A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Massachusetts
Midnight Ink (September 8, 2017)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738754154
Kindle ASIN: B0755NC138
When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company. For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crimes and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director.
But when her best friend is arrested for killing his father, the rich and powerful Peter Whitehall, no one is looking for another suspect. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a killer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband gets on the suspect list and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Former police officer Edwina “Sully” Sullivan tries to leave her old career behind but when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation she can’t remain silent. Between the drama off stage and on at the theater and the murder Sully has her hands full. Then the bodies start to pile up, distant relatives of hers, she is drawn further into the investigation and closer to her ex. There is peril this Christmas and Sully needs to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.
I enjoyed meeting Sully and I anxious to get to know her better as the series continues. Retired from the police force she has become the manager of the Cliffside Theater Company and has worked there quietly for several years. The director is a bit of a handful, as is one of the current actors but her previous job has prepared her to deal with difficult people. She is smart and knows how to use her talents and can truly multitask. Her ex-husband lands back in life when her best friend is accused of killing his father and Gus becomes his lawyer. She isn’t quite sure how she feels about that but she is surprising drawn to him, he cheated on her, how could she be having these feelings? They both seem to have other people in their lives too. Romantic tension – loved it!
The backdrop of the theater was very intriguing. The look behind the scenes of such a production was very interesting and the cast had its quirky characters. I imagine putting a standard like A Christmas Carol is not an easy task but when the main star is a drunkard with hearing issues it had to be a monumental task.
The mystery is filled with twists with multiple murders and several suspects. It starts a little slow but soon the pages were rapidly turning. I was surprised at the big reveal but the ending left readers hanging regarding Sully personal life. You know, the teaser toward the next book. 🙂
Well written, appealing characters and a fun theme have gotten this series off to a fine start. I would have liked it to be just a bit more “Christmasy” but this would be a great book to read curled up in front of the fire as winter approaches.
About The Author
J. A. Hennrikus is the author of the Theater Cop Mystery series. As Julianne Holmes, she writes the Agatha-nominated Clock Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Hennrikus blogs with the Wicked Cozy Authors, is on the board of Sisters in Crime, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America. She is also an arts administrator who lives in Massachusetts. Visit her online at www.JHAuthors.com.
Webpage – https://jahennrikus.com/
Wicked Cozy Authors Blog – https://wickedcozyauthors.com/
She tweets under @JulieHennrikus, and is on Pinterest and Instagram, and have a page on Facebook. She also blogs on Live to Write/Write to Live, and she blogs on Killer Characters on the 20th of each month.
Also by this Author
I don’t have a giveaway for this book but J. A. Hennrikus is touring with
Great Escapes Book Tours right now and is giving away 2 copies.
Click Here to go to the tour page to check out the stops and enter.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
