Dead on Her Feet

Stella the Stargazer's eyes are on a different kind of luminary in this fifth installment of the Denver-based series (Death of a Dustbunny, etc.). An irrepressible adviser to the lovelorn, Stella, who contributes a column to the Denver Daily Orion, is moonlighting as an assistant director with a local theater to earn the extra money she needs to keep her pet chameleons in chow. When Barbara, the playwright and stage mother--short on talent, long on attitude--who's paying Stella's salary, is nearly murdered during a rehearsal, Stella realizes that her job will entail much more than just cueing the actors. The prime suspect is Barbara's son, the star of the show and a vulnerable waif who's had previous problems with the law. But with her abrasive personality, Barbara has given lots of people reason to wish her dead. Even her awful play, The Garden of Iden, which features a misunderstood snake, reveals personal histories some would prefer to forget. While Stella is doing her best to exonerate the son, she's also coping with her utterly ineffective day boss, Mr. Gerster, as well as with her love interest, Jason. There's lots of action here, but Jorgensen is at her best in the newsroom. The theater scenes only limp along. Aside from Stella and her personality-laden pets, the cast is forgettable. When the final curtain closes on a confusing ending, few readers will toss flowers. (July)