Death Takes the Lead

Description

When a series of mysterious deaths plagues a new Scottish play, heiress and lawyer Prudence MacKenzie and her partner ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter are called in to perform an investigation at one of Broadway’s most stunning theatres . . .

APRIL 1891: Prudence MacKenzie is delighted to attend a riveting rehearsal of Waif of the Highlands with her dear friend, Lydia Truitt, whose cousin, Septimus Ward, stars in the play. But the drama continues after the curtain falls, as the women overhear a ferocious argument between Septimus and the play’s famous playwright-director, Barrett Hughes.

When confronted about the dispute, Septimus reveals that he actually wrote the script, but allowed Hughes to claim authorship in return for casting Septimus’s paramour, Flora Campbell, in the lead. Septimus has come to regret the agreement and vows to reclaim authorship, even if it means the play never opens. But, days later, Prudence and Geoffrey are urgently summoned to Septimus’s boarding house, where the thespian lays dying in Lydia’s arms.

Lydia believes her cousin’s death is no accident and wants Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law to look into the matter, going so far as to help Prudence and Flora secure employment undercover in the play’s wardrobe department. At first, Hughes’s determination to keep the production running seems admirable, but his motives are soon called into question as Prudence hears whispers backstage about his notorious predatory behavior with young women. And when another body turns up at the theatre, it’s clear that someone is targeting the play and its company—but why?

Prudence and Geoffrey must improvise as they tread into an unfamiliar world where deceit is cultivated for entertainment and deception is celebrated as talent, to expose a darkness lurking behind the glittering stage lights. . .

Lydia believes her cousin’s death is no accident and wants Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law to look into the matter, going so far as to help Prudence and Flora secure employment undercover in the play’s wardrobe department. At first, Hughes’s determination to keep the production running seems admirable, but his motives are soon called into question as Prudence hears whispers backstage about his notorious predatory behavior with young women. And when another body turns up at the theatre, it’s clear that someone is targeting the play and its company—but why?

Prudence and Geoffrey must improvise as they tread into an unfamiliar world where deceit is cultivated for entertainment and deception is celebrated as talent, to expose a darkness lurking behind the glittering stage lights. . .Praise for Rosemary Simpson’s Gilded Age Mysteries
 
“Outstanding…By eschewing the expected focus on the Gilded Age’s Robber Barons, this mystery takes readers on a fresh and exciting ride.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder Wears a Hidden Face
 
“A fascinating look at Chinese customs and restrictive immigration laws enhances a complex mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews on Murder Wears a Hidden Face
 
“Readers gain the ability to learn about social issues of the time, which becomes front and center to the plot that also includes a murder.” —CrimeSpree Magazine on Murder Wears a Hidden Face

“I highly recommend this series for fans of Victoria Thompson, who writes about a slightly later time and who, I think, also set one of her books in Chinatown, as well as Alyssa Maxwell.” –Aunt Agatha’s on Murder Wears a Hidden Face

“Incorporating characters ranging from Indigenous tribespeople to souvenir shills, Simpson brings Niagara and its contentious modernization to life. This one’s for history buffs and fans of smart female sleuths.” —Publishers Weekly on Death at the Falls

“A call for help on a matter of law turns into a treacherous case of investigative work in 1890 New York…Historical descriptions of Niagara Falls are a bigger treat.” —Kirkus Reviews on Death at the Falls
 
“Fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age will enjoy Rosemary Simpson’s seventh Gilded Age mystery. It’s a treat to see Prudence and Geoffrey exercise their investigative chops outside of New York City.” —Criminal Element on Death at the Falls
 
“Simpson does a wonderful job evoking the world of Niagara Falls in the 1890s as the land is being developed both for tourism and for industries, while many in the community want to preserve its natural beauty.  This conflict between development and preservation is central to the action.  It is a time of major technological innovations such as the use of electricity, when people want to harness the power of the falls.  Highly recommended.” —Historical Novel Society on Death at the Falls
 
“Cameo appearances by the real-life Nellie Bly and Jacob Riis enliven Simpson’s intricate, well-researched narrative. Fans of Victoria Thompson and Alyssa Maxwell will be pleased.” —Publishers Weekly on The Dead Cry Justice
 
“Simpson is such a gifted author…Readers will understand how Simpson brings to life the Gilded Age in New York City through detailed descriptions, real-life people such as Jay Gould, Jacob Riis, and Nellie Bly, and a riveting mystery.” —Crimespree Magazine on The Dead Cry Justice
 
“One of many books featuring female sleuths, this one stands out. Simpson has clearly done copious research. Time and place are well-observed, the narrative is moving and immersive. Characters are true to type, diverse, and carry the racing narrative through to its conclusion. Nellie Bly, Jay Gould’s philanthropic daughter Helen, and Jacob Riis make cameo appearances…A terrific read and noteworthy for its important historical content.” —Historical Novels Review on The Dead Cry Justice
 
“The story will linger with readers long after they’ve finished the book. It’s an excellent addition to the Gilded Age Mystery series.” —Criminal Element on The Dead Cry Justice
 
“Simpson blends a briskly paced investigation with well-chosen Gilded Age details. Fans of Victoria Thompson and Alyssa Maxwell will be pleased.” —Publishers Weekly on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“Simpson takes her unconventional duo from the upper crust to the lowest dregs of New York society in the Gilded Age.” —Kirkus Reviews on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“Simpson conveys the atmosphere of 1880s New York extremely well, and takes the reader into the mansions of Fifth Avenue as well as the tenements where the poor and the members of the criminal underworld live.  Prudence and Geoffrey are wonderful characters, especially Prudence, who is an unconventional woman of her time.” —Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“In their search for the diamonds, Prudence and Geoffrey immerse themselves in the decadent world of the elite, and it is so well described that the reader feels as if they have entered this society as well…Recommended if you like mysteries, the history of the Gilded Age in New York, or historical novels with a touch of romance.” —Historical Novels Review on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“So descriptive it made readers feel that they were actually in the Gilded Age of New York. The street conditions, the social distinctions and interactions, the expectations of women, the parties, the carriages, and much more came alive with Simpson’s writing style.” —Crimespree Magazine on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“Simpson doesn’t shy away from the difficult choices people make in order to survive.” —Criminal Element on Death, Diamonds, and Deception
 
“Simpson neatly exploits the gothic possibilities of her isolated setting and delivers a nuanced look at an America struggling to adjust to transformative change. This entry should win the series new fans.” —Publishers Weekly on Death Brings a Shadow
 
“Packed with suspense, romance, voodoo, class and racial issues, and intimations of the war that didn’t end at Appomattox.” —Kirkus Reviews on Death Brings a Shadow
 
“Brimming with vivid prose and nail-biting menace, colorful characters and evocative dialogue, and a sense of place so real you can almost feel the mosquitoes on your neck. Death Brings a Shadow is a powerful antidote to fiction that overly romanticizes plantations and the Southern aristocracy for those of us interested in compelling mysteries built around stark, unvarnished truth.” —Criminal Element on Death Brings a Shadow
 
“Simpson’s depiction of the south after the Civil War is chilling, with lynchings, beatings, voodoo, and hidden secrets sprinkled throughout that keep us turning the pages.” —New York Journal of Books on Death Brings a Shadow
 
“Gritty period details, including the involvement of famed tenement photographer Jacob Riis, draw this thriller closer to Caleb Carr’s TheAlienist than to Anne Perry’s Monk series, but fans of both will enjoy Simpson’s unusual historical mystery.” —Booklist on Let The Dead Keep Their Secrets
 
“Simpson further develops an admirable heroine who refuses to take refuge in the vapors but doesn’t see that she’s met a match in her partner—though neither does he.” —Kirkus Reviews on Lies that Comfort and Betray
 
“Fans of Anne Perry will find Prudence a worthy American cousin to Charlotte Pitt.” —Publishers Weekly on Lies that Comfort and Betray
 
“Naturally I always gravitate toward any book set in old New York, and this one exceeded expectations. It has everything one could expect from a historical mystery: set against the blizzard of ’88, a smart heroine pits her wits against an evil stepmother out to destroy her.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness Mysteries on What the Dead Leave Behind
 
“Launching an atmospheric new series set in Gilded Age New York, Simpson incorporates historical events and figures to add verisimilitude to this tension-filled story. For mystery readers who appreciate period detail, including fans of Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW for What the Dead Leave Behind
 
“Rosemary Simpson vividly recreates the world of nineteenth-century New York City in this exciting debut mystery. Every level of society intersects as we explore a world in which corruption touches both the highest and the lowest and nothing and no one is exactly what they seem.” —Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder in Morningside Heights on What the Dead Leave Behind
 
“This is a story to savor…Prudence is a stubborn, quick-witted American heroine who will remind readers of Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily Ashton and Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey.” —Booklist on What the Dead Leave Behind
 
“Richly plotted…Simpson anchors an appealing detective duo in a colorful and well-researched depiction of period settings and personalities.” —Publishers Weekly on What the Dead Leave BehindRosemary Simpson is the author of the Gilded Age Mystery Series, as well as The Seven Hills of Paradise and Dreams and Shadows. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. Educated in France and the United States, she now lives near Tucson, Arizona and can be found online at RosemarySimpsonBooks.com.US

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