaps “truer to life” (and the worst it can dish out, in detail) may want to look elsewhere.
New York City, 1889 ~ The Gilded Age
MC/Opera Diva Miss Ella Shane owns a touring theatre company. During the tour’s last performance the Second Soprano, a young, ambitious woman shockingly dies from an apparent nicotine poisoning. It is discovered that she was from a prestigious English family and apparently abruptly left England 2yrs previously to perform in the theatre. After her body is received for burial, back in England, the patriarch of the young woman’s family arrives in New York demanding answers. Miss Ella is forced to look deeper into the death of the lady. Was she taking nicotine treatments and if so, for what? Could she have accidentally overdosed herself? Or did someone poison her?
Of historical interest – a telephone (a new concept) had recently been installed in the home of the FMC, and the FMC women were thrilled to ride velocity machines (or veloco-peeds) in the park for exercise and enjoyment. “Stays” in women’s clothing (and corsets) could be substituted for simple blouses and bloomers when riding and relaxed clothing was also allowed in the privacy of home.
READER CAUTIONS – FALTAL FINALE is a Clean read and entirely appropriate for Young readers, IMO.
PROFANITY – None.
VIOLENCE – Not dark. A light mystery – G/PG.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS – None. 1 kiss.
A Fatal Finale by Kathleen Kalb is the first in the new Ella Shane mystery series. The series is set in 1899 New York and features Ella Shane, an opera singer who specializes in so-called “trouser roles”, or singing men’s roles in opera. During the final performance of Romeo and Juliet, Violette, the young woman playing Juliet collapses onstage after drinking the prop poison and actually dies, since the prop poison was real. When Violette’s cousin, an English duke, arrive to claim the body, he and Ella begin conversing about the young soprano and suddenly Ella begins to doubt the assumption that the death was an accident.
I greatly enjoyed this debut. Ella narrates the stories and is smart, has a great sense of humor and is what one might call “wryly observant.” I found myself chuckling at her observations more than once. Author Kathleen Kalb has done a terrific job bringing the Golden Age of New York to life, and there are are a great many conversations sprinkled throughout the book concerning the place of women in society and a lot of explaining of conventions. Ella is also an extremely kind person and this shows through in her interactions.
A strong cast of supporting characters surrounds Ella – her cousin Tommy, her reporter friend Hetty and Ella and Tommy’s publisher friend and “surrogate uncle” Preston. Each of these characters adds color to the story. There is also Montezuma, the African parrot who sings along with Ella while she id practicing. The mystery is a bit in the background as we learn about Ella and her world, but when it takes center stage things really pick up.
I am very much looking forward to Ella’s next adventure, A Fatal First Night. I can highly recommend this series to fans of historical mysteries and those who enjoy strong women characters and mysteries set in the world of the performing arts.
I must preface my review with a disclosure. I was otherwise engaged when I received A Fatal Finale so my wife, whose genre of choice is historical fiction, eagerly grabbed this one up. I watched with interest as she voraciously flew through the pages with delight.
Kathleen Marple Kalb offers a splendid illustration of turn of the 20th century etiquette and appropriate period dress codes of the various classes and professions. Judith Martin (Miss Manners) states that if one wishes to become an accepted member of any society or group, one “had better learn to practice its etiquette”.
Kalb shines a blazing light on timeless foibles of humanity throughout A Fatal Finale. She highlights the gender inequities of society in a perpetual conflict between the sexes, interspersed by the struggles of the indigent to not only survive but to thrive. Even the diva has her, own, rags to riches back story. Interestingly she juxtaposes a young lady’s overwhelming desire to live for her art leaving her life in the British aristocracy behind.
Undaunted by controversial issues, the author illustrates the deep seated animosity between the English and the Irish; the Protestants and the Catholics; British aristocracy and everyone else by creating dramatic tension involving a British, Protestant Duke of Leith and an Irish Catholic Priest.
Throughout A Fatal Finale, a technically flawless historical cosy mystery, the author gracefully implies that there is a whodunit to be solved; however, was it an accident, suicide or a murder?
The protagonist, Miss Ella Shane, gifted Opera Diva, conflicted between her father’s Catholic faith and her mother’s Jewish faith, is completely devoted to her art. Enter a dashing Duke giving rise to a life changing dilemma for the indomitable diva.
Kathleen Marple Kalb is a skilful wordsmith, be sure to preorder her next novel A Fatal First Night due out April 27, 2021, I know my wife will.