Blog Tour: OFFed STAGE LEFT by Joanne Sydney Lessner

Paperback: 260 pages

Publisher: Dulcet Press (October 27, 2016)

ISBN-13: 978-0998133201

E-Book ASIN: B01M3R8OD6

Synopsis:

There’s one role you don’t want a callback for: Prime Suspect. Aspiring actress Isobel Spice lands her first regional theater job, playing a supporting role and understudying the lead in Sousacal: The Life and Times of John Philip Sousa. A series of minor backstage accidents culminates in the suspicious death of the leading lady on opening night. When Isobel takes over the role, her mastery of the material makes her more suspect than savior, and she realizes the only way to clear her name is to discover the identity of the murderer—before he or she strikes again.

Review:

This was a fun, easy read.  The pace is quick and the idea of Sousacal is unique. Isobel Spice is an up and coming actress in her first regional show focuses on the experience, despite how bad the script and lyrics are for this musical about Sousa.  This is the fourth in the Isobel Spice series and Isobel's becoming quite the sleuth.  In this one, the murders are not related to a temp position, but an unexpected plot in the theater.  That said, this can be read as a stand-alone. 

Isobel is determined to do well and hopes to get noticed by producers and critics. The other characters, including her good friends Delphi, Sunil, and Hugh, each have their own voice and their own motivations. Some are likable, others not so much.  If you like cozy mysteries with enough suspects to keep you guessing, you will enjoy OFFed Stage Left.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

About The Author:

Writer, singer, and actor Joanne Sydney Lessner draws on her own experiences pursuing a performing career in New York City for her acclaimed Isobel Spice Mysteries: THE TEMPORARY DETECTIVE, BAD PUBLICITY, AND JUSTICE FOR SOME, and OFFED STAGE LEFT. With humor and a bit of romance, Isobel juggles auditions and temp jobs, solving murders along the way, while Joanne’s inside knowledge provides a window into the realities of breaking into show business (as well as a forum to share every humiliating audition experience she and her friends ever had.) Joanne’s debut novel, PANDORA’S BOTTLE, was inspired by the true story of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine and was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. With her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, she has co-authored several musicals, including the cult hit FERMAT’S LAST TANGO and EINSTEIN’S DREAMS, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. Her play, CRITICAL MASS, received its Off Broadway premiere in October 2010. Joanne is also a regular contributor to OPERA NEWS and a graduate of Yale University.

Author Links:

http://joannesydneylessner.com

https://www.facebook.com/JoanneSydneyLessner

https://twitter.com/joannelessner

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4085784.Joanne_Sydney_Lessner

https://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Sydney-Lessner/e/B003UH5IBQ

Purchase Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3R8OD6

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124894677?ean=2940156816392

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/offed-stage-left

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/673334

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