Murder at the Mikado
The newest Drew Farthering murder mystery surrounds an acting troupe performing Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado in the period following Prohibition. The lead actor is found in his dressing room, bludgeoned to death with a champagne bottle. Although there are many suspects, the focus is on Fleur Landis, a former lover of the actor, and current wife of one of Drew’s associates. Drew does not want to take on the job of investigating this murder, since he had experienced an uncomfortable history with Fleur as a young man, but with two more murders occurring, he has no choice. This draws his attention away from his upcoming wedding to Madeline Parker, who had assisted him on previous cases. The sudden appearance of a woman with a reputation from his past is not making things easy for his personal life, either.
The tension between Madeline and Drew, with her jealousy seeming to overpower her ability to help with the case, is a nice side story in this otherwise predictable murder mystery. It was good to see her find the cool confidence to help solve the case in the end. There is a twist with the motive for the multiple murders that we discover in the closing chapter.
