Who Dropped Peter Pan? (Jocelyn O'Roarke Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Forget the crime; enjoy the characters and dialogue.
Review: A pleasant read, with some fascinating characters, in particular Suspect #2 and his lawyer. Problem is, I was so amused by some of the characters and the witty dialogue that I didn't really care who committed the murder or how, even when the culprit was revealed. The setting of a theatrical company in which the director, whom everyone in the company has some reason to do away with, gets bumped off is hardly original. I read most of the book on a flight from Japan to Europe, but was able to put it down to watch "Small Soldiers" and finish it later. Was a good choice to while away the time on a plane ride, however.

Rating:
Summary: Dishing the Dirt with Jocelyn O'Roarke
Review: A superannuated Peter Pan takes one high flying bow too many and Jocelyn's good friend PJ Cullen is the Police's first pick for a murder suspect because he had quarreled with the deceased and was in charge of props for this production at the prestigious regional playhouse where the death occurred. Jocelyn (with the help of Jack Breedlove, a cowboy, hairdresser friend from California who is in Manhattan for a horse show) hooks PJ up with an aggressive little lawyer whose reaction to the geraniums that grow outside the police station is priceless.

With hilarious characters and great dialogue (not to mention great blocking) Dentinger puts her characters through their paces. Because the theatre world does depend a lot on gossip and innuendo, it's not surprising that the case is cracked by using less than usual police procedures.

Dentinger just keeps getting better-- and manages to keep her characters fresh because they have such endearing human foibles. Avoiding the mistake that a lot of authors make of resolving their character's personal issues and then just leaving them with the mysteries, Dentinger keeps the pot boiling in every direction.

Rating:
Summary: Mystery's own drama queen
Review: For theatre fans who also happen to like mysteries Jane Dentinger is a particular treat. Her New York actress/sleuth Jocelyn O'Roarke involves us in investigations where she is a professional actress but an amateur snoop. In this one Jocelyn pursues the murderer of the star of a summer-stock production of "Peter Pan." Jocelyn/Jane is funny, bitchy, and full of details about both the theatre and crime. If this is your milieu, this is your book.