Much Ado About Murder

Operating a small theater in the Catskills has its ups and down. When the Catskill Shakespeare Theater Company begins its latest season, there are issues with the director. In Much Ado About Murder by Elizabeth J. Duncan costume designer Charlotte Fairfax not only has a new lead actress, but a new director.

Audrey Ashley, visiting British actress, decides she doesn't think she can work with the current director and wants to replace him with Edmund Albright. Albright is hired and he immediately decides to stage the play in a Civil Wat setting. The cast is reluctant at first, but then after Albright presents the case, they grudgingly agree it might be an interesting approach.

In the back of Charlotte's mind is how can she turn the Shakespearean costumes into Civil War era costumes. But when Albright is found dead, an apparent suicide, Charlotte has her hands full trying to find another director and solving the crime.

Charlotte has to ask the previous director to please come back to the theater company, and he comes

back grudgingly. Wade Radcliffe is also smitten with the Civil War theme so he smoothly takes over.When it appears Albright might not have been a suicide, Charlotte plunges into the investigation.

This news makes Audrey Ashley extremely paranoid and she begins making 911 calls to the police to report prowlers, asking especially Charlotte's boyfriend Ray. Trying to settle the actress down, keep her away from Ray and calm the remainder of the cast almost gives Charlotte another full time job.

When other odd events begin to happen, Charlotte is puzzled as to who could have killed Albright and why someone is terrorizing Ashley.

Shakespeare in the Catskills would be such a fun event. That's why I enjoy this series so much.

A Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery

Elizabeth Duncan's Untimely Death is the first in the Shakespeare in the Catskills Mysteries.  I loved the concept of Shakespeare plays in the resort area, so I was looking forward to reading this book.

Charlotte Fairfax is a one-woman wardrobe and costume department at the Jacobs Grand Hotel in the Catskills. She's a wizard with generating costumes on a small budget and loves what she does. Hotel owner Harry Jacobs sends his nephew Aaron to work part-time with Charlotte. He seems flighty and uninterested at first, but turns out to be an excellent assistant.

With Romeo and Juliet as their current performance. Charlotte must deal with the demanding Juliet - Lauren Richmond and an over age troublesome actor Brian Prentice. Charlotte is sure there will be fireworks with these lead characters.

When Charlotte finds Lauren in her bedroom in physical distress, Lauren is rushed to the hospital.

While she recovers, Charlotte and Aaron continue trying to fit the remaining cast in the hopes that Lauren will recover. She does recover, and returns to the cast only to be be found stabbed to death back stage shortly after her return to the cast.

There is no shortage of suspects: Aaron was out of sight for a long period of time, Harry Jacobs had a special interest in Lauren and Brian Prentice seemed to know Lauren from some other meeting. Charlotte fears the death with derail the much-needed season at the Jacobs Grand Hotel and seeks to solve the mystery herself.

I enjoyed this book although I felt the murderer was pretty obvious. I still look forward to the next in the series Ill Met by Murder. Click here it find it.