Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Trade Paperback: Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781635116199; 9781635116198
Henery Press Publishing
266 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $16.99 Amazon
June 23, 2020
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When Nora Page agrees to use the Palace movie theater for the launch of a new online game, she has no way of knowing that the event will end in murder. But when one of the theater's owners is accused of the crime, the future of the Palace could be in danger.
With help from Trixie, the lively ghost of a 1930's usherette, Nora sets out to solve the crime, all the while dealing with the latest manipulations from her lying ex, the meddling of a Hollywood mogul with revenge on his mind, and the mysterious delivery box of classic movie memorabilia.
Oh, and then there's the séance. Will Nora's friends be able to contact the ghost of the Palace? Nobody is more excited to find out than Trixie.
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I have to tell you that I am a huge classic movie fan. So much so, I own thousands of them (that's right; thousands). Because of this, this series is tailor-made for me. Not only do I get to solve a mystery, I get to hear someone else's take on the films I love so much. (I also have to add that Fred Astaire is my very favorite actor of all time; I've seen and own everything he's ever done, and therefore this book is my favorite in the series.)
Nora Page is an ex-screenwriter who left her cheating husband to manage a classic movie theater in San Francisco. She's since upgraded what she can afford to, and has come to love it in the short time she's been there.
This day, however, isn't going to go well: after texts and e-mails, one of the four owners of the theater, Tommy, a tech mogul, has decided he wants to use the theater (along with other places in the world) to announce a new game that will set the world spinning - a game created by S Banks, who is well-known in the gaming world. He's also called a meeting with the other three members, which Nora also attends. At this meeting, she briefly meets the elusive S Banks, which doesn't matter to her since she's not happy with the outcome of the meeting.
But she needs to go on, and when the time comes for the big unveiling, Tommy and S Banks are on her silver screen streaming live from Palo Alto. But when S takes a sip of his energy drink, he collapses in front of millions of people and is later declared dead. When Tommy is accused of the murder, he asks Nora's help in proving him innocent.
As if that weren't enough, her soon-to-be ex-husband Ted sends her something that could be worth millions - if she could prove it - and Otis Hampton, a Hollywood producer, is also asking for her help in getting revenge on Ted. It's obvious Nora's plate is full, but this is ridiculous. She's got more problems than Jean Arthur in Easy Living - but it isn't going to be easy to get out of this situation...especially when there's talk in the gaming world that she's the guilty party...
This is the third book in the series and an excellent addition as such. The mystery is thoroughly entangled, and there are red herrings aplenty. Along with the murder, we also have Trixie, the ghost of an usherette who haunts the Palace and whom only Nora can see and hear, taking s bigger part this time as there are others who know about her tragic death in the theater and wish to contact her; and while Nora isn't keen on a séance, she accepts it, although Trixie is thrilled by the idea of others being able to communicate with her. Then there's the problem with Ted, who isn't making it easy for her to get a divorce, which is seriously putting a cramp in her new relationship with the enigmatic Colombian Hector.
When the murderer is discovered and the reasons for it explained, it is both sad and twisted at the same time, and although I learned the identity before Nora, (I read a lot of mysteries), the journey to get there is the most important part, and the author is an exceptional storyteller, bringing you into the world of Nora and her friends. The characters come alive on the page, and you are part of the story.
I absolutely love this series and this author. Ms. Dumas has an extensive knowledge of classic films, and she manages to find a way to make those she chooses germane to the story she is telling us. Hopefully, she's opening an entire new generation to the movies that created Hollywood and if only a handful of people watch these films because of her books, they will live on forever. Highly recommended.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Silver-Screen-Palace-Mystery/dp/1635116228/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3343523102
More on Margaret Dumas's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/margaret-dumas/
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