Death Comes to the Ballet Russes
Theatrical murder onstage turns into the real thing as, after the performance, a young performer, Taneyev, is found dead backstage, stabbed through the heart with a real knife instead of a false one. The waters are further muddied by the question of whether the victim was actually the intended one or not, as it was the understudy who is killed rather than the star of the ballet who should have been playing the part. Lord Powerscourt must use all his ingenuity and intelligent questioning to find the murderer. There are additional problems such as a jewel theft and a Bolshevik plan, set up by Lenin, to change roubles stolen from a Russian bank into pounds, to add to the sub-plots. The zeitgeist of the time is demonstrated through the excitement caused by the Ballets Russes and the fear caused by the Bolshevik threat; real-life historical figures such as Diaghilev and Fokine parade through the story as well. The respect shown to rank at this time is also clear; Powerscourt is aided by his title and knowledge of the rich and powerful.
This novel can be read as a stand-alone, but it is the fourteenth in the series, which began with Goodnight, Sweet Prince. Overall, this is a pleasant read, which fans of the series will like.
