R. T. Jordan, Final Curtain

Final Curtain

R. T. Jordan

Kensington, Feb 2008, $22.50

ISBN: 9780758212825

Not everyone can be a Hollywood legend while they are still alive, but Polly Pepper has managed to become one. The only thing missing in her long glorious career is that she never made it to Broadway, but now in her sixties the opportunity to fulfill her dream seems imminent. She is the title character in a revival of Mame at the Galaxy Theater in Glendale, California. If this proves successful the backers want to bring it to the Great White Way.

Rehearsals do not start very well when Polly arrives late on the first day. They go downhill by day two when director Karen Richards is killed with the murder weapon being the Emmy won by Mame co-star Sharon Fletcher. The police arrest Sharon, but Polly believes she is innocent even if witnesses claim Sharon was the person seen with the victim. In fact, Polly thinks Sharon's role as a bad girl on the soap "It's Never Fair Weather" is part of the reason the cops look nowhere else as they mix up the character with the person. Polly quickly realizes that others in the production had strong motives to kill Karen. With the help of her son and her personal assistant, Polly investigates but almost joins Karen in the next life when she begins uncovering the true motive for the homicide.

In spite of Polly being a classic diva, readers will admire her spunk and adore her caring for others, which she displays all the time and leads her to make inquiries. The support cast including recurring characters from REMAINS TO BE SCENE like her homicide detective lover and her doting son turns FINAL CURTAIN into a delightful amateur sleuth tale. Although some will question why a sexagenarian with a twenty-seven room Bel Air mansion will risk her pampered life on an investigation instead of hiring a professional, fans will enjoy B.T. Jordan's salute to the stars whodunit.

Harriet Klausner