Publishers Weekly
05/27/2024
The owner of a Massachusetts community theater becomes a gumshoe when one of her actors drops dead in Lyerly’s promising if undercooked debut. Reginald Thornton IV may have enough talent to land the lead role in the Kaleidoscope Theater’s production of Murder in a Teacup, but he’s so arrogant and cruel that his costars take outsize delight in rehearsing his climactic death scene each night. Reginald’s behavior, plus the stresses of opening a production, cause theater owner Ellie Marlowe’s Tourette syndrome to flare up. Still, Ellie takes no pleasure when Reginald dies for real on opening night—she believes that even someone as sleazy as him deserves justice. Investigators label Reginald’s death a heart attack, but Ellie isn’t convinced, and her lifelong friend, local police chief Bill Starlin, shares her skepticism. Sifting through a long list of suspects, the pair comes to believe Reginald was poisoned; when someone attacks Reginald’s wife, their investigation gains a greater sense of urgency. With a bit of polish, this would be a bona fide page-turner, but by withholding crucial information until the final pages and repeating a few too many plot points, the author fumbles the bag. Here’s hoping Lyerly’s next outing is more finely tuned. Agent: Adam Chromy, Movable Type Management. (July)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Last Line:
“While Lyerly’s cozy mystery debut celebrates theater, it also shines a spotlight on Tourette’s syndrome . . . Suggest for fans of Mia P. Manansala.”
—Library Journal
“Buy a ticket and see this show! This book is a welcome whodunnit for theater-loving mystery readers.”
—Abigail Strom, RITA Award-winning author of Tell Me
“A mystery starring a neurodiverse lead set in the world of theater? I was all in from page one!”
—Harper Kincaid, author of the Bookbinding Mystery series
“Ellie is relatable and real, and by the time you finish The Last Line, she’ll feel like your new best friend. I haven’t been this excited by a new author in a long time.”
—Leslie Lutz, author of Fractured Tide
“Scott Lyerly’s highly original debut, The Last Line, features theatre predicaments and sinister secrets. An exciting recipe for a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery. Ellie Marlowe is struggling with Tourette’s syndrome as well as the finances of her community theatre, only to be confronted by the death of her leading man on opening night. A search for the killer reveals past indiscretions, shocking motivations, and plenty of guilt. Anyone who knows theatre will appreciate this backstage drama with a colorful cast of suspects. Anyone who enjoys an engrossing mystery will love this twisty tale. Thoroughly engaging!”
—Suzanne Trauth, author of the Dodie O’Dell mystery series
“Scott Lyerly’s The Last Line features a diverse cast of characters caught up in the drama inherent in the production of a play, especially one where the lead actor dies on stage. Mystery lovers will enjoy the plethora of viable suspects, motives, and clues, while theatre aficionados will appreciate the detailed depiction of a small regional theater company. A police procedural as well as a traditional, small-town mystery, The Last Line should please a wide variety of readers.”
—Victoria Gilbert, author of the Blue Ridge Library, Booklover’s B&B, and Hunter and Clewe mystery series
Library Journal
05/01/2024
DEBUT The play Murder in a Teacup might just save the Kaleidoscope Theater. The owner of the Kaleidoscope, Ellie Marlowe, knows that Reginald Thornton IV, the former Broadway actor, is the reason ticket sales are booming in her small community playhouse, but she doesn't realize the overbearing lead is making the entire cast and crew miserable. He's supposed to die onstage during the play, but when he actually expires, Ellie fears for her players and her theater. Although the Massachusetts police call Thornton's death a heart attack, Ellie is uneasy. She teams up with a childhood friend, the local police chief, to investigate the death. The stress only exacerbates her Tourette's syndrome, but Ellie perseveres, looking for a killer. VERDICT While Lyerly's cozy mystery debut celebrates theater, it also shines a spotlight on Tourette's syndrome and emphasizes that some of the manifestations are different from those shown on television. Readers of cozy mysteries interested in current topics such as sexual assault, dementia, and newspaper cutbacks might want to try this book. Suggest for fans of Mia P. Manansala.—Lesa Holstine
