Sarah and Frank
Malloy, now married, are hoping to adopt Catherine, the child Sarah
rescued in a previous adventure. Adoption is not as easy as they’d
hoped since Catherine’s father Parnell Vaughan, a minor actor, is
alive. In order to complete the adoption, the pair ask
Parnell to sign over his parental rights. Parnell is willing but his
money grubbing fiance wants cash for the transaction. Paying cash for
a child is illegal, but the Malloys decide to comply.
When Frank goes to
see Parnell with the cash, he finds him beaten to death in his
dressing room. Having discovered the body, Frank finds himself the
primary suspect. Frank, of course, is innocent so Sarah, Maeve,
Catherine’s nanny, and Gino, Frank’s associate, join forces to
find the culprit.
This is a good
historical mystery. As usual, I loved Frank and Sarah, however, I
wasn’t as happy with Maeve and Gino. Their romance seems strained
and their sleuthing activities are poor. In this case, they’re
pretending to be news reporters, but they don't play their parts well.
I did enjoy the
background of the theater and learning about New York City in the
late 1800s. The author’s note at the end provided more information
on the theater district in that era and the syndicate that tried to
control the actors and their access to roles in the theaters.
I recommend this
book, if you enjoy historical mysteries.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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