Chicago actress Morgan Taylor is thrilled to get an audition for a major production of a play, not quite as happy to find that she is paired for the audition with aging, not-very-talented Lily London, very unhappy when Lily doesn't show and she has to read with a monotone stagehand--and hysterical when she discovers Lily London, dead, in the ladies' room afterwards.

Her unhappiness knows no bounds when her best friend Beth, suffering from multiple sclerosis and the unexpected heir of Lily's unsuspected millions, becomes the prime suspect. When Morgan lands the part she auditioned for and her understudy is killed with the same poison that killed Lily, Morgan knows she has to find the answer before she is the next victim--and before Beth is arrested.

Adding to her stress is her family's desire to see her married and settled down, and her estrangement from her sister, now engaged to marry Morgan's ex-boyfriend.

Even more distracting is her attraction to the police detective, Roblings, who thinks Beth is his best suspect. He's lumbering, smart, endearing, and not at all put off by her artistic temperament and cynical humor.

There are some problems with the story, which I can't really discuss without massive spoilers, but the characters are likable and interesting, the plot moves, and the mystery is satisfyingly complex. And Morgan is a nicer person than she wants to be, as we see in her interactions with Lily's orphaned little dog, Hamlet.

Recommended.

I borrowed this book from the library. ( )

When Morgan Taylor goes for an audition as the daughter in a play, elderly actress Lily, reading as the mother, doesn't show up as scheduled. After Morgan auditions with another person, she stops in the obscure ladies restroom and finds Lilly dead on the floor. After the police get a phoned-in tip that it wasn't due to a heart attack, everyone becomes a suspect.

This was a light but fairly realistic mystery with a bit of humor and likable characters. There was a bit of romance with Morgan slowly getting involved with the cop who investigates. There were several people with motives for killing Lily so the story kept me guessing. Overall, I liked it. ( )

This book was just what I wanted from a book at the time I read it! It is a nice, light read. Really fun if you have ever been in the theatre world! Nicely developed characters and plot. ( )