Book Review: Final Curtain by R. T. Jordan (Polly Pepper #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Different but lovable characters; good story

Cons: Overly complex writing at times

The Bottom Line:

Bit overwritten

But characters, plot are good

Light, fun mystery

Death of an Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway Director

If Hollywood is a land all unto itself, you'd expect a mystery set there to be slightly off kilter. That's certainly the case with the Polly Pepper series. Living Legend Polly Pepper starred in her own variety show during the 80's, winning multiple Emmys along the way. But now she's not quite the star she once was. Which may be a blessing since Final Curtain is her second project in a row to be plagued by murder.

Every summer, Polly does community theater in some city so she has money to pay her bills. This year, she is starring in Mame (her favorite roll) in Glendale, California. The bad news is it is a small theater. The good news is she won't have to move out of her Bel Air mansion for the summer. And, if the play goes well, it just might move to Broadway, the one place Polly has never had a show.

When the director is late the second day of rehearsal, the cast goes exploring and finds poor Karen's body. The police immediately zero in on cast member Sharon Fletcher. After all, it was her Daytime Emmy that bashed in Karen's head. But Polly, who prides herself on being an excellent judge of character, thinks Sharon is innocent. Even stranger, someone is willing to give Polly relevant information in exchange for one of her own Emmys. Now she must learn the new choreography, deal with a hack of a replacement director, and find the killer before all her precious awards vanish. Can she do it?

Now that's I've read two books in the series, I can't quite decide what I think about Polly. She's not quite an over the top egotistical star, but she does seem to expect a certain amount of fawning from those around her. Yet she's not quite as down to earth as she thinks she is. I find that enigma interesting and entertaining. Rounding out the cast of regulars are son Tim, maid/best friend Placenta (talk about contradictions there), and Polly's policeman boyfriend Randy. Of those three, Randy is the most down to earth, but even he is getting caught up in the world of the stars. While not your normal assortment of characters, this bunch seem real, and are a joy to spend time visiting.

While there is tons of name dropping here, the famous people of Hollywood don't really put in any appearances. Instead, the rest of the characters are our assortment of suspects for this mystery. They are an entertaining bunch as well and are real enough to make us care about the outcome.

The mystery itself is good with several quite clever twists. The pace is steady until the end. The climax got my heart racing before everything came to a logical conclusion.

The only real flaw of the book is the writing. The descriptions tend to be overwritten. Adverbial phrases abound, sometimes threatening to overtake the meaning of the sentence. On the other hand, the dialogue is sharp, allowing the characters and their wit to sparkle. (And having made this observation, I guess I should watch my own adverbial phrases.)

Final Curtain isn't your standard cozy thanks to its quirky characters. So if you are looking for something a little off beat, give it a try.