Boston, Massachusetts, a city known for its highly ranked universities, professional sports teams, esteemed venues for classical music … and murder.When Janie, one of Wickham Ballet Company’s principal dancers is found dead, dangling from the backstage rafters with a long, decorative scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, her death is ruled a suicide. The company is devastated and still reeling … still reeling from the loss of four other dancers—including Janie’s roommate—who died in a hit and run accident just a month before.
Shelby, a Corps de Ballet dancer, isn’t convinced Janie’s death was a suicide. When two more dancers die, this time from food poisoning, Shelby becomes even more certain that her friend didn’t take her own life.
With the help of her sister and Janie’s understudy, Shelby starts digging up details about the staff and dancers in the company. She’s close to coming up with a suspect, but not before another dancer is brutally murdered.
Eight ladies dead.
The killer has grown impatient with Shelby’s interference. If she’s not careful, she may be the ninth lady to die.
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Nine Ladies Dying ~ what can I say except it was exceptional. To pack this very fast-paced, murder mystery into a novella, have it all make sense and keep you on the edge of your seat shows HUGE talent. HUGE.
I have read full-length novels that don’t have the detail, the suspense, the ending and the tightly woven plot that Nine Ladies Dying does.
I really think J.C. Wing has found a new niche and I hope she plans to write many more of these types of stories because I’m all in.
Not only will you really relate to the primary character, but if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy the dance references and information. I learned several things about ballet reading this book and that is something I always love. New information is like crack to me. Well new information about something that interests me!
I know this review is vague about the storyline, but that is on purpose. With a novella, I really can’t say a lot because I don’t want to give away any of the wonderfulness that is this book.
I did receive an ARC at my request and as always, my thoughts are my own and not affected by the fact that I asked for an ARC. I would review this book regardless because it was incredible.
(I have voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.)
Nine Ladies Dying a novella by J.C. Wing
This was definitely a story to keep you on your toes and constantly guessing!
A professional ballet company and several cast members dying with no explanation, but made to look like accidents. Until clues start to point to who it could be! Shelby as one of the targeted cast members to die next, ends up surviving. But not without a price. This was a great mystery!
This was my first book by author JC Wing. Only rarely do I read mysteries but glad I read this one! It’s a novella so it’s a fairly quick read but so full of details. Great who done it. Looking forward to more more from this author.
When ladies in the same ballet company started dying, I wondered if it was just bad luck or a crazy coincidence. It didn’t take long to realize that something bad was happening! I bonded with several of the main characters right away and found their practices enjoyable. The way that the costumes and makeup were described felt like I was there watching it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and heard about it first from the author asking for reviewers to read an advanced readers copy. I ended up buying the Kindle ebook instead because the price was very reasonable. I give this book a big 5 stars for the great story that was all written into a novella. It didn’t take me long to read it because I wanted to find out what the outcome would be. I strongly recommend this book if you’re into murder mysteries. I was also very happy and surprised to realize who my namesake was in the book and laughed out loud because of it J. C. Wing, that was awesome!
Wowza! Hold on to the ballet bar because J.C. Wing is going to take you on a wild ride through the eyes of Shelby Craig, one of the Corps Dancers for Wickham Ballet Company.
This was an amazing and intense novella with twists and turns and and ending you wont see coming, until it’s too late! The characters are relatable and genuine they feel real, and they will capture your attention and not let go!
This is the first book I have read by J.C. Wing but it will not be my last!
Thank you to J.C. Wing for providing me a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own and honest.
Nine Ladies Dying had me up into the wee hours, dying (excuse the pun) to discover ‘who done it’! The revelation of the killer took me by surprise (didn’t see it coming) and I immensely enjoyed this craftily created story. Well done, Ms. Wing. Well done!
If you love episodic reads or TV show style segments, this is for you! It’ll pack a punch and keep your suspicions raised until the very end. I loved it and always marvel at how skilled Wing is at creating a full-bodied, detailed and immersive story even in novella form. I enjoyed the ballet and twisted intensity that bleeds from professional devotion into personal relationships. It feels like I watched an episode of Law & Order and left me feeling just as satisfied. I’d love to read more like this in the future!
Wow, what an amazing story! It put you in the mind of an Agatha Chrisite novel. There is more going on that what you really think at first. For not being a very long book, the story is quite complex. Also, having it set around a ballet company is different and fun. You don’t see that very often. Not to mention that you will be kept guessing who and why until the end.
And then there are the characters. Shelby, her sister, and their landlady are great! I could easily see this becoming a series of whodunits with them as the main characters. The secondary characters are also good too. Even in a short story, you can tell each person is different and not a flat character just thrown in.
I enjoy this author and loved seeing her not only branching out to something different, but excelling so wonderfully in it.
If you enjoy a short cozy type murder mystery with great stories, you need to read this!
I love reading J.C. Wing’s books and this one is right up there at the top. It is a quick suspenseful story and I really enjoyed it. I have read everything she has written and can’t wait for the next book!
I love mysteries…. but sometimes they are too predictable. This was NOT the case with Nine Ladies Dying. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading it!
The title is a clever take-off on the classic Christmas song “Twelve Days of Christmas”. “On the ninth day of Christmas, my true gave to me nine ladies dancing” The story is set in Boston before Christmas. Another Christmas classic, at least to me, is a production of The Nutcracker. The ladies referenced in the title are all members of a ballet company preparing for the opening of their production of The Nutcracker. Having taken ballet lessons when I was younger, and having been able to share that opportunity with my daughter, the descriptions of the production were fascinating. I found myself comparing how her production was staged as a youth presentation to how an adult production was staged. My daughter was a caroler and a mouse, so the scene with the mice brought back many memories.
As the book opens, there has been a death, or rather, a suicide of one of the company members. The reader also finds out that there was a tragic car accident that killed three other members. As the story unfolds, one is drawn into the very competitive world of ballet. How the author packs this story and its conclusion into a novella is incredible. I for one did not think the ending would be what it was. I kept changing my theories as to why dancers were dying.
The author is new to me and I will be exploring more of her writing.
This was an amazing novella. It is beyond me how the author, JC Wing, managed to squeeze so much story into so few pages! The dancers of Wickham Ballet Company are in deep trouble and no one knows why they keep dying. This is a quick read, mostly because you won’t be able to put it down! The end is very satisfying and you will never guess why these dancers are dying. Highly recommend! Be ready for a wild ride in this fast paced mystery!
J C Wing uses her love of the Nutcracker ballet and Nine Ladies Dancing from the 12 Days of Christmas song to write a great “who done it” story. “Nine Ladies Dying” will keep you guessing who is responsible – through all nine murders – to the very end. The author is very good at developing her characters and there are plenty of them to keep you interested. Cute ending!