In her third outing (after Backstage Murder
and High Seas Murder), Lindy Graham-Haggerty again frets her way through a complex, if plodding, mystery set in the fascinating world of professional dance. (A dust jacket depicting an amusement park and fireworks is somewhat misleading, but it's certainly striking.) Rehearsal director (part teacher, part mother hen) for the Jeremy Ash modern dance company, Lindy accompanies the troupe to the Easton Arts Retreat, a prestigious summer academy for young artists in upstate New York that's celebrating its 50th anniversary with a gala performance by one of its best-known alumni. As a teenager, Ash was a scholarship student at the school, and his friendship with its patron, the elegant Marguerite Easton, has endured. The arriving troupe is met with tragedy: a student has just fallen to his death, amid ugly rumors about his unsavory sexual relationships. Trouble accelerates. The school's artistic director, accused of pederasty and murder by the homophobic local sheriff, nearly dies from an apparent suicide attempt. A destructive landslide may be an act of sabotage by real estate developers who want control of the family land. Lindy doesn't so much solve the multifaceted mystery as observe the swirl of events and find herself on hand at the climactic moment when the clues hit the fan. Readers who love dance will be enchanted with the authentic behind-the-scene details; those who do not may prefer their cozies with a crisper pace. (Aug. 13)
