ENCORE MURDER

by Marian Babson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 1990

A shrill second outing for chronically warring one-time American movie stars Evangeline Sinclair and Trixie Dolan, who are sharing a London house--as well as the ups and downs of various half-baked plans for theatrical ventures. For Trixie, the most promising of these is a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace that's being proposed by successful producer Hugh Carpenter, who's soon to marry Trixie's adopted daughter Martha. Hugh's ex-wife Cressida, who starred in a popular early TV series called The Highwayman, is now virulently feminist. She has plans to star Evangeline in a version of King Lear, to be called Queen Leah, for her Widow's Mite Productions. As ever in Babson's archest work, there must be moppets--here they're the two children of Hugh and Cressida who've come under Trixie's care through elaborately contrived circumstances, another set of which brings star-struck waiter Trevor to Trixie's house for the purpose of taking archery lessons from expert Martha. It's soon after one of those lessons that a bow and arrow is used to kill Cressida, bringing a contemptuous Superintendent Heyhoe hack into the ladies' lives (Reel Murder). There's little detective work involved in the lumbering solution--only a wearing attempt at lighthearted farce that Finds the author at the top of her voice but the bottom of her oeuvre.

Pub Date: Oct. 22, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1990

Categories: FICTION