ASIN: B096DNQGXP
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Print Length: 302 pages
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Cmw3TG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58260462-deadly-director-s-cut
About the Book:
Daring resort manager Elizabeth Grady will need to think fast to bring a killer into the limelight in this charming 1950s set cozy mystery series.
Famous director Elias Theropodous has chosen Haggerman’s Catskills Resort as a shooting location for his next film. It sounds glamorous to much of the staff, but resort manager Elizabeth Grady is less satisfied. Dealing with the ridiculous demands of the antagonistic director is bad enough, and his attempts to walk all over Elizabeth are making her feel like her position at the resort has been changed into a bit part.
But when Elias is poisoned during a dinner at the resort, the future of the film and the resort itself are on the line. Between an aging movie star, a harried producer, and former victims of the deceased director’s wrath, Elizabeth has a full cast of suspects to examine, and she’ll need to investigate every lead to catch a killer.
My Review:
Deadly Director's Cut takes place in the early 1950s. The setting is the Catskill Mountains at a resort similar one in the popular 1987 film, Dirty Dancing. I love the mystery of the murdered director. Elias Theropodous selects Haggerman's as the location for his next movie. Elizabeth isn't thrilled but it's good exposure for her resort. When Elias is poisoned while eating dinner, not only is the movie in jeopardy, but so is the reputation of Haggerman's.
Elizabeth is a strong woman running a resort in a time when women weren't taken seriously in roles men traditionally viewed as for males only. When the movie production cast and crew overtake Haggerman's, she feels like her role isn't taken seriously as Elias's demands become ridiculous and time wasters, and he treats her like a doormat.
Elizabeth has gathered a wonderful staff of family and friends to assist in the day-to-day operations of Haggerman's. Her mother, Olivia, is the star of the resort but without Elizabeth, Haggerman's would be another failing resort in the mountains. What they don't need right now is a suspected murder of a high-profile director and his equally impressive cast.
The author delivered a powerful and robust mystery. Several characters were introduced as possible suspects and red herrings were strategically placed between the pages. I enjoyed the fact that this story is set pre-technology boom and there aren't smartphones, Google, or video cameras on every corner. This mystery took good old-fashioned detective and legwork to investigate and solve. The author did a great job keeping the book in line with actual happenings in the 50s.
Deadly Director's Cut is engaging, dramatic, and filled with friendship, amateur sleuthing, and a wonderful mystery. The characters, development, and world building were superb. I felt like I was in the book with Elizabeth, Olivia, Velvet, Randy, and the rest of the group.
I was provided a copy of this book.
My Rating:
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