Famous in Cedarville

Widower Samson Delaware, the hero of this outstanding tale of murder, obsession, and revenge from Wright (the Kat Stone series), is slipping into loneliness and isolation in tiny Cedarville, Tenn., where he works as an antiques restorer. Then the area’s only celebrity, Barbara Lace, dies. Lace returned to her hometown, where “she led a quiet life, playing the recluse with Oscar-worthy intensity” after more than 40 years in Hollywood as a B-list actress. Lace’s three-story Victorian house, a treasure trove of antiques, draws the attention of Delaware, who isn’t above bending the law if it means possessing something original. On a covert visit to the property, he hears gunfire. Racing upstairs, he finds Callista Weathers, Lace’s assistant, murdered. His spiraling investigation into the two women’s deaths leads him to think “did madness start like this? A sliver of obsession that turns into a ravine, tempting for its promise of abyss, of losing yourself.” The action builds to a thoroughly satisfying and exciting finale. Wright provides it all: clean prose, captivating characters, a gripping mystery, and a wry look at Hollywood glamour and decay. [em]Agent: Ann Rittenberg, Ann Rittenberg Literary. (Oct.) [/em]