Ovation by Death: A Vic Bowering Mystery

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. (Apr.)