Ill Met By Murder
A Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Ill Met by Murder, the second in Elizabeth J. Duncan's compelling mystery series, will satisfy every Shakespeare and mystery lover alike
It's the most important night of the year for costume designer Charlotte Fairfax and the Catskills Shakespeare Theater Company—the annual fund raising performance at the country estate of the wealthy widow Paula Van Dusen. This year, the company will give a moonlight performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream as part of the wedding celebrations for Paula's daughter, Belinda, and her fiance Adrian. But then Hugh Hedley, family friend of the Van Dusens and Adrian's rival in the cutthroat world of high-end Manhattan real estate, is found murdered with a stolen prop from the play.
Paula, desperate to keep her daughter's name of out of the paper, enlists Charlotte's help, despite the fact that Charlotte's already got her hands full amidst her costume design responsibilities and finding a home for the company's new theater school. But Charlotte nevertheless throws herself into an investigation of shady business deals, a missing dog, and long buried family secrets because "though she be but little, she is fierce!"
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Duncan's lightweight sequel to 2015's Untimely Death finds costume designer Charlotte Fairfax involved in the preparations for a special performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream to accompany the wedding of the daughter of Paula Van Dusen, the chief benefactor of the Catskills Shakespeare Theater Company, who hosts an annual fund-raiser for the company. Various misfortunes undermine the play, which features an all-male cast, and the wedding plans, including a stolen donkey's head prop, a kidnapped poodle, cutthroat real estate deals, and, worst of all, a murder, which involves the donkey's head and a missing guest who seems to have made an ass of himself. Fortunately, Charlotte can turn to Aaron Jacobs, her talented design assistant, for help in sorting everything out. Duncan fans are sure to enjoy this cozy, but some aficionados of the Bard may find the Shakespeare background too superficial for their tastes.
