A Moment in Crime: A Santa Fe Revival Mystery

Allen’s capable sequel to Santa Fe Mourning, likewise set in Santa Fe, N.Mex., in 1922, immerses artist Maddie Vaughn-Alwin in the world of motion pictures. Famed Hollywood director Luther Bishop decides to use Santa Fe as the backdrop for his next movie, and Maddie’s beloved actress cousin, Gwendolyn Astor, is on the casting list. Maddie and Gwen’s happy reunion is short-lived when Maddie finds Luther strangled in his office, and Gwen, who was having an affair with the director, is arrested for his murder. When Maddie discovers that Luther had plenty of enemies, including his nonchalant wife and several blackmailed actors, she enlists the help of “dishy doctor” David Cole to prove Gwen’s innocence. Despite some repetitive passages and relatively slow pacing, readers will appreciate Allen’s likable group of characters, acute attention to historical details, and cameos of such real-life celebrities as poet Alice Henderson and her artist husband, William Henderson. Fans will be eager for Maddie’s next adventure. Agent: Gail Fortune, Talbot Fortune Agency. (Dec.)