Death at the Selig Studios

by Frances Mcnamara

Overview

The early summer of 1909 finds Emily Cabot eagerly anticipating a relaxing vacation with her family. Before they can depart, however, she receives news that her brother, Alden, has been involved in a shooting death at the Selig Polyscope silent movie studios on Chicago's northwest side. She races to investigate, along with her friend Detective Henry Whitbread. There they discover a sprawling backlot, complete with ferocious jungle animals and the celluloid cowboys Tom Mix and Broncho Billy. As they dig deeper into the situation, they uncover furtive romantic liaisons between budding movie stars and an attempt by Thomas Edison to maintain his stranglehold over the emerging film industry. Before the intrepid amateur sleuth can clear her brother's name she faces a serious break with the detective; a struggle with her adolescent daughter, who is obsessed with the filming of the original Wizard of Oz movie; and threats upon her own life.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160824949
Publisher:	Rudiyat Press
Publication date:	03/07/2022
Series:	Emily Cabot Mysteries , #7
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and recently retired from the University of Chicago. She now divides her time between Boston and Cape Cod.

Author of The Emily Cabot Mysteries about a social activist in Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Frances is active in Sisters in Crime New England and MWA New England.

Editorial Reviews

A well-crafted plot with fascinating period detail... Historical figures such as Tom Mix and Broncho Billy move easily among the strong fictional cast. This is a must for film buffs, as well as those simply looking for a cracking good mystery.

Publishers Weekly - N/A

Film history buffs will have a ball with this entertaining historical mystery set in 1909... Author McNamara's penchant for research shines brightly here...[A] rollicking tale of early 20th­century greed, lust, and hypocrisy...Death at the Selig Studios isn't only a historical who-did-what­and-when; it's a dead-on psychological dramedy where rapidly changing social mores play merry hell with old-fashioned virtues...Death at the Selig Studios is pure delight.

Mystery Scene - Betty Webb