A CHORUS OF DETECTIVES

by Barbara Paul ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 17, 1987

The author on another of her dreary trips back to the legendary years of the Metropolitan Opera (A Cadenza for Caruso, etc.)--in this case, the year is 1920. Now it's members of the chorus who are being decimated--a strangling here, a poisoning there, sawed-through stage bridges that collapse, stage trapdoors that open, plunging unwary choristers 30 feet down. Stars Enrico Caruso, Geraldine Farrar, Antonio Scotti, Emmy Destinn involve themselves in some inept attempts at detection, to the dismay of Captain O'Halloran, in charge of the case. But even after one of the amateur sleuths does manage to unearth a female anarchist in their midst, the mayhem continues--with chorus-master Setti, conductor Quaglia, assistant manager Zeigler, newcomer Rosa Ponselle and others coming under suspicion until a trap is sprung and the killer falls for it. Paul's frequently breezy, confident touch deserts her in these quasi-historical forays. They're marked by stilted dialogue (and lots of it), boring plots, and predictable villains. Strictly for those who can't get enough of the greats of the Golden Age.

Pub Date: June 17, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1987

Categories: FICTION