Untimely Death: A Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery

What could have more charm than a cozy set in the Catskills? Why, a cozy about a Shakespearean theater company at a vintage resort in the Catskills, of course. This appealing series launch from Agatha Award–finalist Duncan is perfectly accessorized with a has-been British actor, Brian Prentice; his imposing wife, Lady Deborah; and costume mistress Charlotte Fairfax, who turns amateur sleuth after her college-age assistant, Aaron Jacobs, becomes the chief suspect in the poisoning and fatal stabbing of Lauren Richmond, the theater company’s ingenue. Could the real killer be Prentice, with whom Charlotte shares a complicated history? Or Lady Deborah? Or maybe it’s young Aaron after all? Amid the bucolic backdrop of springtime in upstate New York, Duncan (The Cold Light of Mourning and five other Penny Brannigan mysteries) drops just enough clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing whodunit to the end. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary Agency. (Nov.)