Marni Graff writes two award-winning mystery series: The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. She teaches writing workshops and mentors the Writers Read program, and is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press.
Graff also writes the crime review blog Auntie M Writes, www.auntiemwrites.com.
Nurse Trudy Genova is making plans to
take her relationship to NYPD detective Ned O'Malley to the next level, when
she lands a gig as medical consultant on a film shoot at the famed Dakota
apartment building in Manhattan, which John Lennon once called home. Then star
Monica Kiley goes missing, a cast member turns up dead, and it appears Trudy
might be next. Meanwhile Ned tackles a mysterious murder case in which the
victim is burned beyond recognition. When his investigations lead him back to
the Dakota, Trudy finds herself wondering: how can she fall in love if she
can't even survive?
Readers of Death Unscripted, the first
book in the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, will find the same pleasures
in this sequel: fast pacing, engaging characters, twists and turns on the way
to a satisfying close. From the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney
English Mysteries, this second series is a winner. Once again M.K. Graff
reveals her talents in crafting this delightful mix of amateur sleuth and
police procedural.
Part procedural, part cozy, Death at
the Dakota is a well-crafted and highly entertaining mystery.- Bruce Robert
Coffin, #1 bestselling author of the Detective Byron mysteries.
I fell in love -- not only with
co-protagonists, Trudy and Ned, the richly detailed and historic setting of The
Dakota, and the unique cast of characters, but with the unusual plot of Death
at the Dakota. Sherry Harris, Agatha Award nominated author of the Sarah
Winston Garage Sale Mysteries
Snippet:
Brrerrdidididididitt.
Brrerrdidididididdiitt. The noise of a jackhammer filled the spacious room.
“CUT!” a voice yelled.
Actress Monica Kelly let the curtain
drop along with her Jinx persona and crossed her arms in frustration.
I caught my best friend Meg Pitman’s
eye and we held our breath, waiting for an outburst from the director.
Phin Hill-Yorke stomped out from
behind the camera and over to the window, gangly arms and legs flying, frizzy
short hair stuck up around her head as though she’d had a recent encounter with
an electrical socket. “Meg!”
Poor Meg, off to the rescue.
My name is Trudy Genova, RN, and I’m
fortunate to have one of the best jobs a nurse could have. I’m a medical
consultant to one of New York City’s major television studios, the Passion
Broadcasting Junction. PBJ had decided to branch out into television films,
adding to their roster of talk, news programs, and Internet soap operas.
Meg had her first position as
Production Assistant on this movie, and the British director on loan from the
BBC had given her a battering at times all through the shoot. Not that the
rowdy woman singled out Meg—Phin embodied an equal opportunity harasser in a
mostly good-natured sort of way.
“Get your arse down there and sort
those wankers out. They were supposed to hold off on that pavement ‘til next
week. Bring that form from the chancellor’s office with you.” Phin yelled above
the noise that continued, patting her pockets for a cigarette. “Please,” she
added as an afterthought.
Meg hurried off with a wave in my
direction, silky blonde hair flying.
“It’s the mayor’s office here, Phin.”
China Barrett corrected Phin from her perch next to me, out of camera range.
Phin’s assistant and I exchanged tiny smiles, co-conspirators for the past six
weeks in the filming of this television movie close to wrapping.
“I don’t care if he’s the Prime
Minister, that racket must stop.” Phin consulted her watch. “Loo breaks all
around while we sort this out, boys and girls.”
