When actress, Bella James relocates to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake to perform at the renowned Shaw Festival theatre, she is only looking to step out of the spotlight of television celebrity and onto the stage. What she finds instead, are long buried human remains in the yard of her seasonal rental. Upon learning that a woman was brutally attacked in the home thirty years earlier, Bella becomes convinced the two events are inextricably linked and that a deeper story was buried with the bones. With the help of a detective desperate to prove his worth, Bella begins asking questions that should have been asked decades earlier about a victim no one seems to have missed. In doing so, she soon finds herself embroiled in a dangerous drama both on and off the stage.
Encore is a fast-paced cozy mystery that combines humor, heartbreak, and plenty of suspense. Set in the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Encore offers a backstage look at life in the theatre along with plot twists that will surprise and delight even the best armchair sleuth.
Encore, a polished debut filled with spontaneity and twists: The story is one part amateur sleuth, one part, police procedural, an astute blend of ‘I was waiting for that to happen’ and ‘oh, my God!’
Encore is a cozy with a fresh, sharp edge. The layers to the story are revealed with attention to the world of theatre, the bucolic setting in Niagara on the Lake and dialogue that allows that one to feels that you’re a party to a chat over a beer. The writing tweaks the imagination.
Encore is a debut that deserves a sequel, perhaps even a series. It’s a new generation cozy that digs deep into the painful circumstances that lead to murder. A crackling good read
