Audition For Murder

by Sarajane Avidon and Susan Sussman

Book Overview

Acclaimed novelist Sussman turns her light, comedic touch and sparkling writing to mysteries. Introducing 30-something actress Morgan Taylor, whose first role in months is a juicy part in a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373263511
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Worldwide Library
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Likeable, readable - and i normally don't like these.....

To be honest, I dont know how I ended up with this book. I tend to dislike books/ theatre written around show business, the whining "poor me, it's so tough to make it as an actor......." --> excuse me, it's tough to make it as ANYTHING, the rest of us are working just as hard. And, second, I've read a lot of fiction by women authors where the men are cardboard cut-outs, or emote the way women do, or are women's fantasies....... shallow, unrealistic persons. <br /> <br />This book feel into neither trap. I picked up this light fare to read on the beach on vacation, and it fit the bill perfectly. The authors use the theatre as a setting for the story, offering interesting insights and tidbits about "the business" without getting self-absorbed. All the characters - women AND men - are colorful, as necessary for a whodunnit - but also realistic. It's not as predictable as many in the genre, and made for an enjoyable couple days at the beach. Would be perfect take-along for a flight if your ipod runs out of batteries too. <br /> <br />I've given my book to an actor friend, hope i get it back. happy reading.

Quite a nice little mystery

Not bad for a mystery. There is a bit of humour thrown in, the premise for the murder is nicely twisted and the whole investigation of it throws up lots of red herrings. We are certainly given all of the clues but it is hard to put them together because Sussman has some of them as quite innocent incidents right at the beginning of the book and unless you have the memory capacity of an elephant (or at least a reasonable reader of crime fiction) you will probably be like me and not be able to figure the thing out by the end.I found the main character - Morgan Taylor, a bit grating at first but she definitely grew on me as time went on. I think I disliked her because she is an actress and so has to be a bit pretentious. However she definitely has more to her than a bit of play-acting and she does prove to have many layers of character beyond her acting persona which was nice.The whole thing starts when an actress is found dead in the toilets during an audition - and in fact there is no suspected murder until someone tips the paper off that the death might have been less than above board. So Morgan becomes one of the chief suspects - and in fact quite possibly a future victim as well.There is a bit of romance in this, and while not Evanovich it definitely has enough sass in it to be an enjoyable side trip.

Brava!

Although this is a very difficult book to really get into, it's well worth the struggle for the reader. The writing is crisp and witty, and first person narration in a mystery (or in anything, as far as I'm concerned) makes for wonderful reading. Theatre drips from every page, and it's obvious that the authors know a good bit about that world. So what makes it so difficult? It's in present tense! Makes for a very strange reading experience. In fact, I think it must be the first book I've ever been able to complete, written in that tense. ('We walk down the street', rather than 'We walked down the street.') It's a perfectly valid method, but it does take some getting used to. Any mystery lover who persists, however, should find the experience well worth while. And a mystery lover who also loves theatre will find it an absolute delight. One can only be thankful that most theatres are not quite so murderously inclined. Morgan Taylor nee Miriam Tiersky, is an Equity actress plying her craft in Chicago, with its abundant theatre life. Beginning with her audition for the part, and continuing through opening night and then some, we're introduced to all the hangers-on, the veterans, the novices, the entire panoply of the biz. The atmosphere is wonderfully detailed. Morgan's wonderfully ditzy family isn't ignored, either.When the aging actress who is Morgan's audition partner is found dead backstage, the cases is assigned to Detective Frank Roblings, and Morgan's life begins to perk up. It is sometimes a bit confusing as to which one is the real detective, but Morgan's theatrical bent stands her in good stead, as she slowly but surely figures out who dunnit. This is a must-read for theatre buffs, especially, as well as cozy mystery fans. I'm off to find the next book in the series.

A Standing Ovation

This is must read for anyone who's interested in the theater. The author captures all the joy and pain from the auditions to actual performance. While there are murders galore, the characters are so enjoyable that they distract the reader from solving the crimes. I loved the romances and family conflicts that fill out the plot. And Grandma Belle is like a cherry on the ice cream sunday.I adored her and the book.

A fun to read new mystery series

Actors would die for a role in former superstar director Martin Wexler's latest play that he hopes will lead to a comeback for him. One of the performers hoping to gain the lead in the Chicago-based play is Morgan Taylor. However, her audition partner, elderly actress Lily London, fails to arrive on time, turning the formerly calm Morgan into a bundle of nerves. After her near hopeless audition, Morgan leaves the stage only to find the corpse of Lily in the nearby bathroom.Thinking nothing of it, Morgan continues to push for the part. However, a second death occurs that makes the performer wonder if serial murders are the opening act. Being melodramatic, Morgan decides to do a bit of amateur sleuthing before the culprit turns the play into a real life tragedy.AUDITION FOR MURDER is a genuine surprise that will enchant anyone who gives the tale a chance. The story line is entertaining, intelligent, and fun to read as the insider,s world of theater is vividly portrayed. Morgan is a warm, delightful actress cum detective. However, it is her ensemble cast that makes this a necessary read for sub-genre fans. Novelist Susan Sussman and actress Sarajane Avidon leave no doubt that their corroboration will lead to a critically acclaimed, long running hit.Harriet Klausner