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Melodie Johnson Howe’s
latest serial novel, City of Mirrors, introduces
the character Diana Poole. She is one of those actresses where
you recognize the face but cannot place the name. The mystery
is not whether Diana will find work but her discovery of a
young actress’ body, Jenny Parson. This book is a compelling
view of Hollywood’s dark side as Diana, along with fixer
Leo Heath, must find the killer or risk death.
Diana Poole is trying to put her life together after her husband’s
death, and in need of money must find work, something not
easy to do for an actress over forty. She finally lands an
acting job after being out of the business for a number of
years. Knowing that people in this business go to dangerous
lengths to protect their images Diana realizes her life is
in danger since she was the one to discover the murdered actress.
She elicits the help of the fixer Heath and together they
search out the killer while forming a bond.
The author “Hopes that my readers will like Diana and
view her as someone they could sit down and have a cup of
coffee with. She is a survivor in a business that many people,
especially women, don’t survive. My intention was to
show what Hollywood is really like from a working actress,
not a red carpet actress’, point of view. Because people
in this business have giant egos I am able to create an atmosphere
of mayhem.”
Through Diana’s eyes readers will discover how the Hollywood
rich and famous live. Having been an actress herself Howe
knows the ins and outs of the Hollywood scene and magnificently
intertwines it in the mystery, making “Hollywood”
a supporting character. Diana is someone witty, intelligent,
likeable, and does not take herself too seriously. Yet, she
is also vulnerable, especially as she struggles to understand
her relationship with her famous mother, Nora, who has recently
died.
Howe noted, “If you are a creative and driven person
as my character Nora Poole was you find that there is a stronger
need to be that red carpet actress than to be a loving mother.
I think this happens a lot in Hollywood. I want to explore
more, probably in the next book, how it is that Hollywood
children have no sense of home. Throughout my novels I write
about the mother-daughter relationship. Even though Diana
was ill-treated she is attempting to respect her mother.”
The title, City of Mirrors, says it all. This novel
is one reflection after another. It is a complex tale with
a dark and twisting plot. The author blends humor and suspense
to create a very interesting story.
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