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Publisher:
Pemberley Press |
Release
Date: March 2004 |
ISBN:
0970272766 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Hardcover |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Historical Mystery [late 1800s] |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Brenda Weeaks |
Reviewer
Notes: |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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Deadlier than the Pen
A Diana
Spaulding Mystery
By Kathy Lynn Emerson
Diana
Spaulding’s newspaper assignment is to find out the secrets
of the man behind The Tales of Terror. She begins by going to the
performance. Although she isn’t frightened by his tales, she
does admire his talent. Damon Bathory is an attractive man and Diana
senses a bit of magnetism when attempting to interview him. Damon
Bathory doesn’t care for the media in New York, and he has
nothing to say to the lovely Mrs. Spaulding.
Spaulding’s
column, “Today’s Tidbits,” is in the New York
paper Independence Intelligencer. Her editor, Foxe, changes her
column often and adds seedy little tidbits of his own. When Bathory
refuses to be interviewed, Foxe checks out his past. He discovers
murders in the last two cities Bathory passed through. Foxe wants
to sell more papers and linking the murders to Bathory is one way
to do it, using Spaulding as his source. Spaulding needs her job
and feels it’s her obligation to stop Bathory if he’s
linked to the murders. She takes the assignment and falls into danger
straight away.
Emerson’s
lead character is bent on surviving a world of domineering males.
Spaulding’s past slowly unfolds within the mystery, revealing
why she’s alone and resides in a boarding house with a group
of theater actresses. New York’s newspaper world, politics,
and an ever-growing society come together to create an interesting
backdrop. The 1800-era history is light and the dialogue keeps the
story moving. All in all, a good read and an interesting mystery.
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