A jouster, a playwright, and a detective walk into a faire…but it’s no joke when one ends up dead. Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows is thrilled when she learns that the famous playwright behind Hello Dolly Madison is in Arizona. Not so much when she realizes he’s a suspect in the murder of a Renaissance faire jouster. As is her friend Riley. And about a thousand other people, all disguised in … people, all disguised in Renaissance costume during the fatal jousting match.
When Ivy is hired to investigate the killing, she goes undercover as a Cockney belly dancer at the faire and finagles her way into the playwright’s Kennedy-inspired version of Camelot—as Marilyn Monroe, no less.
Then, in the midst of her toughest case ever, Ivy has to solve another dilemma: Will she follow her lifelong dream of being an actor or settle down with the love of her life?
The murder investigation, the play, and real life come together in a twist that begs the question: Is there a happily-ever-after for anyone?
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KILLALOT by Cindy Brown | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
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Part-time PI and actress Ivy Meadows is enjoying a rare day off with her boyfriend, her brother, and her brother’s girlfriend at the Renaissance faire thanks to free tickets from her friend, fellow actor Riley. They are going to watch Riley’s debut in the jousting event when a terrible accident ends with one jouster seriously injured and the other riding Riley’s horse off into the desert. Riley claims to have been knocked out, but was he? Ivy finds herself undercover at the home of a Broadway writer and at the faire. Will she be able to keep her undercover assignments straight? Will she find out what happened? Could this job land her a ticket to Broadway?
As you can tell, there is a lot happening in this book. Unfortunately, it overshadows the mystery at times. While things came to a satisfactory climax, I felt we could have gotten more development on the mystery earlier. However, I was never bored. So much was happening I was always reluctant to put the book down because I was having fun. Part of that fun came from the characters; as usual for the series, we meet a wide variety of very fun people. While the book has a comedic tone overall, things do get serious in the last quarter without getting dark. This allows for some wonderful character growth in Ivy. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how she progresses here. I can’t wait to see where this leads in the next book.
Cindy Brown did it again. She made me laugh to tears and brought me to emotional tears, mostly joy but a little sadness. She is a amazing magician in print, creating a novel that should be silly and turning it into a hilarious but sensitive tale of humanity and murder. Ivy isn’t just the main character, she is the hero for what she brings to the people she encounters. In order to find the killer of a bully whose passing no one regrets, Ivy juggle three roles: mime/belly dancer, Marilyn Monroe, and Ivy the PI.The characters she portrays provide plenty of opportunities for laughter, mostly at her expense, but Ivy plays the roles straight and takes us into the actors eye-view of moving into the life of another. Her relationship with Matt takes a turn that distracts her from the investigations and had me holding my breath!
This new to me author has written a complex tale that will keep you, the reader, on your toes. Actress and PI Ivy Meadows has her work cut out for her trying to discover who killed Renaissance Faire jouster Angus Duff. This is no easy task as he was known as a bully and there are many faire workers who did not like him. Ivy gets to use her acting talent by going undercover as a mime/belly dancer and as an actress playing the role of Marilyn Monroe in a show being developed by a well-known playwright.
In addition, Ivy needs to decide the direction of her relationship with boyfriend. Can she commit to a serious relationship knowing that an acting career could mean long times away from home? There is also the issue of her family. She feels responsible for her brother’s ice-skating accident and has a less than picture perfect relationship with her parents.
Cindy Brown does a wonderful job bringing her characters to life. If you have ever been to a Ren Faire, then you will feel the authenticity of the faire atmosphere. Like the author, I also have a background in theater enjoyed how Ivy used her acting skills to investigate the murder. I did feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning when I was first trying to sort out the “who’s who,” but that disappeared as I got more involved in the story.
I received my copy of this book by entering a Facebook group contest (random draw). I’m thrilled to have won as Ms. Brown is now on my radar as an author I want to continue to read.
This is a fun mystery, in a unique setting, with interesting characters. To add to the mystery, it appears that Angus, the deceased, is not particularly a popular fellow – in fact, nobody seems to miss him or mourn his passing in the least. The pace is steady and the personal tension adds to the story rather than detracts. If you like a cozy mystery, this is a good one.