Murder on Cue

Jocelyn O'Roarke #1

by Jane Dentinger

Struggling actress Jocelyn “Josh” O’Roarke just got a real offer. Well, something resembling a real offer. Her old friend Austin Frost has written a play for Broadway and cast the glamorous Harriet Weldon as the lead. Not wishing to leave his old friend Josh behind, he has invited her to be Harriet’s understudy. The role of understudy is a difficult one—and it becomes even more so when Harriet turns up dead and the police name Josh their prime suspect.

With the NYPD breathing down her neck, Josh must find the people responsible while ensuring that the show will go on.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Theatre, Cozy, Cozy Mystery

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Jane Dentinger was born and raised in Rochester, New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Ithaca College with a BFA in theatre, then moved to Manhattan, where she still resides. After making her stage debut in Joe Papp’s production of Pericles at the Delacorte Theatre, she acted off Broadway in All My Sons at the Roundabout Theatre and in Jack Heifner’s Vanities for ages.

By the time Vanities finally closed, there were a lot of people she wanted to kill, and hence, she wrote her debut mystery, Murder on Cue, on a grant of sorts from the New York State Department of Labor. It was the first of six novels featuring actress Jocelyn O’Roarke, whom the New Yorker dubbed “an artsy Philip Marlowe.”

While writing her novels, Dentinger managed Murder Ink, a preeminent mystery bookstore in New York City, for eight years. In October of 1999, Dentinger became senior editor of the Mystery Guild Book Club. In 2005, she was made editor in chief, a position she held until December, 2013.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on Cue by Jane Dentinger was originally released in 1992. This book is now in digital format and is an Open Road Integrated Media publication. I receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher and Netgalley.

Jocelyn O'Roarke is called up to be the understudy in a new Broadway play. The cast in the play is plagued by past relationships, jealousy, health issues, and a lead actress that isn't the best actress for the role.

When the actress turns up dead, it is determined that it was murder. Jocelyn is the number one suspect since she was the actresses rival for the role.
So, Jocelyn sets out to find out what really happened, with the help of a handsome detective.

This mystery is written like a classic whodunit. All those associated with play are suspects. This mystery does keep you guessing. Although written a good while back, it's not all that dated, and the setting is fun.
For me the only issue was that were maybe too many characters and some aspects of the mystery didn't really come together in the end.
This book would appeal to cozy mystery lovers, and lovers of old fashioned whodunit type mysteries. Overall this one gets a B-

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on Cue by Jane Dentinger is the first book in the Jocelyn O'Roarke Mystery series. Actress Jocelyn O'Rourke lands the role of understudy to the leading lady in an upcoming new play, only to find herself lead suspect when the leading lady is killed. I found it difficult to get into this book. There were a lot of characters but I did not really find them very interesting. I listened to the Audible version. The book was written and narrated by an actress and I expected a better performance and felt a bit let down with what was presented.

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Cue was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a so-so cozy, but it turned out to be a sound traditional mystery, set in the theater world of New York.

The protagonist is a sophisticated mature actress with none of that ditziness of the cutesy heroines of today’s cozies. It reminded me why I prefer the cozies of the ‘80s and ‘90s to those written now. The novel moves along at a good pace with the murders always the focus, and what romance there is remains in the background.

If you like theater mysteries, you’ll like this. I know I’ll be reading more in this series. Glad I finally got around to this series. 3-1/2 stars rounded to 4.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on Cue (1983) is Jane Dentinger's debut novel in the Jocelyn "Josh" O'Roarke mystery series. Josh is an aspiring actress who hopes her diaper commercial days are soon to be behind her when she lands a job as understudy to the leading lady in what promises to be a smash Broadway play. She prepares to make the most of her small part as court recorder, but would kill for the chance to step into the part of the female prosecutor. It doesn't help that she has to watch Harriet Weldon, the temperamental star of the show, make a hash of a simply superb part.

Unfortunately, when someone decides to bring the curtain down on Harriet's performance--permanently--the police suspect that she just might have killed for that chance after all. Especially when they learn how she stepped into the role one night in Boston and owned the part...saving the show when Harriet's chronic leg pains prevent her from appearing. After doing so well, she just might not have wanted to give up the part. There is also the fact that she had a major run-in with Harriet just prior to the star's death and Josh had fully expected to be given her walking papers.

With the NYPD looking to fit her for the role of prime suspect, Josh decides to play Sherlock Holmes instead and track down the real killer herself. After all, there are plenty of other people who might have wanted Harriet dead--from the son she tries to dominate and whose friendships she tries to control to the leading man who used to be her lover to Josh's friend Austin Frost, the playwright and someone who has an inheritance stake in Harriet's death. In fact most of the cast and crew of Term of Trial, have had their run-ins with the volatile star.

Fortunately for Josh, Detective-Sergeant Phillip Gerrard who leads the investigation isn't quite as keen to jump to the obvious conclusion as he fellow officers. As he works his way through the evidence, he discovers many of the secrets that Josh's fellow actors and others in the theater would like to keep hidden. Together, Josh and Phillip finally pinpoint the killer....while discovering a few secrets to share themselves.

This was definitely written in the classic tradition. There are plenty of clues to follow up and red herrings to clear out of the path. There is a closed circle of suspects with motives simply crawling out of the woodwork. A very solid debut mystery novel at ★★★. I will definitely be on the lookout for more in this series.

Dentinger was a successful stage actress herself, debuting in Joe Papp’s production of Pericles at the Delacorte Theatre, and later appearing off Broadway in All My Sons at the Roundabout Theatre and in Jack Heifner’s Vanities. Her website tells us that "by the time Vanities finally closed, there were a lot of people she wanted to kill, and hence, she wrote her debut mystery, Murder on Cue, on a grant of sorts from the New York State Department of Labor." She uses her stage experience to good effect in the novel--giving readers an authentic look behind the scenes of a major production.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[L.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous amateur detective, along with an equally gorgeous police detective sidekick solve murders together. It's been done before. The spin on this old story that makes it work here is the world of NY's theatre scene and the author's keen knowledge of actors when they shine and when they behave badly. Jocelyn O'Roarke, the actress and Philip Gerrard, the police detective meet for the first time in author Jane Dentinger's series when the lead actress of the play is murdered. Jocelyn, the actress' understudy is a prime suspect, as is every other actor (and those close to them) in the play. Witty dialogue, back stabbings, and gossip at every turn lead to the discovery of who done it and why. If you love the theatre, you'll love this series.

[Shana Singerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all pretty mediocre. The story itself was a fine little mystery but there was enough sloppiness in the writing that I found annoying. No spoilers here but early on there’s a dinner party that’s set up as a gourmet meal from an excellent chef where fish is the main course and the wine served is a cabernet sauvignon. No one making that dish would serve a heavy red wine. There are a couple of mentions of her cat being fed but no other mention- no name, doesn’t have anything to do with the plot. Why would an actress who is frequently out of town have a cat? And why insert a cat if there’s no other mention of it? And finally continuity: early in the play’s rehearsal period it’s early spring. Later at the end of rehearsal it’s autumn. No show has a 3 month rehearsal period even with out of town tryouts. None of these are spoilers and don’t effect the plot in any way but jumped out at me. YMMV.

[ARR62 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

I am a huge Jane Dentinger fan and wish she'd written more O'Roarke mysteries. They are the combination of good plotting, lots of informative, (sometimes salacious) industry info, and a real love of mysteries. She scatters references to all things mystery, book detectives and authors, ditto for film and clearly loves the form. On top of that, this first book is just the beginning of how accomplished she is at dialogue, intrigue, and devious plots. So, enjoy.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combines two of my favorite things - a good mystery novel and Broadway! There was enough insider theater elements to make me very happy as well as proper clues and well developed characters. This series is set in the 1980's so no social media or cell phones to aid the detectives.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story and mystery. There is one problem...but it may be my own preference...I don't believe the author should be the narrator. They don't seem to have the skills to read it as an actor would. There is no emotion in the voice.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story

Takes me back to the late 70s in New York. I loved every minute of it. But in hindsight, it was just a bit dated. No matter, I loved every minute of it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery that makes for a good read on a lazy weekend. I can’t say that I loved the main character but I’m willing to try another book in the series to see if she grows on me.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worked in the theater business for years so I enjoyed all the references in this book. Maybe readers unfamiliar with it will not get those, but it was still entertaining.

[Donn Lorber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent plot line that took a long time to mature. A first novel that may portend better things

[M. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever plot and well developed and interesting characters make this a fun read; but the best feature is the exposure to the behind the scenes world of stage performers. Fascinating! I can't wait to get the rest of Dentinger's books.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's just say "stereotypes" and "formulaic" and settle with that.

[Nykol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main characters were fun, described well, and the cast wasn't over crowded. I also appreciated that the romance bit didn't come too early and didn't feel forced.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery novel centered around a Broadway play.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.Ti... Murder on Cue - Jocelyn O'Roarke Mystery Book 1
Author: Jane Dentinger
Published: 7-30-2013
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Pages: 192
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Women Sleuths; Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 13: 9781480436879
ASIN: B00DUOP8YQ
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.25 Stars


I received a copy of "Murder on Cue" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


Description From the Publisher:

In the first book of the Jocelyn O’Roarke series, when a Broadway show’s lead actress is murdered, her understudy must race to find the killer before it’s too late


Struggling actress Jocelyn “Josh” O’Roarke just got a real offer. Well, something resembling a real offer. Her old friend Austin Frost has written a play for Broadway and cast the glamorous Harriet Weldon as the lead. Not wishing to leave his old friend Josh behind, he has invited her to be Harriet’s understudy. The role of understudy is a difficult one—and it becomes even more so when Harriet turns up dead and the police name Josh their prime suspect.


With the NYPD breathing down her neck, Josh must find the people responsible while ensuring that the show will go on.


Murder on Cue is the first book of the Jocelyn O’Roarke mystery series, which also includes First Hit of the Season and Death Mask.


My Review of "Murder on Cue"

Remember the dream of growing up and becoming a famous actress. Time may have taken away that dream, Jane Detinger has given that back to the reader with "Murder on Cue". From the opening lines to the last word you are suddenly immersed in the theatrical world of Jocelyn O'Roarke. From practicing your lines, blocking the moves, and the excitement of opening night. What you may not have planned for is the murder of the lead actress, supposedly by her understudy.


Filled with a wide range of characters that are well planned and come across as individuals even if they have a different way of seeing the world. The book moves at a steady pace and takes the reader on a journey to unmask the killer and prove O'Rourke's innocence. If you like theatrical cozy mysteries then this is a definite must read. M rating of "Murder on Cue" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.


Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DUOP8YQ/...


Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murde...


GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...


The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I “met” Jane Dentinger when I recently read Arthur Bracknell’s memoir Moose Murdered, the tale of his failed Broadway play. Dentinger, was, and I assume, still is, Bracknell’s best friend. While his play was having its dying gasps, Dentinger was releasing her novel Murder on Cue. As it is a murder mystery set in the world of theater, I figured it would be right up my alley. And having Bracknell praise it so much, I had to acquire it. So I ordered an ancient copy of the book. After all, it was first published in 1983. Murder on Cue is very ably written. Dentinger fully understands and follows the set murder mystery formula: meet the suspects, reveal the murder, do the investigating, gather the suspects and relate the facts, accuse the murderer, talk about how the murderer came to be known. It’s time honored in books, movies, and TV. Dentinger is no doubt of child of the 70s and 80s, those days of numerous TV mystery series, the most notable being Murder, She Wrote. I find no fault whatsoever with Murder on Cue as a procedural mystery. And I enjoyed the setting. Anyone who is a mega-fan of murder mysteries will love the book; if that reader also loves the theater, then said reader may also adore the book. But I, too, am a TV nut. I’ve watched far too much Murder, She Wrote, and I like my mysteries solved in 43 minutes. Even today, one of my favorite shows is Death in Paradise, where the formula above is finis in that stated 43 minutes. So I got bogged down in Murder on Cue. I wanted it to move faster. I wanted some of the description to be edited out. I wanted to get to that conclusion faster, that denouement to be delineated in less than its allotted ten pages. That’s just me, though, so if you like your mysteries paced a bit slower, you’ll like this book. It is firmly set in the milieu of 1980s theater and NYC. That’s a plus. But if cigarette smoking bothers you, that’s a minus. Just about everybody smokes endlessly. I know, I know. It takes place long before public place smoking bans, but it also takes place long after the surgeon general’s report on smoking, and I think that using the smoking as a character or plot device is a bit too handy in this novel. One final thing that bugged the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of me: Dentinger uses the term “all right” about ten million, zillion times. She spells it “alright.” I did not want to call her out in this review based on my own knowledge. But it proved to be correct, for this is what I found when I researched the correct spelling: “In all uses and contexts, ‘all right’ is the only correct spelling.” Authors don’t have to know how to spell; editors do. Shame on Dentinger’s editor!

[Lynda Birch · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we first meet Jocelyn O’Roarke, she is being rudely awakened by her agent with a work proposal. Hung over and still half asleep she accepts the offer from him to be the understudy of theatre star Harriet Weldon in a new play. Weldon’s fame is due more to her prestigious publishing family and their money, than her less than sterling acting ability. In fact Jocelyn describes Weldon at one point as a “tedious, artsy-fartsy actor(s)” and that pretty much sums her up. But Jocelyn (Josh) is in no position to turn down a paying job that will guarantee her rent money for the next few months.

At one point Harriet suddenly becomes ill and Jocelyn steps in and proves herself to be better in the part than Harriet. Other members of the troupe see how good the play could be with Josh instead of Harriet and tensions start to rise. Once Harriet returns Jocelyn resumes her minor part in the play but when the leading lady is suddenly murdered, Josh finds she has been cast in the role of leading suspect.

Jocelyn then must prove her innocence and the story evolves through her meetings and talks with other cast members or people from their past. Detective Phillip Gerard is also in pursuit of the killer and ends up in pursuit of Jocelyn as well. Their romantic attraction is cleverly understated and adds nicely to the story without taking center stage and overshadowing the main plot line. You want to know where their relationship is going but you also want to know how Josh will get safely out of the situation.

The conversations Jocelyn has while trying to prove her innocence take you into the world of theatre – the gossip, the backstabbing, the alcohol, the drugs, broken relationships, and secret love affairs – all get honorable mentions as part of character and plot development. Strewn throughout are a number of lines from famous plays which theatre lovers should enjoy.

This is a fun and entertaining read. You may or may not figure out whodunit and there are enough red herrings thrown in to make you second guess yourself. Jane Dentinger writes with a sharp sense of humour that I really enjoyed and that adds to the character of Jocelyn in particular.

This is a soft mystery and the first in a series of six theatrical mysteries starring Jocelyn O’Roarke. Murder on Cue was originally released in 1983 and holds up well over time. It still comes across as contemporary and is now available in ebook format. I received my copy through NetGalley.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOTTOM LINE: A nasty - and bad - actress gets her comeuppance, in a very final way. Strong debut novel, filled with wonderful characters, a fast-moving murder plot, lots of stage gossip and chit-chat, and a likeable lead character. Wonderful stuff, and I'm glad there are six in the series; I look forward to #2, FIRST HIT OF THE SEASON, 1984.

Jocelyn O'Rourke (Josh) is a Broadway actress, tapped to understudy an obnoxious star in a new play, and finds that a suspicious number of folks in the cast and crew are old friends or somewhat friendly acquaintances of hers. The play is a good one, and Josh really, really wants a chance to take on the actual starring role herself, of course. This usual, normal feeling is exacerbated by the fact that the hubris-filled actress - a moderately big name, with a hubby as backer - is pretty dreadful in the part. And that seems to be the general concensus too, not just Josh's admittedly personal impression. So when the dreadful Harriet becomes ill during an out-of-town preview mattinee, Josh fills in, and does a superb job.

Things go from bad to worse as Harriet realizes that she's not as good in the part, and proceeds to make everyone pay dearly for her (supposed) humiliation, especially Josh. And a lot of folks in the show also have histories with Harriet and her hubby (a surprisingly nice guy) as well, and motives get awfully mixed, as the cast prepares for opening night. Then someone murders Harriet, of course. She really was a dreadful woman, btw, but the tricky thing is that Josh not only has the best motive for the murder, she also has the best opportunity and inclination - she and Harriet had a particularly rancorous argument shortly prior to Harriet's death.

Add in a suspicious-but-nice police detective, a wayward son, a peculiar M.D., a playwright who downright hated what Harriet was doing to HIS play, a director ditto, and a leading man with a secret to hide, plus a couple of "involved" crew members, and a lot of money, and you've got a lively mix. Dentinger has a real hit with her very first novel, as this not only moved very fast, had wonderful characters AND wasn't too cutely bitchy or chic/"in", it allows us to meet Josh, a very nice woman, and an extremely good actress too. And the mystery plot ain't bad either.

[Randee Baty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Cue is the first in a series of mysteries about Jocelyn O’Roarke, a New York actress. From the beginning it reminded me of the Charles Paris mysteries by Simon Brett and that is always a good thing. You are plunged into the atmosphere of the New York theater scene. It is a setting that the author obviously knows well.

Jocelyn is given the understudy role in a new dramatic courtroom play. The actress playing the lead is not universally loved by the rest of the cast. Tensions are high and result in murder which Jocelyn is forced to help investigate to protect herself.

I really enjoyed this book which is a bit edgier than a cozy but definitely close to that genre. There were a couple of mentions of casual drug use and more talk about sex than will happen in a cozy so you can decide if that is for you or not.

The characters were realistic and fun. The mystery wasn’t the most difficult to figure out but it didn’t jump off the page either. I found myself playing “Name that Play” throughout as the characters love to quote famous theatrical works. Likeable characters, great setting, decent mystery. I’ll be back for more of Jocelyn O’Roarke .

I received this copy through Netgalley and appreciate the opportunity to read it.

[Emma Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book of a new series featuring struggling theatre actress, Jocelyn O’Roarke, Murder on Cue mixes the dramatic world of the theatre with a good old murder mystery. Finding herself the prime suspect in disliked actress Harriet Weldon’s death, Jocelyn must fight to clear her name.

I enjoyed the countless references to theatre and literature. I felt completely immersed in Jocelyn’s world, which made it more enjoyable. I am a big fan of theatre, so many of the references were not lost on me. I’m not sure how a lesser theatre fan would fare, however.

Murder on Cue has all the ingredients of an old fashioned murder mystery with a hint of more recent books, slightly reminiscent of the likes of Janet Evanovich, but with a luvvie twist.

I give Murder on Cue 4/5 stars.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publishers Open Road Integrated Media, in exchange for an honest review.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, peppy mystery set with knowing detail in the theater world. Starts out a bit mannered, and it was a little difficult to keep all the characters straight, but I enjoyed it enough to continue on with the series. I like the lead characters: an intelligent, perceptive actress, and the detective who takes a liking to her.

Update after finishing the series: The books vary in quality. I didn't love every entry, but each had interesting moments. Jocelyn remains a terrific lead character, and the theatrical and psychological insights are worthwhile.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free in exchange for a review from Net Galley.

I really liked this book. It definitely gave you the feeling of being with the characters on Broadway. The author really knows her stuff regarding this area.

The story was good having you suspect several people throughout the plot twists. The character development was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!!

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nearly gave up on this book, but persevered, and on the whole was quite a good book. For personally, I wish writers did not feel that they have to include, what appears to obligatory homosexual relationships. If I require a book about such I would buy one. Hence this author is only on my to borrow from the library, and NOT on my to buy list.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember I was living on West 85th the summer I read this book, and the heroine was living in a brownstone either on the same block or very close by... this was quite disconcerting when the murderer came after her!

[Mark Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Acceptable, but nothing exceptional. The characters are pretty stock, the mystery is just OK, and there are several red herrings introduced which I don't believe were ever addressed. All in all, reasonably entertaining, but not enough to make me want to look for more by this author.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cosy theatrical mystery (re-read after quite a long time) - just what I needed on a Friday evening after a rather exhausting week. The general improbability of the actual plot is outweighed by the depiction of the characters and setting.

[Rita F. Kostoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy read

At first I was a little unsure about the book (didn't know the author) but as I got into it, I really enjoyed it, and frankly marathon read it until I finished. Would read more by this author. Loved the main character.