Polis Books 2019
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Famous in Cedarville
From one of the most original writers in crime fiction comes a diabolical mystery wrapped in Hollywood tinsel.
When reclusive, retired silver screen actress Barbara Lace dies in her bed, only the young widower of Cedarville suspects a crime. But Samson Delaware has always been something of an outsider, and his wife's death hasn't exactly improved his reputation. In fact, the local gossipmongers think he might be losing his mind. Their bless-your-heart manners can't disguise their distrust, which makes his amateur attempts at an investigation even more difficult. When Lace's assistant is found decidedly murdered, the town starts to change its tune, though, and soon Samson finds himself in the thick of an improbable chase. Hollywood hotshots and small-town law enforcement make strange bedfellows--especially when secrets are getting women killed.
Publishers Weekly (starred review):
Outstanding...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.
Wright, author of the popular Kat Stone mystery series, weaves an intricate plot here, full of bitter rivalries, obsessions, and revenge. She also loads the novel with a cast of fascinating suspects, each with a backstory and motive perfectly suited for the tabloids and the paparazzi to expose. Readers fascinated by the allure of Hollywood’s Golden Era, or just by the promise of a juicy good mystery, can’t go wrong with this one.
A complex mystery, rich characters (I don’t have time to talk about Lace’s long-time agent or the people of Cedarville), a nostalgic yet timely feeling novel that looks to Hollywood’s glamorous past and the very human, very real present. Wright knocks this one out of the park and will earn herself some new fans with this one.