Famous director Elias Theropodous has chosen Haggerman’s Catskills Resort as a shooting location for his next film. It sounds glamorous to much of the staff, but resort manager Elizabeth Grady is less satisfied. Dealing with the ridiculous demands of the antagonistic director is bad enough, and his attempts to walk all over Elizabeth are making her feel like her position at the resort has been changed into a bit part.
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But when Elias is poisoned during a dinner at the resort, the future of the film and the resort itself are on the line. Between an aging movie star, a harried producer, and former victims of the deceased director’s wrath, Elizabeth has a full cast of suspects to examine, and she’ll need to investigate every lead to catch a killer.
Release Date: Mar 1, 2022
Series:Â A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery
Book:Â 2
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â Berkley
Price: $8.99
Elizabeth Grady is the manager of Haggerman’s Catskills Resort that her mother, retired professional dancer Olivia Peters, inherited. The glamor of Hollywood has come to Haggerman’s when the resort is chosen as the location for a new movie. Most of the staff is thrilled, but Elizabeth is tired of being bossed around by movie director, Elias Theropodous. When the difficult director is poisoned during a dinner at the resort, rumors fly and the resort’s reputation and future is at risk. Elizabeth decides to start her own investigation to find the murderer and save the family business.
Deadly Director’s Cut is the second book in this series and although the murder case stands alone, the first book gives additional background on the main characters. The story takes place during the 1950s. It was interesting that a character comments that because there are so many family businesses in the Catskills, it was more common to see women in positions of authority there than in other areas. Although there are a couple of female characters in the story who won’t stand up for themselves. Elizabeth doesn’t hesitate to take charge while running the resort. I like her sense of humor, but because of events in her past, Elizabeth can be a strict boss and reserved in her personal life. However, a few things happen in the book that make it look like Elizabeth may be starting to relax a bit. I hope so because that will open up the possibilities for future storylines.
I enjoyed Elizabeth’s investigation into the murder and that she was able to identify potential suspects that the local police chief couldn’t. She gathers the clues and then thinks things through, making smart deductions based on what she finds out. I enjoyed the role Velvet McNally, Elizabeth’s best friend and employee, plays in helping uncover the killer. I was glad that nobody took any foolish risks to get to the truth, which is overdone in the cozy mystery genre. I was very surprised by who the killer was and by the motive, so I’m glad the plot wasn’t predictable. The setting and time period make this a unique series and enjoyable book to read.
~ Christine
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