The reviews called it “A Play to Die For” after the woman was found dead in the front row. It didn’t seem so funny the next night, when another body was found—this time the playwright’s, his throat slashed.
Detective Kathy Mallory takes over, but no matter what she asks, no one seems to be giving her a straight answer. The only person—if “person” is the right word—who seems to be clear is the ghostwriter. Every night, an unseen backstage hand chalks up line changes and messages on a blackboard. And the ghostwriter is now writing Mallory into the play itself, a play about a long-ago massacre that may not be at all fictional. “MALLORY,” the blackboard reads. “TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT. NOTHING PERSONAL.”
If Mallory can’t find out who’s responsible, heads will roll. Unfortunately, one of them may be her own.
I must confess, I came to the Mallory series late, and so read the first nine books in immediate succession. Sadly, that burned me out on the series and I vowed to steer clear of future additions. I picked this book not really realizing that it was part of the series, and boy am I glad I did. This is an excellent mystery story, and one that also adds interesting revelations about Mallory herself and her relationships with those around her. I enjoyed it so much I went back and picked up the book I had missed along the way, happy to once again find myself in Mallory's world. For me at least, these books are best digested a bit at a time- all in one go was just too much and blunted their impact.
A great story, but not a great intro into the series so be sure to read them in order if possible!
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