I don’t know if Mariah Fredericks’ Death of a Showman is that much better than the other three Jane Prescott mysteries or if it’s my passion for Broadway that makes this one shine. She excels at the behind-the-scenes machinations of a Broadway musical. And, Fredericks’ amateur sleuth, a lady’s maid, is the perfect investigator in Gilded Age New York, an astute observer of human nature.

Jane spent a summer dancing and romancing with Leo Herschfeld, an aspiring Broadway songwriter who swore he’d never marry. When she returns from lengthy travels throughout Europe with her employers, William and Louise Tyler, they reluctantly show her the headlines about Leo’s first Broadway show, and his marriage to a chorus girl. Those headlines provide no indication that Jane and Louise will spent the next months involved in the musical’s production, and in a murder investigation.

When Leo shows up at the Tylers’, he’s looking for Louise, not Jane. He wants an investor in the show, a patron. And, Louise, who is still searching for a purpose in life other than society and business dinners, latches on to the show as a life raft. William is reluctant, but it’s Louise’s money. He insists, though, that Jane accompany Louise to every rehearsal at the new Sidney Theater.

While Jane finds jobs to do behind the scenes, she’s aware of the tension as the cast prepares for “Two Loves Have I.” There’s romantic tension, business tension. The producer, Sidney Warburton, can be hateful and rude to everyone. He’s murdered at a restaurant, with the entire cast, along with Louise Tyler and Jane, in attendance. It turns out there’s a long list of possible suspects. If one of them is arrested, will the show actually go on?

While anyone who loves Broadway will appreciate all the backstage details in Death of a Showman, you should really read earlier books in the series. There are glimpses of Jane’s longtime best friend, Anna, an anarchist. Readers should know how Jane became friends with reporter Michael Behan. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to know about the relationship between Leo and Jane.

Fredericks excels at the atmosphere of the period. While the Broadway details are sometimes glamorous, sometimes tawdry, that setting is set against the backdrop of 1914 as the world heads into war. Each headline prepares the reader for what’s coming, although the people in the book are so preoccupied that they don’t pay enough attention. Jane does feel a little uneasy, but the truth takes a while to reveal itself, both in the murder investigation, and in the world’s arena.

Readers of the series will remember that Fredericks gives us short glimpses of Jane’s future in the opening of the books, and a brief epilogue. This time, the epilogue shows I had it wrong all the time. I never saw that coming. Bravo!

Mariah Fredericks’ website is http://MariahFredericksBooks.com

Death of a Showman by Mariah Fredericks. Minotaur Books, 2021. ISBN 9781250210906 (hardcover), 288p.

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.