Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse

A dinner theater where murder is on the menu provides a charming backdrop for this uneven mystery from Befeler (The Black Wing). Mildred Hanson operates a theater in Bearcrest, Colo., that's set up so the actors mingle with the guests, who in turn try to determine whodunit. Recently retired police detective Gabe Tremont and his wife, Angie, get more than they bargained for when actor Peter Ranchard dies of poison during a production. All the cast members, as well as the owner of a competing theater, disliked the victim for reasons ranging from seduction to blackmail. Gabe gladly returns to active service at the request of the Bearcrest police chief, since retirement, after one week, weighs heavily on his hands. Gabe's problem is that he has too many clues and too many suspects. The reader's problem is that all the characters are paper-thin, and Angie nags Gabe by insulting his manhood. That gets old in a hurry. (Jan.)