Review

Stacy Graysin breaks up with her fiancé Rafe Acosta after catching him cheating. However, since neither can afford to buy out the other partner, they must continue to run their dance studio together even after the break-up. It’s no surprise that this does not work well for either of them. Rafe wants to increase their profits by adding tap and hip hop classes, but Stacy insists that the studio remain “simply ballroom.” Adding to the tension, Rafe has started to act strangely and is slacking on studio paperwork and skipping out on classes he is supposed to be teaching. Then, Stacy literally stumbles onto Rafe’s dead body in the studio one evening, and Stacy has to fight to save the studio and stay out of jail!

There are so many different themes for cozy mysteries, but the topic of ballroom dance is unique and timely with the popularity of shows like “Dancing with the Stars.” The glimpse into the life of a professional dancer, from teaching classes to participating in dance competitions, is interesting and entertaining. The book shows a wide range of dancers, from up and coming teen students, elderly women in beginning classes who enjoy dancing with a charming dance instructor, to demanding divas in the world of professional dance. I learned things that I never knew about the world of dance, including the fact that dance pros get paid by top-rated amateurs to dance with them in Pro-Am dance competitions. Besides being an interesting tidbit, this situation plays a large role in the plot of the book.

I would expect the book to introduce readers to dance terms and names of dances, and when the author does so, they are explained well. What is strange to me is some of the unusual expressions the author uses that are not related to dancing. For example, “My hands scrabbled over the waxed surface, looking for purchase” is used to describe a dangerous situation Stacy is in.One such phrase wouldn’t stand out, but then another one is used soon afterwards: “Rafe was the one with the business brain; now that he was playing least-in-sight, I had to spend a lot more time with the bookkeeping.” I’ve never heard the expression “playing least-in-sight”, yet it was used two different times in the book. Yes, I could figure out what each meant, but the strange wording took me out of the story to puzzle over what was being said.

With these few exceptions, the author demonstrates a clever and amusing way with words. Most of the book is light and amusing and free from awkward wording. The mystery itself is interesting, which added to the unique setting, makes it a pleasure to read. There is a variety of colorful characters that add realism to the ballroom dancing setting as well as a long list of possible suspects in Rafe’s murder. The book has a fun ending that establishes much potential for dance as well as romance for Stacy.

Reviewed by Christine K.