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Death Troupe
The Jerome Barron Players have a problem. Their writer, Ryan Betancourt, has killed himself under mysterious circumstances and they need a replacement right away. The Players, unofficially known as Death Troupe, come together once a year to perform a high-end murder mystery play written specifically for that season’s host town. Their writer has to possess special talents, as there’s a wager involved: If the townspeople can correctly identify the murderer before the show’s final act, they don’t have to pay for the engagement. So far, no town has ever won the bet.
Enter Jack Glynn, original writer for the Barron Players. He and Ryan wrote two Death Troupe engagements before Ryan stole Jack’s girlfriend, lead actress Allison Green. Although Jack found fame in Hollywood after quitting the troupe, eccentric director Jerome Barron convinces him to return for one show: The upcoming engagement in the Adirondack town of Schuyler Mills.
It is only then that the troupe’s advance man, private investigator Wade Parker, tells Jack of the strange events which surrounded the group’s previous engagement in Red Bend, California. A local retiree killed himself a few days after the performance—an act Wade suspects was prompted by the storyline of Ryan’s final play. He also reveals that Ryan was greatly unnerved by anonymous third parties who had interfered with the group’s marquee clue distribution.
This is one of the unique features of Death Troupe: As the performance approaches, clues are sprinkled through the town in a variety of ways, from fake headstones bearing characters’ names to real players acting out their assigned roles. In Red Bend, a stranger pretending to be a troupe member had dropped clues that were surprisingly accurate, and Ryan had reacted badly to this—perhaps badly enough to kill himself.
Events take a sinister turn shortly after Jack arrives in the small, snow-covered village of Schuyler Mills. Someone leaves a bizarre arrangement of black roses and plastic skulls in his hotel room. Ryan’s missing notebook from the Red Bend engagement turns up, and it contains an alarming tale of psychological harassment. The people of Schuyler Mills are enthusiastic about Jack’s presence, but he knows that many of them, from the local community theater group to the town mayor, could have ulterior motives.
As the weeks go by, someone begins distributing clues that Jack doesn’t recognize, from a plastic head stuck in an ice-fishing hole to confidential information scrawled on a billboard. Reading Ryan’s notebook, Jack begins to fear that the same web that snared his old writing partner in Red Bend is being spun around him in Schuyler Mills.
Enter Jack Glynn, original writer for the Barron Players. He and Ryan wrote two Death Troupe engagements before Ryan stole Jack’s girlfriend, lead actress Allison Green. Although Jack found fame in Hollywood after quitting the troupe, eccentric director Jerome Barron convinces him to return for one show: The upcoming engagement in the Adirondack town of Schuyler Mills.
It is only then that the troupe’s advance man, private investigator Wade Parker, tells Jack of the strange events which surrounded the group’s previous engagement in Red Bend, California. A local retiree killed himself a few days after the performance—an act Wade suspects was prompted by the storyline of Ryan’s final play. He also reveals that Ryan was greatly unnerved by anonymous third parties who had interfered with the group’s marquee clue distribution.
This is one of the unique features of Death Troupe: As the performance approaches, clues are sprinkled through the town in a variety of ways, from fake headstones bearing characters’ names to real players acting out their assigned roles. In Red Bend, a stranger pretending to be a troupe member had dropped clues that were surprisingly accurate, and Ryan had reacted badly to this—perhaps badly enough to kill himself.
Events take a sinister turn shortly after Jack arrives in the small, snow-covered village of Schuyler Mills. Someone leaves a bizarre arrangement of black roses and plastic skulls in his hotel room. Ryan’s missing notebook from the Red Bend engagement turns up, and it contains an alarming tale of psychological harassment. The people of Schuyler Mills are enthusiastic about Jack’s presence, but he knows that many of them, from the local community theater group to the town mayor, could have ulterior motives.
As the weeks go by, someone begins distributing clues that Jack doesn’t recognize, from a plastic head stuck in an ice-fishing hole to confidential information scrawled on a billboard. Reading Ryan’s notebook, Jack begins to fear that the same web that snared his old writing partner in Red Bend is being spun around him in Schuyler Mills.
- GenresMystery
397 pages, Paperback
Published January 25, 2011
11 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Vincent H. O'Neil
24 books43 followersVincent H. O’Neil is the Malice Award-winning author of the Exile mystery series from St. Martin's Press and the military science fiction Sim War series (writing as Henry V. O'Neil) from HarperCollins.
He is also the author of the theater-themed murder mystery DEATH TROUPE, and two books in a New England-based horror series, INTERLANDS and DENIZENS.
Most recently, he released an innovative news series that pairs a futuristic fiction novel with a non-fiction book.
The novel, A PAUSE IN THE PERPETUAL ROTATION, describes a future United States where people are embracing an underground philosophy called The Unused Path. The non-fiction book, THE UNUSED PATH, is a genuine self-improvement / life philosophy manual that is featured extensively in the novel.
Learn more at www.vincenthoneil.com
He is also the author of the theater-themed murder mystery DEATH TROUPE, and two books in a New England-based horror series, INTERLANDS and DENIZENS.
Most recently, he released an innovative news series that pairs a futuristic fiction novel with a non-fiction book.
The novel, A PAUSE IN THE PERPETUAL ROTATION, describes a future United States where people are embracing an underground philosophy called The Unused Path. The non-fiction book, THE UNUSED PATH, is a genuine self-improvement / life philosophy manual that is featured extensively in the novel.
Learn more at www.vincenthoneil.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 2, 2013
This is the first book of Vincent O'Neil's I have read. It's pretty wordy which takes a little bit of wading through, but the book is ingenious. We have one mystery that a writer (Jack) is penning for a roaming mystery team,The Death Troupe. Then we have a mystery that had happened at Red Bend the spot of the last location of the Mystery show, including the deceiving death/suicides that occurred. And then there is a third mystery where someone is messing with the current writer Jack. Attacks on his life, constant deception so he's not sure who to trust or believe, and sabotage of the story line itself promoting more rewrites. The combination just made the story too intriguing and hard to put down.
May 22, 2011
Talk about plots within plots! I'm not sure how the author even kept them straight ... but he sure did. It's a great concept, the roving mystery theater that incorporates the town into the act, and he pulls it off beautifully, making the characters, the town, and the stories all convincing and engrossing.
April 17, 2012
In this book, the play's the thing indeed, and impresario and director Jerome Barron of Jerome Barron Players has developed an unusual twist on community-based theatre. He contracts with communities to write and perform a unique mystery play set locally and using local legends and stories in the plot. His writers arrive months before the performance and live openly in the community, absorbing the local atmosphere and soliciting stories and suggestions from residents as they write the play.
Other staff arrive on irregular schedules, surreptitiously planting clues to the mystery which are hotly debated on the troupe's website forum. The actors rehearse several different endings, and no one but the director knows which one will finally be used in the sole performance.
Jack Glynn had been the first writer for the troupe, leaving only when fellow writer Ryan Berencourt stole his lover, actress Allison Green. Two years later, Ryan apparently commits suicide following a performance in California which resulted in the suicide of a real descendant of the murderer Ryan wrote into his play. Barron persuades Jack to finish writing the new play in progress despite the misgivings of private detective Wade Parker, the troupe's front man, who is suspicious of Ryan's 'suicide'. When Jack nearly dies while cross-country skiing, Wade is sure something is wrong.
The characterization was a little generic and the motive for the crimes seemed farfetched and weak; but the complexity of implementing the unique performance of this "traveling magic mystery show" and the town's wholehearted participation more than made up for these flaws. An unusual and interesting story!
Other staff arrive on irregular schedules, surreptitiously planting clues to the mystery which are hotly debated on the troupe's website forum. The actors rehearse several different endings, and no one but the director knows which one will finally be used in the sole performance.
Jack Glynn had been the first writer for the troupe, leaving only when fellow writer Ryan Berencourt stole his lover, actress Allison Green. Two years later, Ryan apparently commits suicide following a performance in California which resulted in the suicide of a real descendant of the murderer Ryan wrote into his play. Barron persuades Jack to finish writing the new play in progress despite the misgivings of private detective Wade Parker, the troupe's front man, who is suspicious of Ryan's 'suicide'. When Jack nearly dies while cross-country skiing, Wade is sure something is wrong.
The characterization was a little generic and the motive for the crimes seemed farfetched and weak; but the complexity of implementing the unique performance of this "traveling magic mystery show" and the town's wholehearted participation more than made up for these flaws. An unusual and interesting story!
February 7, 2011
Originally posted on Amazon by Michael McGurk:
Vincent O'Neil has done it again. Death troupe is a new area for this author and his first book (in this specific field) is fantastic. I read almost the entire book in one very long sitting. I just could not put it down. The plot of the book (like the Death Troupe play) does not unfold until the final pages. It will keep you thinking, reading, and wanting more. He showa a wonderful knowledge of the area, acting, character development, and just opservations on human life. I have read everything this author has written (Murder in Exile, Reduced Circumstances, Exile Trust,Contest of Wills) and I am never disappointed and continually surprised by the quality, humor, and action he brings to the page. 5-stars, buy it now.
Vincent O'Neil has done it again. Death troupe is a new area for this author and his first book (in this specific field) is fantastic. I read almost the entire book in one very long sitting. I just could not put it down. The plot of the book (like the Death Troupe play) does not unfold until the final pages. It will keep you thinking, reading, and wanting more. He showa a wonderful knowledge of the area, acting, character development, and just opservations on human life. I have read everything this author has written (Murder in Exile, Reduced Circumstances, Exile Trust,Contest of Wills) and I am never disappointed and continually surprised by the quality, humor, and action he brings to the page. 5-stars, buy it now.
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June 8, 2017Miniseries: A Death Troupe Mystery
Category: Mystery
Category: Mystery
April 12, 2016
When I was home in October, my brother-in-law loaned me this book. I loved the premise of it, but the font was small and it seemed daunting for a 400 page book. Well, I'm headed back home in a few weeks, so felt like I had better read the book so I could return it. Started it and could hardly put it down. There was a mystery inside a mystery while the main character is trying to write an unsolvable mystery that would be performed in front of a live audience. Loved it-thought it was supposed to be the 1st in a series, but it was written 5 years ago and no sequel left...hoping the author is just a slow writer!
"The Jerome Barron Players have a problem. Their writer, Ryan Betancourt, has killed himself under mysterious circumstances and they need a replacement right away. The Players, unofficially known as Death Troupe, come together once a year to perform a high-end murder mystery play written specifically for that season’s host town. Their writer has to possess special talents, as there’s a wager involved: If the townspeople can correctly identify the murderer before the show’s final act, they don’t have to pay for the engagement. So far, no town has ever won the bet. Enter Jack Glynn, original writer for the Barron Players. He and Ryan wrote two Death Troupe engagements before Ryan stole Jack’s girlfriend, lead actress Allison Green. Although Jack found fame in Hollywood after quitting the troupe, eccentric director Jerome Barron convinces him to return for one show: The upcoming engagement in the Adirondack town of Schuyler Mills. It is only then that the troupe’s advance man, private investigator Wade Parker, tells Jack of the strange events which surrounded the group’s previous engagement in Red Bend, California. A local retiree killed himself a few days after the performance—an act Wade suspects was prompted by the storyline of Ryan’s final play. He also reveals that Ryan was greatly unnerved by anonymous third parties who had interfered with the group’s marquee clue distribution. This is one of the unique features of Death Troupe: As the performance approaches, clues are sprinkled through the town in a variety of ways, from fake headstones bearing characters’ names to real players acting out their assigned roles. In Red Bend, a stranger pretending to be a troupe member had dropped clues that were surprisingly accurate, and Ryan had reacted badly to this—perhaps badly enough to kill himself. Events take a sinister turn shortly after Jack arrives in the small, snow-covered village of Schuyler Mills. Someone leaves a bizarre arrangement of black roses and plastic skulls in his hotel room. Ryan’s missing notebook from the Red Bend engagement turns up, and it contains an alarming tale of psychological harassment. The people of Schuyler Mills are enthusiastic about Jack’s presence, but he knows that many of them, from the local community theater group to the town mayor, could have ulterior motives. As the weeks go by, someone begins distributing clues that Jack doesn’t recognize, from a plastic head stuck in an ice-fishing hole to confidential information scrawled on a billboard. Reading Ryan’s notebook, Jack begins to fear that the same web that snared his old writing partner in Red Bend is being spun around him in Schuyler Mills."
"The Jerome Barron Players have a problem. Their writer, Ryan Betancourt, has killed himself under mysterious circumstances and they need a replacement right away. The Players, unofficially known as Death Troupe, come together once a year to perform a high-end murder mystery play written specifically for that season’s host town. Their writer has to possess special talents, as there’s a wager involved: If the townspeople can correctly identify the murderer before the show’s final act, they don’t have to pay for the engagement. So far, no town has ever won the bet. Enter Jack Glynn, original writer for the Barron Players. He and Ryan wrote two Death Troupe engagements before Ryan stole Jack’s girlfriend, lead actress Allison Green. Although Jack found fame in Hollywood after quitting the troupe, eccentric director Jerome Barron convinces him to return for one show: The upcoming engagement in the Adirondack town of Schuyler Mills. It is only then that the troupe’s advance man, private investigator Wade Parker, tells Jack of the strange events which surrounded the group’s previous engagement in Red Bend, California. A local retiree killed himself a few days after the performance—an act Wade suspects was prompted by the storyline of Ryan’s final play. He also reveals that Ryan was greatly unnerved by anonymous third parties who had interfered with the group’s marquee clue distribution. This is one of the unique features of Death Troupe: As the performance approaches, clues are sprinkled through the town in a variety of ways, from fake headstones bearing characters’ names to real players acting out their assigned roles. In Red Bend, a stranger pretending to be a troupe member had dropped clues that were surprisingly accurate, and Ryan had reacted badly to this—perhaps badly enough to kill himself. Events take a sinister turn shortly after Jack arrives in the small, snow-covered village of Schuyler Mills. Someone leaves a bizarre arrangement of black roses and plastic skulls in his hotel room. Ryan’s missing notebook from the Red Bend engagement turns up, and it contains an alarming tale of psychological harassment. The people of Schuyler Mills are enthusiastic about Jack’s presence, but he knows that many of them, from the local community theater group to the town mayor, could have ulterior motives. As the weeks go by, someone begins distributing clues that Jack doesn’t recognize, from a plastic head stuck in an ice-fishing hole to confidential information scrawled on a billboard. Reading Ryan’s notebook, Jack begins to fear that the same web that snared his old writing partner in Red Bend is being spun around him in Schuyler Mills."
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews