Missed Cue
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Published by: Melange Books
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Pages: 264
Synopsis
When ballerina Lydia Miseau dies onstage in the final dress rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, homicide detective Caitlin O’Connor is faced with the most complicated case of her career. She strongly suspects that someone murdered the ballerina, and her investigation uncovers several people close to the star who had reasons to kill her. But the autopsy reveals no apparent cause of death. If Lydia Miseau was murdered, who did it, and how?
Meantime, there’s Caitlin’s hot mess of a personal life. She has a bad habit of getting involved with married men. She knows it’s wrong, so why does she keep entangling herself in unhealthy relationships? She’s finally decided to go into therapy to find out.
killer of a star ballerina while also trying to untangle a complicated personal life. A stunning debut for the author's first adult mystery."
—Victoria Thompson, Bestselling author of MURDER ON BEDFORD STREET
"Don't let the title fool you. Lynn Slaughter doesn't miss any cues in this gritty mystery featuring a smart, ambitious, and emotionally flawed detective investigating the suspicious death of an otherwise seemingly healthy dancer. Set in the world Slaughter knows well, Missed Cue will keep you on your toes until the curtain drops on the final clue."
—Valerie (V. M.) Burns, Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award Finalist
"With Missed Cue, author Lynn Slaughter offers a riveting portrait of a female police officer on the trail of a killer and in search of herself. Watching Lieutenant Caitlin O’Connor unravel the case, as she seeks to better understand her own foibles, and help her alcoholic partner, made for an exciting read full of insight and suspense."
—Ellen Birkett Morris, Award-winning author of Lost Girls
"In Missed Cue, the star of the show isn’t the dazzling ballerina Lydia Miseau, but the appealingly flawed police detective who investigates her murder. As Lieutenant Caitlin O’Connor begins the process of sifting through clues and interviewing suspects, she finds herself entangled in a double journey: to uncover both the identity of a killer and her own sense of self. Political scheming in the dance world is mirrored in her complicated relationships within the New Haven police department, and writer Lynn Slaughter renders both with precision and grace. Competing motives of fame, fortune, and family feuds all have their moment in the spotlight, but it’s the backstage intrigue that propels this narrative to its satisfying conclusion. Well written and tightly plotted, Missed Cue is a showstopper."
—Lori Robbins, Award winning author of the On Pointe and Master Class mystery series
"A delightful mystery that introduces an appealing sleuth with problems we all can relate to."
—Marilyn Levinson aka Allison Brook, Agatha-nominated author of The Haunted Library mystery series
"Lynn Slaughter is an expert mystery writer! The setting and atmosphere in Missed Cue create a strong hook that keeps us reading… Lydia, the beautiful, soulful ballerina of Ballet Études, collapses after swallowing the sleeping potion to fake her death as Juliet in Act III. Thus, the murder mystery begins. The clues are given, along with the false clues, and tension mounts as the stakes get higher. The sleuth, Lieutenant Caitlin O’Connor, maintains our interest: her partner is an alcoholic, and she herself is involved in an unhealthy love affair. Ms. Slaughter’s details ring with authority… Missed Cue is a must-read!"
—Mary Popham, Author of Back Home in Landing Run, The Wife Takes a Farmer, and Emmalene of Landing Run, with forthcoming in the series, Angel of Landing Run
"Lynn Slaughter's latest tour de force, the suspense novel MISSED CUE, draws on her extensive background in the field of dance. The story opens in a rehearsal for the ballet Romeo and Juliet, and it is the perfect venue for a terrible crime. Lynn's seamless storytelling carries the reader right into the action, and she keeps us guessing as we meet all of her colorful and interesting characters. You should definitely pick up this book, but just be warned, you might not want to put it down!"
—Connie Bergstein Dow, author of Tap and Rap, Move and Groove, and other books about dance
"Homicide Detective Caitlin O'Conner has a very full dance card: a murdered ballerina, a tango with a lover and a partner trying to tap dance around his problems. Missed Cue is a compelling story of a tough but vulnerable woman as she navigates her complicated life."
—E.M. Munsch, author of the Dash Hammond series, the latest being A Haunting at Marianwood