Big time star Eliza Lane has fulfilled her dreams and is living her best life; even returning to the play that made her a star, this time as the mother. She is throwing a party to celebrate but it soon turns into panic when her husband, Brad Fitzhugh, big time star himself, dies.
Dallas and Peabody are thrown in among the bright stars, many of whom have secrets to hide, some of them decades old. But is the motive for this murder rooted in the past or the present? And who really was the intended victim?
There were a lot of red herrings and unexpected twists in this story. I was very much reminded of a particular Agatha Christie mystery which I won't name because I think there are hints to the ending of the story. Some of the red herrings were dealt with a little too quickly but overall I really enjoyed this addition to the Dallas series.
Four stars
This book comes out February 7, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own
And by all, I do mean all. We see almost every side character that has ever been introduce to the series in this book and that made it feel a little overcrowded to me. Regular readers will have all the feels as regular beats are hit (e.g. Eve becoming a little more human, more of Roarke's past uncovered, etc.) This is definitely not a standalone book because so much of the story depends on knowing what has happened in previous books.
On a clear April morning, a beloved pediatrician opens an unexpected package. Inside is a golden egg. When he opens the egg, a small cloud of gas erupts, killing him. Eve and Peabody are called in to investigate. But they can't find anyone with a grudge against the doctor. He truly was a man that everyone liked. A second death-by-egg helps them to find a thread and uncover a reason for the killing.
This is an In Depth book where we know the identity of the killer is pretty early in the book. It's a woman who is bent on settling scores. She starts by picking up a man who, among certain circles, is known to be dropping date rape drugs into women's drinks, taking them home, and doing terrible things to them (very timely). The killer has labeled herself Lady Justice and plans her look to be the most appealing for every man that she is going to kill, the easier to lure them in.