A CHRISTMAS PERIL
A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery) by J. A. Hennrikus
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Midnight Ink (September 8, 2017)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738754154
When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company. For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crimes and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director.But when her best friend is arrested for killing his father, the rich and powerful Peter Whitehall, no one is looking for another suspect. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a killer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband gets on the suspect list and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.
'Tis the season to put on that classic Christmas play by Dickens!
Former police officer Edwina “Sully” Sullivan left the political entanglements that come with law enforcement to become a stage manager at a small far-off-off-Broadway theatre. OK, it is really a local theatre, actually in the high school, but they can attract some well known talent. Over the last few years she has discovered that theatre people have just as large egos and can be as complicated as cops. She has settled into her new life but sometimes the old one barges its way back in.
The book alternates between Sully frantically working towards calming things down at the theatre and assisting in making this production audience worthy. A few complications arise in the form of difficult actors as well as one actor and Sully's ex-husband both showing her extra attention.
Add to that a local financial tycoon being murdered. It seems the only suspects are the victim's family, one of whom is Sully's close friend. Once again we see that the law is not equal and handled equally for everyone.
Between the alternating dilemmas and Sully being in the midst of all the action, this book moves forward at a quick pace. The suspects start out being a short list but then as evidence is discovered and additional deaths occur, other possibilities open up. I started to suspect several persons.
In the end all is explained and this case is wrapped up but we are left with questions.
I guess we'll have to look forward to the series continuation!
About The Author
J. A. Hennrikus is the author of the Theater Cop Mystery series. As Julianne Holmes, she writes the Agatha-nominated Clock Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Hennrikus blogs with the Wicked Cozy Authors, is on the board of Sisters in Crime, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America. She is also an arts administrator who lives in Massachusetts.
Visit her online at www.JHAuthors.com.
Webpage - https://jahennrikus.com/Wicked Cozy Authors Blog - https://wickedcozyauthors.com/
She tweets under @JulieHennrikus, and is on Pinterest and Instagram, and has a page on Facebook.
I also blog on Live to Write/Write to Live, and I blog on Killer Characters on the 20th of each month.
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Love the cover and it sounds like a fun book!
ReplyDeleteLove the premise of the book. I have recently learned of this author and am looking forward to reading her books. Do hope this will be a start. Della at deepotter (at) peoplepc (dot) com
ReplyDeleteGoing from being a police officer to a theatre manager is quite a career change.
ReplyDeleteI am very much looking forward to this book.
ReplyDeleteDella at deepotter (at) peoplepc (dot) com