Shooting Star

Martha's Vineyard Mystery #7

by Cynthia Riggs

In Shooting Star, ninety-two-year-old poet Victoria Trumbull becomes embroiled in controversy at the community theater on Martha's Vineyard. The new artistic director has announced plans to replace local amateur talent with off-Island professionals, and the cast and crew react murderously.

Victoria intended the theater's current production, her adaptation of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, to debunk the common farcical movie-monster interpretation by returning to Shelley's original serious commentary on the Industrial Revolution. However, after the night of the dress rehearsal, Victoria loses control over the production, and her drama begins to take a strange course.

On that night, the eight-year-old boy playing the part of Frankenstein's young brother disappears, and before a search can begin, a killer strikes. The Vineyard's police forces mobilize for an Island-wide search. In the original story of Frankenstein, the boy is the first victim of the monster, and Victoria fears that a copycat killer is following her playscript. She determines to find the missing boy and track down the killer before more deaths occur.

Along with familiar Island characters from her previous books, the author introduces a cast of new and often eccentric players. Shooting Star, the seventh book in the Martha's Vineyard mystery series, explores the rich setting of the Island that author Cynthia Riggs knows well, from the rose-covered Dukes County jail on Edgartown's Main Street to the quaint ferry terminal in Oak Bluffs. It's a delightful read that both fans and newcomers to the series will be sure to enjoy.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Cynthia Riggs, a tall gray-haired and imposing figure, is a 13th generation Islander, the mother of five and daughter of author and poet Dionis Coffin Riggs and school principal and printmaker Sidney N. Riggs.

With a degree in geology, her own remarkable resumé -- writing for the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian (she spent two months in Antarctica), working in public relations for the American Petroleum Institute, operating boat charters (she lived on a 44-foot houseboat for 12 years), running the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Boat Company, and being a rigger at Martha's Vineyard Shipyard. After enrolling six years ago in the Master of Fine Arts creative writing program at Vermont College, Riggs found yet another calling. She has become a successful mystery writer.

All her mysteries take place on the Vineyard, and all draw from local scenes and fictionalized composites of Island characters. She knows them all well, having been a two-time candidate for West Tisbury selectman ("No, I don't think I'll do that again"), a commissioner on the Martha's Vineyard Commission, a member of what is now the Martha's Vineyard Arts Council, and an active Island voice in both politics and human rights causes.

Reviews

[Perrilyn Pringle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her books. Ms Trumbull and Ms. Cynthia Riggs herself are truelly an inspiration.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

But some door locks. End of problem.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍷
A glass of wine for Cynthia Riggs! This is the best in the series so far; a flash-bang start and the action never stopped after that. Our heroine, 92 year old Victoria Trumbull has tried her hand at playwriting, with an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for the local amateur theater company. Dress rehearsal is a wild affair, and no sooner done than 8 year old Teddy Vanderhoop, a featured actor in the play, goes missing and his child minder is found dead at the foot of the cellar stairs in her home. It just gets wilder from there, a great set of opening scenes.
I liked everything about the book and there weren’t any bits I didn’t like. Now chomping at the bit for the next one!

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

92 year old Victoria Trumbull has written a play adaptation of Frankenstein for the local community theater. When cast members end up getting killed and a little boy disappears, Victoria starts collecting clues to discover the murderer. How Victoria deduces what happened makes for a great read. A new to me author and really enjoyed this one.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

When actors in the community theatre play start showing up murdered, Victoria goes about collecting info in order to solve the murders. Greatcharacters!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Who done it but there were so many characters that I couldn’t keep them straight, even to the end. I kept asking myself who is that?

[Adele Enright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. Enjoyable distraction from the current 2020 woes. This book will not tax your brain in anyway - that’s a good thing. I plan to read more from this series.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[gkbowood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the whole mystery was a farce and I will move on to a different mystery series next.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters, story. I just don't care much for mysteries.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a few years since I'd read one of Cynthia Riggs's Victoria Trumbull novels, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. In it, the perennially 92-year-old poet, sleuth and sage turns her hand to writing a dramatization of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the local community theater. Victoria is hoping to return the story of man and monster to its classical roots, stripped of the horror-movie clichés and cheap dramatics. The play nearly doesn't go on when the actress portraying Justine is murdered and the 8-year-old playing William Frankenstein goes missing.

Victoria and most of the amateur thespians in the play want to delay the production. However, under the direction of the hard-drinking Dearborn Hill and his unscrupulous actress-wife, the show does go on -- and poor Victoria's play is turned into a farce. Will Victoria be able to redeem this travesty? And will she discover who killed Peg Storms and what has become of young Teddy Vanderhoop -- not to mention several more mysteries? If you even need to ask, you don't know our intrepid Mrs. Trumbull!

Shooting Star isn't in the same league as Riggs' best novels, The Cemetery Yew or Jack in the Pulpit; the motivation for the murders doesn't ring true and the ending seems contrived. However, I devoured the book in a little more than 24 hours, as I couldn't wait to find out who was behind these literally dramatic murders and attempted murders. Despite its flaws, Shooting Star was a very enjoyable cozy, with believable and delightful characters, and it was nice to be back on Martha's Vineyard, which Riggs, a 14th generation Islander, knows inside and out. It won't be years before I tackle the next book in the series, Death and Honesty. I've already ordered it!

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, light mystery. Too many characters were introduced at once at the beginning, though, with the author sometimes calling them by their first names and sometimes by their last names, so I got really confused about who was who and almost stopped reading. By the middle of the book I knew each character and was able to enjoy the story. "Shooting Star" reminded me of Agatha Christie books, and some of Carolyn Hart's light murder mysteries like "Set Sail for Murder". I'm not rushing out to read another - but I'm sure I will return to this author and series now and then in between other books.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my least favorite novel of the series so far. It had a whole catalog of characters, far too many to keep track of, which made it very confusing.

The story is about the production of Victoria's play based on FRANKENSTEIN. Cast are murdered, a young boy goes missing, and there's chaos. The ending didn't even make sense based on the build up.

While I still liked the parts that directly involved Victoria, the rest bored and/or annoyed me. I'm glad this wasn't the first one I read or I'd probably not be reading the rest.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are very thoughtful books. They have to be, in a sense, don’t they – with a 90 plus heroine? The mysteries are not cookie cutter (as some cozies can be), a bit convoluted, but not overly so, and the protagonist (or the murderer) is not readily apparent – at least not to me.

This was a quick, easy read, but very enjoyable. Cozies are often quick, easy reads, too – but most often there are so many annoyances along the way that they are not as enjoyable as a book like this (too stupid to live heroines, being the biggest annoyance.)

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is wonderful, and I finished this entry on the front porch over the Labor Day weekend. Although I enjoyed the book, the resolution of the mystery left me thinking, "Huh?" It's possible I was too tired to thoroughly get it, but I enjoy the main characters so much that it's okay for me to not love every moment of every book; often, as with many of these series, the mystery is quite beside the point. But the rhythm of life on Martha's Vineyard is so appealing, and Cynthia Riggs is wonderfully literate. And there's a great dog involved, minimally, as well. What's not to like?

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel is one example of the current trend of mysteries featuring so-called "geezer" detectives (thanks to Dixie for keeping up on the latest!); in this case, a 92-year old woman who lives on Martha's Vineyard. I don't think I will read any more in this series; there was too little description of the island and too much talking and repetitive interrogating of the many characters.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely falls into the territory of mysteries where no one actually solves anything, but crime outs itself or is accidentally uncovered. The mystery was okay, but there were so many characters and subplots that it was challenging to keep track of them all. In the end, it seemed hardly worth while to have paid so much attention, since none of it appeared to matter to the resolution.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of a series of mysteries that are probably called cozies. The "detective" is a 92 year old woman who is more agile and spry than any other 92 year old that yoi probably know, but she is sharp. This is a good example of the series. I liked it, and it is a very quick read.

[Lisa]

I just finished this. It was ok. It had a weak ending and was confusing the way the author would use the last name of a charter and then switch to the first name. It was hard to keep track of people.

over all a quick read with enough to get you to want to see how it turns out

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I seem to have jumped into the middle of this mystery series and was looking forward to a feisty 90-something-year-old heroine, but perhaps her personality was defined in an earlier book, because she didn't have much in this one.

[Olgalijo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Althoough I enjoyed Shooting Star, I had come to expect more from this series. I found it too intrincate, and maybe that the author had tried to match too much the tone of the whole book with the farce that Mrs. Trumbull's play became into.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read. I adore Victoria Trumbull and her adventures on Martha's Vineyard. This one was chock-a-block with people and action along with a variety of motives and results. Bravo Ms. Riggs for promoting kindness to animals!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local sleuth, 92 yr old Victoria Trumbull is involved with the local dramatic society. She has written a stage play based on the original Frankenstein book. Unfortunately the director is not following the plot. When the first body turns up, Victoria is off investigating again.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mystery novel which alludes to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. The twists and turns will leave you gripping the edge of your seat wanting more. All of Cynthia Riggs novels are a MUST.

[Dale]

I ove this series write more fastest Vistoria is smart and up to dated and cape Cod setting wonderful

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

See previous comments.

[Consuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Victoria Trumbull -- the 92-year-old detective! love it!

[Brenda Kirton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. I love the part where so many people kept coming in the place it seems to me it should resemble one of those phone booths that you try to fit as many people in as possible.

[Mandy Huot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this was my first book by Riggs, I enjoyed it very much. It had just enough of a mystery sense to keep you on your toes, but it was lighthearted and a very easy read.

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elderly but tough Victoria Trumbull does it again in this fast-moving and at times very amusing mystery. Lots of fun with interesting and sometimes wildly eccentric characters.