The Starlet Letter

<p><strong>Book One of The Canary House Mysteries a tongue-in-cheek historical mystery series featuring amateur sleuths and literary themes.</strong></p><p>When a washed-up Ziegfeld Follies star goes missing can the Van der Beeck twins crack the case without breaking their necks... or losing their hearts?</p><p>It's 1931 and the once grand always eccentric Van der Beecks have taken in borders to make ends meet. Canary House their rambling Upper West Side mansion boasts six tenants: a pianist a poet an erstwhile diplomat a psychiatrist a bootlegger and a philanthropist who is always short on cash. Life has never been more interesting until a seventh checks into the turret room - Babs Le Roy a down-on-her-luck Ziegfeld Follies star with more than one skeleton in her cluttered closet.</p><p>It's all the twins can do to mind their own business. Nearly eighteen they only <em>look</em> like angels. Vivian has a nose for trouble and Viola has her nose in a book but between the two of them the villain doesn't stand a chance - if only they can find one to spice things up. Then Babs goes missing and one ransom note two gangsters and a handful of red herrings later the twins find themselves confronted with more villains than they bargained for. Throw in a soft-boiled detective a handsome sergeant and a houseful of tenants graced with more whimsy than wit and you have the makings of a mad-cap mystery that will keep you guessing till the end.</p>