"enjoyable historical amateur sleuth"
He is the bandmaster of the Philip Damon Orchestra, lives
in a beautiful apartment in New York City, and is on a
first name basis with Jackie Kennedy and Truman Capote
among other notables. On the surface, Phillip Damon has it
all, but deep in his heart he is still grieving for Diana
and their unborn child who were murdered in their apartment
while Philip and his orchestra were on the road. The
murderer was never caught. Philip and his company are performing at a charity gig in
the Fairmont Hotel when he momentarily spots a woman who
looks almost exactly like his dead wife. During the actual
performance, he sees the woman Lenore Ashley on the arms of
famous real state tycoon Terrence Collier III. During the
performance, the lights go out momentarily. When they come
back on Collier is dead, an ice pick in his chest. Diana
was involved with Collier before she met Philip and he is
determined to find out if the murders are linked and if so,
how. Peter Duchin and John Morgan Wilson team up to write one of
the better debut amateur sleuth novels of the year. The
work itself is very atmospheric and the story line, which
takes place in 1963, seems like it occurs in a world so
much different than four decades ago. The plot is
extremely well crafted, with so many coincidences and
linking relationship that readers will keep turning the
pages to find out all the secrets and agendas of the myriad
of suspects. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted September 4, 2002
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