The story is about the death of the understudy of the main character in the 1959 stage production of The Sound of Music, Maria, and how the Assistant Stage Manager, Lee Solomon, has to uncover the killer before they kill again.
It is also an exercise in time travel, with nostalgia (perhaps) for those of us who remember the many changes in the last 50 years or so: pay phones and carbon copies (and correction fluid) are a thing of the past. And also how much the theatre has changed with the coming of the internet, mobile phones, and computers that make scenery move and lighting changes. The story might be different if Mary Martin could have worn contact lenses.
Some things remain the same - the rockinessof relationships on the road, the humanity and kindness of many people, great talent in the arts and also great insecurity of many in the acting profession where people, especially women, are judged on their age and appearance.
1. Did you enjoy the book? Think it was too long? Would you read the 2nd one in the series when it is published - based on Fiddler on the Roof?
2. Who was your favourite character? Was there a character whose motivations you found difficult to understand? Did you have a picture in your imagination of the characters?
3. How did the pressures of working on a Rodgers & Hammerstein production affect the behaviours of the characters?
4. How did the author portray Mary Martin as a person? And her qualities as an actress? She was playing a character meant to be a lot younger than her.
5. The novel suggests everyone involved had a strong incentive to keep the murder quiet. Did you find it plausible that the cast and crew would conspire to hide a death?
6. How did the late 1950s era influence the way the crime was handled by the police?
7. If this story were adapted into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
8. Was the reveal of the murderer a surprise to you, or had you already guessed?
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