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Leigh Koslow Mystery #8
Never Thwart a Thespian
New in 2014 -- The 8th installment in the Kindle-bestselling Leigh Koslow cozy mystery series!
This curtain is going up…
No matter what else goes down.
Leigh’s intrepid Aunt Bess has decided that an abandoned building in the small Pittsburgh borough of West View would make the perfect theater for her troupe of local thespians, and when Bess sets her mind to something, it generally happens. Never mind that the building boasts a century-long history of nefarious owners, financial default, mysterious disappearances, drunken debauchery, regular break-ins, strange nighttime lights, at least one murder, and last but not least -- that nagging little accusation of devil worship.
Though wary of the building’s macabre milieu, Leigh reluctantly allows her children to assist Bess by sorting through the decades of accumulated junk stashed in the erstwhile church’s basement. Little does she know that the kids’ findings are only the tip of an iceberg, and that for someone with her “proclivities,” this particular building is the last place she should be. With her friend Detective Maura Polanski expecting and stuck on bedrest, Leigh scrambles to unravel the link between the murders of the past and the growing threats of the present -- before this theater’s opening becomes someone’s end!
This curtain is going up…
No matter what else goes down.
Leigh’s intrepid Aunt Bess has decided that an abandoned building in the small Pittsburgh borough of West View would make the perfect theater for her troupe of local thespians, and when Bess sets her mind to something, it generally happens. Never mind that the building boasts a century-long history of nefarious owners, financial default, mysterious disappearances, drunken debauchery, regular break-ins, strange nighttime lights, at least one murder, and last but not least -- that nagging little accusation of devil worship.
Though wary of the building’s macabre milieu, Leigh reluctantly allows her children to assist Bess by sorting through the decades of accumulated junk stashed in the erstwhile church’s basement. Little does she know that the kids’ findings are only the tip of an iceberg, and that for someone with her “proclivities,” this particular building is the last place she should be. With her friend Detective Maura Polanski expecting and stuck on bedrest, Leigh scrambles to unravel the link between the murders of the past and the growing threats of the present -- before this theater’s opening becomes someone’s end!
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
46 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Edie Claire
41 books278 followersNo matter the genre, USA-Today bestselling novelist and playwright Edie Claire strives to infuse all her writing with both warmth and humor. Her family-friendly Leigh Koslow cozy mystery series, a favorite of animal lovers that was originally published in 1999, was reborn in 2012 to become a Kindle Top-10 bestseller. Her romantic novels range from women’s fiction with romantic elements to a blend of romance and mystery, beginning with her traditionally published contemporaries, the award-winning Long Time Coming and Meant To Be, and continuing with her USA-Today bestselling Pacific Horizons series, whose characters follow the migration of the humpback whales to some of the most gorgeous locations on earth. In any Edie Claire work, the reader may be assured that while intrigue may beckon and tensions rise, love and happiness will always triumph in the end!
Edie has worked as a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a scientific/technical writer. A mother of three, she lives in Pennsylvania and aspires to become a snowbird.
Edie has worked as a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a scientific/technical writer. A mother of three, she lives in Pennsylvania and aspires to become a snowbird.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 14, 2017
The Leigh Ludlow's books are slightly different from the average cozy mystery. Leigh does not take foolish changes, she leaves that to other characters. She is known as a Death Magnet. It there is a body around she will find it. Lecherous with the police. The later books Leigh is concern for her twins and Clara's children aka Pack. They take an active part in the story.
The 8th installment Aunt Bess has convinced a wealthy friend, Gordan Applebee to buy a derelict building. It appears that it will fall apart and collapse but is structural sound. Aunt Bess is planning on staffing a play in 8 days. The building is packed full of item the previous tenants have left. She wants the Pack to help sort all the items. Aunt Bess has hired three homeless men to do the heavy work. Almost at once trouble starts as rumors flow through town that witchcrafts and ghosts are present in the building. Leigh learns about a murder that occurred in the building. The disappearance of owner of the building.
The title of a Death Magnet is true as Leigh finds a skeleton in the building. Detective Maura Polanski is expecting her first child and is confined to bed rest. She is investigating cold cases and the disappearance owner is one of them. Aunt Bess and Gordan have disagreements that enliven the tale. The events move fast as Aunt Bess is determined that the show must go on at any cost. The ending surprise me and it should not have. I highly recommend this book and series.
The 8th installment Aunt Bess has convinced a wealthy friend, Gordan Applebee to buy a derelict building. It appears that it will fall apart and collapse but is structural sound. Aunt Bess is planning on staffing a play in 8 days. The building is packed full of item the previous tenants have left. She wants the Pack to help sort all the items. Aunt Bess has hired three homeless men to do the heavy work. Almost at once trouble starts as rumors flow through town that witchcrafts and ghosts are present in the building. Leigh learns about a murder that occurred in the building. The disappearance of owner of the building.
The title of a Death Magnet is true as Leigh finds a skeleton in the building. Detective Maura Polanski is expecting her first child and is confined to bed rest. She is investigating cold cases and the disappearance owner is one of them. Aunt Bess and Gordan have disagreements that enliven the tale. The events move fast as Aunt Bess is determined that the show must go on at any cost. The ending surprise me and it should not have. I highly recommend this book and series.
May 1, 2018
This was probably the best one so far, and has quite a bit of humor in it. Although Leigh and her hysterical overprotective mother bit get a bit tiresome, the kids (Leigh's and Cara's, known collectively as The Pack) have much better sense than she does. When Aunt Bess talks Leigh and the kids into helping her renovate an abandoned building for use by her little theater group, of course she finds another body - in the attic, this time. Maura is unable to help as actively as usual because she is on bed rest for a difficult pregnancy, but she does research with the help of Leigh's daughter (much to Leigh's dismay.) The man who owns the building has told Bess if their first play is a success that he will continue letting them use the building as their theater. So she hires several men to help her with the cleanup, who of course are all suspicious characters. A woman wants to buy the building herself and tear it down, so she is constantly lobbying the owner and trying to scare out the theater people. As the renovation proceeds, the kids help Bess clear out and sort a mountain of junk in the basement, and Leigh's cleaning-crazy mother ends up doing a lot of the mopping, sweeping, etc., also to Leigh's dismay. Some more apparently crazy people, including the putative director of the play, get involved. The first problem is getting rid of the bats. Then the bodies start appearing....
February 13, 2018
I have lots of problems with the main character, Leigh. She seems to be overwhelmed by her children, and maybe even scared of them. She calls the cousins "the pack" as though they were wild animals instead of normal children. She has a hard time dealing with her exceptionally bright daughter. If the author hadn't specified which children belonged to which character, I would have guessed that Lena was Leigh's child. Just like Lena, Leigh whines and complains and is frightened of most everything.
As for this book in the series, it seemed to drag on and on, with the excitement and solution to the mystery hurried into in the last chapter.
As for this book in the series, it seemed to drag on and on, with the excitement and solution to the mystery hurried into in the last chapter.
March 10, 2018
This is the 8th installment of the Leigh Koslow mysteries by Edie Claire, and is a light, breezy romp, this time in an old church that has been repurposed many times. Unfortunately, it is also the home of several bodies, bones and bats that are discovered by Leigh and her family as they help clean and rehab it enough for her aunt's community theatre group.
November 9, 2021
A part of the Leigh Koslow series, can be read as a stand-alone book. Leigh's Aunt Bess is working on renovating an old building to use for a community theater group. The building is wanted by another developer and is willing to pay top dollar to get it. When the developer's body is found, Aunt Bess is a suspect. And how does the history of the building relate to the murder?
March 3, 2019
I’m still enjoying this series. This is the first I’ve “read” as an audiobook. Leigh’s twins and their cousins are now actively involved in the sleuthing, and so the series could well appeal to a whole new generation.
May 16, 2019
This was a fun book. I laughed a lot and it kept me guessing.
October 28, 2021
I miss the Leigh of the old days. She is such a worrywart and a complainer and a negative Nancy since having children. I'd rather read a series about Allison now. She's a cool kid.
August 18, 2024
Another good installment in the series. It seemed a little long at the beginning in the setting up of the plot and characters but it picked up as the story continued.
February 25, 2015
Never Thwart a Thespian, a Leigh Koslow mystery
by Edie Claire
This is the 8th novel in this series. The series began with Leigh as a single woman, and now, 8 volumes later, she has children (middle school aged, no less). Pretty fast progression.
I'll admit that I liked the earlier novels better than this episode. With Leigh's children growing up and taking prominent roles in the books, her mother, her husband, her two aunts, her adult cousin and her children, her best friend -- plus the other characters needed for each adventure, the character load is getting a bit excessive, and the subplots a bit crowded.
So, in this episode, Leigh's Aunt Bess has managed to convince her maybe-boyfriend, Gordon, to purchase an old building for Bess's Thespian society to use as a base and performance venue. The building has had a rather checkered past, which includes a murder and a disappeared owner. It is being sold at Sheriff's auction. Having been uninhabited for several years, it is in a sad state of disrepair, and Bess has promised that if Gordon buys it, she will have it performance ready in just over a week. To do so, she enlists the entire family to help with cleaning, clearing and rehab. Luckily, it is the holiday break from school for the kids, so it's all hands on deck to get the building up and running before opening night. Of course, along the way, Leigh discovers yet another body in the far reaches of the bat-laden attic. Who is our mystery victim, what happened to him, who did it, what connection does it have to the 40+ year old murder, and who can Leigh & company trust?
The plot moves along well, with plenty of suspicions characters and plenty of wrong turns and twists. Because there are so danged many characters, each character isn't as fleshed out as I would like, which, to a certain extent, made the final revelations feel like a cheat. But, loose ends were tied up, ongoing characters survived, and Maura still hasn't had that baby.
One little hitch in the proofreading. At location 24 on my Kindle: "Maura patted her abdomen which slowed only the slightest of bumps." I do believe it was meant to be "showed." But other than that early hitch, there were no proofreading errors or spelling errors in the book.
So, it was an enjoyable read, but unfortunately, it did leave me a bit unsatisfied.
by Edie Claire
This is the 8th novel in this series. The series began with Leigh as a single woman, and now, 8 volumes later, she has children (middle school aged, no less). Pretty fast progression.
I'll admit that I liked the earlier novels better than this episode. With Leigh's children growing up and taking prominent roles in the books, her mother, her husband, her two aunts, her adult cousin and her children, her best friend -- plus the other characters needed for each adventure, the character load is getting a bit excessive, and the subplots a bit crowded.
So, in this episode, Leigh's Aunt Bess has managed to convince her maybe-boyfriend, Gordon, to purchase an old building for Bess's Thespian society to use as a base and performance venue. The building has had a rather checkered past, which includes a murder and a disappeared owner. It is being sold at Sheriff's auction. Having been uninhabited for several years, it is in a sad state of disrepair, and Bess has promised that if Gordon buys it, she will have it performance ready in just over a week. To do so, she enlists the entire family to help with cleaning, clearing and rehab. Luckily, it is the holiday break from school for the kids, so it's all hands on deck to get the building up and running before opening night. Of course, along the way, Leigh discovers yet another body in the far reaches of the bat-laden attic. Who is our mystery victim, what happened to him, who did it, what connection does it have to the 40+ year old murder, and who can Leigh & company trust?
The plot moves along well, with plenty of suspicions characters and plenty of wrong turns and twists. Because there are so danged many characters, each character isn't as fleshed out as I would like, which, to a certain extent, made the final revelations feel like a cheat. But, loose ends were tied up, ongoing characters survived, and Maura still hasn't had that baby.
One little hitch in the proofreading. At location 24 on my Kindle: "Maura patted her abdomen which slowed only the slightest of bumps." I do believe it was meant to be "showed." But other than that early hitch, there were no proofreading errors or spelling errors in the book.
So, it was an enjoyable read, but unfortunately, it did leave me a bit unsatisfied.
September 5, 2024
New in 2014 -- The 8th installment in the Kindle-bestselling Leigh Koslow cozy mystery series!
This curtain is going up…
No matter what else goes down.
Leigh’s intrepid Aunt Bess has decided that an abandoned building in the small Pittsburgh borough of West View would make the perfect theater for her troupe of local thespians, and when Bess sets her mind to something, it generally happens. Never mind that the building boasts a century-long history of nefarious owners, financial default, mysterious disappearances, drunken debauchery, regular break-ins, strange nighttime lights, at least one murder, and last but not least -- that nagging little accusation of devil worship.
Though wary of the building’s macabre milieu, Leigh reluctantly allows her children to assist Bess by sorting through the decades of accumulated junk stashed in the erstwhile church’s basement. Little does she know that the kids’ findings are only the tip of an iceberg, and that for someone with her “proclivities,” this particular building is the last place she should be. With her friend Detective Maura Polanski expecting and stuck on bedrest, Leigh scrambles to unravel the link between the murders of the past and the growing threats of the present -- before this theater’s opening becomes someone’s end!
This curtain is going up…
No matter what else goes down.
Leigh’s intrepid Aunt Bess has decided that an abandoned building in the small Pittsburgh borough of West View would make the perfect theater for her troupe of local thespians, and when Bess sets her mind to something, it generally happens. Never mind that the building boasts a century-long history of nefarious owners, financial default, mysterious disappearances, drunken debauchery, regular break-ins, strange nighttime lights, at least one murder, and last but not least -- that nagging little accusation of devil worship.
Though wary of the building’s macabre milieu, Leigh reluctantly allows her children to assist Bess by sorting through the decades of accumulated junk stashed in the erstwhile church’s basement. Little does she know that the kids’ findings are only the tip of an iceberg, and that for someone with her “proclivities,” this particular building is the last place she should be. With her friend Detective Maura Polanski expecting and stuck on bedrest, Leigh scrambles to unravel the link between the murders of the past and the growing threats of the present -- before this theater’s opening becomes someone’s end!
May 28, 2022
NEVER THWART A THESPIAN is the eighth book in the Leigh Koslow series and once again Edie Claire has proven to be an excellent writer with the skills to craft a plot of murder, mayhem and intrigue that will keep you turning the pages until you reach the end and find out the big answers. When Leigh's aunt bugs a man to buy an old, derelict building for the use of her acting group, there are many rumours of the owners' past who have met an unfortunate end. With Leigh's ability to find a dead body, ANYWHERE, she is the unfortunate soul to find the first of the bodies that jump start the mystery whilst also having to remember that the show must go on! An excellent book for those who love a good crime and mystery drama with believable characters who have their own personalities and with whom you will want to meet again. Recommended to all!
July 11, 2015
This was excellent. An old church with a sordid past is given new life when Leigh's Aunt Bess decides it is the perfect venue for her local thespian troupe to turn into a theatre. They want to offer a cultural experience to the good folks in their local community, and they have their work cut out for them as the place is a real mess. Not only that, but there are an odd assortment of dead bodies associated with the building, and Leigh's propensity for finding bodies is working overtime on this one. Not to mention the weird stuff that is happening currently, and there is some concern that this is all tied to one person... Read it, you'll find it fascinating.
July 2, 2017
I love this series. Poor Leigh has a penchant for finding dead bodies. When her Aunt Bess gets to rent a building for her theatre group to use Leigh is willing to help out but the building gives her the creeps. The building has a checkered past of course, originally a church it was sold after a mans body was found murdered laid out on the alter. Then a few years later it was a proposed strip club but the owner disappeared into thin air one night avoiding his creditors. But did he really? A long and twisted story with a surprise ending.
March 14, 2015
Another excellent novel in the Leigh Koslow mystery series, providing a suspenseful read that kept me up past my bedtime! Along with the murder and mayhem one comes to expect from a Leigh Koslow mystery, there were also supernatural twists woven into the plot. When I reached the end of the novel, I was sad to see that this was the last one published. HOWEVER....Edie Claire has written a ninth novel in the series that is scheduled to be released this year! I can't wait.
July 2, 2014
2014-07-01. I really enjoyed this one. Leigh is definitely getting less uptight. Allison is really getting into the mystery solving. I couldn't believe Leigh and Warren actually allowed her to do research for it but liked that. The theater bit was lots of fun. Very fun with multiple potential suspects and interesting characters.
April 26, 2016
Never pass on an Edie Claire novel
The adventures of Leigh Koslow are always a treat. Fortunately her stock of characters from the Koslow clan don't get bumped off, so no weepy moments. Just a reasonably cheerful neighborhood murder mystery.
The adventures of Leigh Koslow are always a treat. Fortunately her stock of characters from the Koslow clan don't get bumped off, so no weepy moments. Just a reasonably cheerful neighborhood murder mystery.
May 31, 2014
Great read.
The whole series has been funny, entertaining and a twist of mystery. Can't wait till the next book comes out to see what mystery Leigh finds her self into.
The whole series has been funny, entertaining and a twist of mystery. Can't wait till the next book comes out to see what mystery Leigh finds her self into.
June 10, 2014
Never Thwart a Thespian
Another great read by Edie Claire. Leigh Koslow falls into yet another mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!
Another great read by Edie Claire. Leigh Koslow falls into yet another mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!
August 12, 2014
Another great Leigh story, great descriptions of real life with lots of escapism.
January 7, 2015
I like Edie. She is consistent. I didn't like this one quite as much as the earlier ones in the series, but it was fun!
September 9, 2016
Another good story, look forward to the next.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews