Ovation by Death: A Vic Bowering Mystery - Hardcover

Shoehorned at a moment's notice into a backwoods Maine company's production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, sometime actress Vic Bowering has surprisingly little trouble stepping into the shoes of her predecessor, Garrett Heinrich, or slipping into the bed of her humpable leading man, TV star Nick Jacobs--even though she's being unfaithful to both her not-quite- ex Barry Laskin and her not-quite-lover Dan Duchinski (NYPD). But before the cast can begin rehearsals of composer/director Jonathan Resnick's alternate production--Oh, Mac!, a musical version of Macbeth--a series of suspicious mishaps threatens to sideline cast and crew alike, rousing Vic to wonder if the electrical accident that ended Garrett Heinrich's unlikely stardom was really such an accident after all. Though there are dark hints about volatile rivalries among Vic's men, somebody's ties to Sweet Cheeks Production's release of Angel Drawers, and the frenzy of actors' superstition that Macbeth always releases, this low-key whodunit is too good-natured to develop any of them into the threatened plot. It's nice to see Vic back in action after her three years off (Eviction by Death, 1993)--even though her bright, nervous chatter cuts through every moment of potential danger or passion like a foghorn. Looks like the Scottish play has another victim to answer for. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Yeager's trademark wit is firmly in place for this fourth in the series (after Murder Will Out). New York City actress Vic Bowering is contacted as a fill-in by her old friend Jonathan, who has previously directed her as Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. His current Miss Mona has just died in a bizarre accident, and he needs an instant replacement. Between engagements, Vic agrees, leaving her NYPD boyfriend for Maine summer stock. There, she's attracted to TV heartthrob Nick Jacobs, the play's celebrity star. But a rash of accidents occur, making Vic wonder if the previous Miss Mona was murdered and, if so, why and by whom. Slipping into her snoop persona and accompanied by her little sister, Vic finds a cast of suspects, including Nick and Jonathan. Undaunted, she keeps searching for the culprit until she stumbles on the truth. Despite a thin plot and Vic's questionable morality as she happily two-times her steadfast cop, readers will enjoy Yeager's delightful turn of phrase and dead-on descriptions of summer stock life.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.