Synopsis

An opera singer uncovers the dark secrets of her cruel and alluring understudy when a murder disrupts her disciplined world.

“The first time my understudy tried to kill me was on the day we met. We got off on the wrong foot, Yolanda and I, and while most of that was due to Yolanda being a very . . . complicated individual, some of the blame lies with me…”

After years of rigorous instruction and ensemble work, Kit finally gets her big break when she’s hired to play the lead role in a new opera based on the 1960s cult classic film Barbarella. Entrusted with playing the beautiful and seductive titular role, Kit is on her way to the top of the highly competitive world of New York City opera. But then she walks into rehearsal and meets her understudy. Stunning, suggestive, and bursting with the unbridled confidence of a novice, Yolanda is physically everything Barbarella is meant to be. At first, Kit isn’t threatened by the neophyte, until Yolanda reveals that she wants the role—and will do anything to get it.

As Yolanda’s schemes become increasingly more reckless, she draws an unwitting Kit into her orbit. But when a brutal murder destabilizes the company and threatens her role, Kit discovers that Yolanda’s glamorous veneer conceals something much more sinister. Hunting down the betrayed friends and discarded lovers from Yolanda’s past and unearthing secrets she’s worked hard to bury, Kit realizes just how far Yolanda is willing to go to get what she wants, and the number of enemies she made in the process.

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Review

This was an intriguing mystery set in the opera world. While I never knew it could be that competitive, the author brings out the best and the worst of the main characters.

This is a fight between Kit and Yolanda. Kit has the role of Barbarella (yes, after the movie), but Yolanda thinks it should be hers, and isn’t beyond trying to kill for it. The funny thing is that between the two of them, they make the perfect person for the role. Kit has the operatic training, and Yolanda has the stage presence. However, they can’t both play the role, at least not at the same time! The interactions of these two are petty, primarily on Yolanda’s side, but Kit isn’t beyond a bit of revenge.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t like any of the main characters. They were all severely flawed, and it was hard to root for any of them. Kit kept putting herself into the middle of things and would end up in trouble or a situation where she couldn’t extract herself. However, that is how she helps solve the mystery, but not without peril to herself. Yolanda was manipulative and would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, no matter the cost to anyone else. There are a few times when I thought these two would work it out and maybe become friends, but any initial goodwill was quickly stamped out to keep the animosity flowing between them.

There are some moments that are reflective, such as Kit’s meeting with a vocal coach, Opal. What stood out to me was Opal coaching Kit on how to come alive on the stage. Nothing any previous coaches or even artistic directors did for her. Perhaps it was because this was her first major role, and she needed to shine. But that interaction clicked for Kit.

While there are some inaccuracies in this novel for anyone familiar with the opera world, it is still a good read, and I was kept guessing until the end who the perpetrator might be.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

After graduating from the Filmic Writing program (these days, they just call it “screenwriting”) at the University of Southern California’s film school, Morgan worked in production on several television shows, including ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos and E! Entertainment Television’s Emmy-winning comedy series Talk Soup. She once wore frozen turkeys on her feet on television in the name of Comedy™; while Morgan does have a fairly strong sense of personal dignity, she is also a consummate team player.