A Diana Poole Thriller by Melodie Johnson Howe, Pegasus Crime, August 2013.
* A copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
CITY OF MIRRORS, by Melodie Johnson Howe, is a fast-moving, entertaining mystery set in the semi-glamorous world of Hollywood, where who you know and what you know are sometimes more important than talent. The star of this story is 40-year-old Diana Poole, daughter of the recently deceased mega-star Nora Poole and widow of the Oscar-winning screenwriter Colin Hudson. Diana gave up a promising movie career when she married, and eight years later, after the death of her husband, she's back on a movie set in what she hopes will be a boost to her reemergence on the big screen. In the film she plays the mother to starlet Jenny Parson's character. Unfortunately production is frequently delayed because Jenny can't seem to remember her lines. But Diana's big movie break is all but forgotten when the starlet is found dead.
Diana is a strong, resilient and independent protagonist, who discovers that everyone plays a part, even behind the scenes. As more friends' and family secrets come to light in the story, Diana grows as a person. She comes to realize that not everything is as it seems, and that people she considered close friends, she never really knew at all.
Howe infuses realism in all her characters. The love interest is a security consultant who seems to be working for several competing players. The alcoholic next-door neighbor who passes out in the bushes along the side of his house may or may not have been involved with the murdered starlet. The producer of the interrupted movie has a wife and mistress who are longtime friends of the protagonist. And then there's the unscrupulous father of the dead girl.
CITY OF MIRRORS suggests that the glamour and glitz we see surrounding Hollywood movie makers sometimes hides lives full of shame, disappointment and deceit. This is what moves the story and may interest the reader. And Howe, as a former actor in film and TV, knows the world of which she writes.
So if you're looking for a glimpse of how things are done behind the scenes in Tinseltown, this book may be a good selection. If you're looking for a fast-moving, well-planned mystery, you'll definitely want to get this story. It's the perfect book for your vacation, rainy day or a day at the beach.
If You Like This, You May Also Like: PIPER DONOVAN MYSTERIES by Mary Jane Clark, BILLY BLESSING MYSTERIES by Al Roker, MURDER AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS by Joan Rivers (with Jerrilyn Farmer), HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES MYSTERIES by Gemma Halliday