Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Description:
When puppeteer Marion
collapses during a performance of Sleeping Beauty, her friend Fay
Hubbard will carry on. But Fay already has her hands full with three
demanding foster children—Apple and Beets, who have a fractious jailbird
father, and sixteen-year-old Chance, who has a crush on an older guy in
a band called Ghouls. And now Marion’s husband Cedric seems more
interested in a drop-dead-gorgeous French teacher than with any string
puppets. And who is the mysterious Skull-man who warns of death if the
show goes on with one of Marion’s offbeat endings?
When an autopsy reveals that Marion had swallowed a dose of deadly crushed yew—and a friend finds her half-sister dangling from a rod like a marionette, a shocked Fay goes after the killers.
When an autopsy reveals that Marion had swallowed a dose of deadly crushed yew—and a friend finds her half-sister dangling from a rod like a marionette, a shocked Fay goes after the killers.
EXCERPT:
Fay loved Glenna, and
she loved the puppet world. Puppets were
universal, they were therapeutic, they made people laugh – and cry. They were bigger than life. They weren’t imitators
of life, they were instruments for showing up human foibles, Marion had said
that. And Fay had come to believe the puppet had qualities the actor didn’t
have. When she made a marionette move,
or even a finger puppet to make Apple and Beets laugh, she could affect her
onlooker differently than if she’d made the movements herself. It was as if her hands were creating new
life.
Cedric was nodding. “Fifty percent,” he said. “You take half and I take half ’cause they’re
my pubbets.”
“You mean Marion’s puppets.”
“Mine.
The will never got to the lawyer, Fay.
Is jus’ in her handwriting.”
“But you’ll honor it.”
“Sure I will. Pubbets are part of the estate. Wha’s hers is mine. And I wanna updated inventory.”
She stared at him. He was serious. Drunk but serious.
“Then I should take a salary,” she said,
staring back into the hard blue eyes.
He sighed.
“Gotta think on it. Jus’ get ’em
outa here so’s I can get my damn house back. Wan’ my house back! My libbing room. Then we can talk.”
She was still holding the casserole. She could smell cheese and onions, garlic and
rosemary. She thought of her goat cheese.
When would she have time to make cheese, much less, marionettes? “A salary,” she repeated, “and you can do the
scheduling like you’ve always done. You don’t have to do the shows – none of
the artistic part of it, I mean. And
I’ll do the bookkeeping.” Not that she
didn’t trust Cedric.
Not that she did trust him. Why had Marion married him anyway? She should find
that out. She had a lot to find out. She needed to read Marion’s correspondence,
at least
what related to the
theater. Who killed Marion? That was the number one question.
“Here,” she said. She dropped the casserole in his lap. I’ll check the inventory while I begin
packing. I know Marion had one. You’ll
have to give me a few days. Maybe a
week.”
“Friday,” he said. “Wan’ my libbing room back by Friday.” He
struggled up with the casserole and it fell on the floor, spilling the contents
on his foot. “Shee-it!”
When she left him – on her way to find
Willard to make him her partner, to share the packing up, some of the profits –
Cedric was sprawled on the floor in a mess of baked beans, ham, ketchup, and
onions.
“Enjoy,” she said
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About the author:
Nancy Means Wright has published 17 books, including 6 contemporary mysteries from St Martin’s Press and two historical novels featuring 18th-century Mary Wollstonecraft (Perseverance Press). Her two most recent books are the mystery Broken Strings (GMTA publishing) and Walking into the Wild, an historical novel for tweens (LLDreamspell). Her children’s mysteries have received an Agatha Award and Agatha nomination. Nancy lives in Middlebury with her spouse and two Maine Coon cats.
June 22: At last I've found you, Cremona!Thanks for hosting me, Cremona. Grazie. Great website.
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