Jonetta's Reviews > Encore in Death

the setup…
Broadway and Hollywood megastars Eliza Lane & Brant Fitzhugh are hosting a party, celebrating the occasion of her return to Broadway in the revival of the play the launched her career. Everyone who’s important in the theater and film community are there to commemorate the event with rehearsals beginning the next day and Brant leaving to begin a new vid project. As Eliza and her co-star breakout into an impromptu duet, Brant raises a toast to her and then collapses, dying seconds later of apparent poisoning. It’s a scene of chaos that Lieutenant Eve Dallas and partner Detective Delia Peabody enter into with the monumental task of determining who’s lying and who’s telling the truth among a sea of skilled actors.

the heart of the story…
I chuckled when Eve was handed this case as it had to be one of her worst nightmares…a high profile investigation that promised lots of media attention with her at center “stage.” This was a tough one because from the inside and out, Eliza & Brant had a perfect marriage and relationship. And, it wasn’t totally clear who was the target as that poisoned drink was intended for her. There were a host of suspects and I latched onto one, never letting go until I was forced to admit defeat. There’s nothing easy about this one, which made it even more delectable.

the bottom line…
I loved the background for this case, full of talented professionals who were good at presenting faces that may not be their authentic selves. They were all so good that even Eve’s internal meter wasn’t reliable. It wasn’t all about the case as the updates on Peabody and Mavis’s home renovation project was fun and interesting. Of course, the normal dose of Eve & Roarke time was “icy,” too. The reveal of the killer and motive seriously caught me by surprise and that doesn’t happen often with these cases. This series is still holding up despite it now approaching almost 30 years since the first book, continuing to be one of my auto reads. 4.5 stars

Posted on Blue Mood Café