Winter in The Theater District of New York City: Peter Beck,
playwright, watches the play, The Brass
Bed, which he originally created until a ghostwriter started rewriting all
the lines. Drunk and bitter, Peter Beck
shows up at the theater for his reserved seat to find he is shunted towards the
wall in the front row. During a point in the play when all the lights go out, Peter
Beck is stabbed in the neck. When found by the theater folk, they groan, for
Peter Beck is not the first to die during the performance of The Brass Bed.
Detectives Mallory and Riker from the Special Crimes Unit
are called to investigate – suicide or murder? In this eleventh book in the
Mallory series, Kathy Mallory, half the age of her partner, Riker, is a legend
in the police department. Mallory has her own code and idea of justice; though
the department respects her, many also fear her.
The eccentricity of the actors and the backstage workings of
the theater make this an entertaining and exceptional story. Axel Clayborne, a famous
actor, has disappeared from Hollywood and shown up as a central character in The Brass Bed. Bugsy, the gopher;
Leonard Crippen, theater critic; and Nan Cooper, wardrobe lady; all have
surprising backgrounds which when revealed could point to any one of them being
the mysterious ghostwriter. One of the
best books for characterization this year. Start with he first book in the series, Mallory's Oracle.
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