Six straight men in the cast plus free Tex-Mex food? My friend Lida Rose sure knew how to persuade me. I signed on the dotted line and dusted off my dance shoes. I knew Bad Business on the Brazos would have them rolling in the aisles and standing up to cheer, whichever came first. But I didn't expect the ghost problem. . . . As in the ghost of Don Mueller, the actor who was killed during the last performance of this show fifty years ago.
Note: Previously published as Ghost of a Chance
When dancer Kiely Davlin receives a
frantic call from her best friend, director Lida Rose Worthington asking her to head to Texas to choreograph the 100th anniversary of melodrama Bad Business on the Brazos, Kiely knows there's trouble ahead. She's right. Temperamental performers are one thing. But murder and the ghost of the last man to play the villain in Bad Business fifty years earlier might just send Kiely back to Manhattan - or into an early grave.
Excerpt
“The only ghost I know of for certain is Don Mueller. He roams around dressed in his old melodrama villain costume. Stovepipe-crumpled black hat, black trousers, black tuxedo jacket with tails, black cape. And white sneakers. Just like that picture of him in the lobby.
I’d seen the photograph. It portrayed a man in a costume straight out of Snidely Whiplash. The actor himself had possessed a wonderfully expressive face and kind eyes. I’d felt an immediate rapport with him, not knowing he floated around the theater without a flesh-and-blood body.
I shivered again. I needed to get out into the sunshine. I hoisted Lida Rose off the stack of old petticoats.
“So, director lady, since Daisy crapped out on us, are we done for the day?”
“Oh shoot. Where’s my mind. Yeah, we’re through. Let me tell the others. They should be back from coffee break by now. This’ll give everyone a chance to study the script. I’ve never heard so much ad-libbing from professionals who should have had lines off last Thursday.
She hurried off. I picked up a few of the petticoats and started putting them back on hangers. A shadow fell across the wall. I squinted. Maybe I needed a new prescription for my contacts? I could have sworn the shadow was cast in the shape of a man wearing a tux. A stovepipe hat sloped rakishly on top of his head.
The scent of popcorn filled the room.
Professional Reviews Hilarious!
This was, without a doubt, one of the wittiest books I've ever read. Kiely is a fantastic heroine--hilarious, smart, and very 'authentic.' Rafe is an equally-worthy hero--very sexy, too. The clever plot never failed to surprise me with all its twists and turns, and the satisfying end left me laughing AND crying! This is one expertly-crafted, well-cast novel you won't want to miss. Hard to believe it's the author's debut book. I'm eagerly
anticipating Ms. Fitzpatrick's next novel!
Ghost of a Chance (Booklist)
Kudos for Zebra's Debut line for new romance writers, and bravo for Fitzpatrick, who has written a delightfully humorous and innocent romantic mystery. Kiely Davlin knows she is setting herself up for trouble when she takes the job of choreographer and saloon slut in a revival performance of the melodrama Bad Business on the Brazos at a historic Dallas theater because Bad Business has always been cursed. Three members of the original cast, who performed 100 years ago, may have been murdered. The last performance, 50 years ago, resulted in the shooting death onstage of hunky and talented Don Mueller, who was playing the villain Nick Nefarious. With accidents, a near beheading of the leading man, visits from Don's ghost, and handsome Rafe Montez, who plays Nick, turning up in the darnedest places, it's obvious that everything that can go wrong will. Fitzpatrick has created some charmingly quirky characters and an effectively combined mystery plot with a "clean" happily-ever-after romance.
Mystery, Murder, Theater, Mayhem and a Ghost
A revival of a theater with a show that was performed 100 years ago and 50 years ago... both with with tragic deaths and now the show "Bad Business" is said to be cursed.
I just finished reading this book and I am smiling, still laughing. Fast action, funny, intriguing characters, a good mystery, a touch of the paranormal with a friendly ghost... this book has got it all woven together delightfully.
Truly, while there seems to be a romance forming... the romance part of the book doesn't take center stage.
Everyone who enjoys a bit of the theater will recognize and relax into memories.
The kooky, quirky characters will delight you.
Get this book, relax and prepare to enjoy a good read! If you make a bowl of popcorn... you'll really be set for this book... and yes, that was a pun!
If you enjoy it half as much as I did... you'll be glad you got this book!
