Show Time

Show Time by Suzanne Trauth is the first book in A Dodie O’Dell Mystery series. Dodie O’Dell is the manager of the Windjammer restaurant in Etonville, New Jersey. Dodie left the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy. Etonville is a quaint small town and Dodie made a good friend in Lola Tripper. Lola is a retired science teacher who now spends her time at the Etonville Little Theatre (ELT for short). Dodie convinced Windjammer’s owner, Henry, to start a dinner and theater affair. Dodie creates special menus (themes) to go along with each ELT production. ELT is getting ready to hold auditions for their latest play which is Romeo and Juliet. Walter Zeitzman, the director and general factotum, decided to try Shakespeare (ELT has not done works of the Bard before). Lola convinces Dodie to help out during the auditions. Walter’s assistant, Penny tends to be a little scatterbrained and disorganized. Jerome Angleton is friend of Dodie’s. Jerome is another retired teacher (English) who acts in the theater’s productions. Jerome and Dodie share a love of mystery novels. Jerome confided in Dodie that money has been disappearing from the theater, and Jerome has been looking into it. Unfortunately, Jerome is found dead on the theater’s loading dock before he concludes his investigation. Dodie wants to find out who killed her friend and sets out to get answers in between her work at Windjammer and helping out with the production of Romeo and Juliet. Chief Bill Thompson is new to the town and could use some help (Dodie cannot help but notice his handsome exterior). Bill is not privy to the gossip at ELT nor is he familiar with all the citizens of Etonville yet. It turns out that Jerome had some secrets (who doesn’t). Follow Dodie as she unravels the clues to find the killer. Show Time has some interesting characters (Dodie, Lola, Carol), and I liked the theater aspect. However, I found the book to be slow paced (it seemed to drag at times) and the book was not holding my interest. There are many characters (and they all seem to be quirky and troubled) thrown at us in this first book as people are trying out for Romeo and Juliet. The author tried to make the mystery complicated (we are led on a merry chase), but it is actually child’s play to solve (the killer stood out like there was a flashing, neon arrow over the culprit’s head). There are way too many references to Dodie’s car which she refers to as “my metro” (I have no clue what that is). It was entertaining to read about what goes into a small town theater production. I give Show Time 3.5 out of 5 stars (It was okay, but needs some work). The series does have potential, and I will read the next book in A Dodie O’Dell Mystery series. I received a complimentary copy of Show Time from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The opinions and comments expressed are strictly my own.

How painful to lose a person who cares about you