Corpse De Ballet

by Lucy Cores

Ballet reporter Toni Ney and her soldier boyfriend Eric Skeets join forces with homicide detective Andrew Torrent to find out who murdered the lead dancer after his triumphant return to the stage. First published in 1944.

Genres: Mystery

189 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1944

About the author

Lucy Michaella Cores Kortchmar was born in Moscow and was brought to the United States in 1921 ahead of the Russian Revolution. She attended Barnard College. She wrote mystery, romance, and historical novels, and science fiction.

Reviews

[dmayr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rue Morgue mysteries are just so delightful to read. Here we are introduced to Toni Ney, a former ballerina now journalist, who covers the American Ballet Drama's revival of the Phoebus starring Izlomin, a famous dancer who went mad and has since recovered and is now set to appear in his first public performance. But things take a nasty turn with the appearance of threatening letters, and Toni soon delves into the familiar world of ballet with its jealousies, hysterical characters, love affairs and murder. The colorful descriptions of the costumes and the entertaining characters and the elaborate plot won me over in this one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toni Ney, once a ballet dancer herself is now earning her daily bread as an exercise expert and reviewing ballet part time for a local newspaper. The same day in the early forties that her soldier boyfriend Eric Skeets comes home on furlough Tony is off to the Civic Opera to review a ballet that is intended to take New York by storm. The premier danseur is Russian Vova Izlomin who is a poor example of a human being but makes up for this by the artistry of his dancing. Just lately returning to the dancing scene, he has been in seclusion after a severe schizophrenic break down. The ballet is intended to show him at his very best, reconditioned in top form.

The beginning of the ballet goes off beautifully and the audience is appropriately awed, but suddenly the main attraction had disappeared. he is found later hanging from some ropes high up back stage. You can describe the rats warren of a multistory back stage to me a million times and I will never quite get a picture of what they are talking about. I always envision a ship's deck with spars, ropes, hooks and pulleys all over the place.

Thus the story unfolds. Did the dancer crack yet again, or did a jealous rival or doting wife do him in? Inspector Anthony Torrent of the NYPD needs Toni's help to understand the nuances of the behind the scenes life at a ballet theater. Toni enjoys helping him out because she has a good eye for detail and she loves the excitement of the hunt. She also has a roving eye that has lit on a handsome wealthy tomcat of a man who is on his third marriage and who is also looking for a new fancy. This is one part of the story that disappoints because it shows that Toni's judgement is lacking.

The story has an intricate finale much like any ballet and well worth the read. I am sorry the series is so short. There is a beautiful Rue Morgue edition that Goodreads doesn't show so don't judge by the no picture icon.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her boyfriend is on leave but Toni Ney, former ballerina and now a journalist, is busy covering the gala that will reintroduce Izlomin to the ballet world after his Paris breakdown and subsequent slow recovery. He's a great dancer, no doubt, and there's great curiosity about his performance of the piece he's choreographed, Phoebus, that has been done only once, immediately before his collapse. Toni and a ballet-loving policeman are the ones who end up searching through the debacle of the gala to find out who is responsible for more than one death.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery. I am glad that the new edition includes an explanation about the author, Lucy Cores, and her background. The mystery was written in 1944 and is quite charming and a great story. I thought, as the mother of a ballet dancer, it was very accurate as well.