The first Persephone Cole mystery (also published under the title "The Dagger Before Me").

I liked the character of Percy (as her friends and family call her) and the 1940s New York City setting. Unfortunately, I found the mystery itself somewhat predictable -- I figured out 'whodunit' pretty early (although perhaps I was helped by the fact I recently finished an Evelyn Waugh book!) which normally I am not good at doing. I was assisted in that by the format (which I didn't like) of every other chapter being from the killers' perspective.

Another thing that bothered me was a picky detail -- the author consistently misspelled the name of the famous actor Laurence Olivier. How hard is it to check that sort of detail?? I checked the newer edition (with the new title) and this error remains uncorrected. I know that I am being very picky but this indicates a sloppiness on the part of the author/editor/publisher which I find upsetting. ( )

This was a nice, cosy read, about a likeable heroine, set in an interesting time (The 1940's) and environment - the theatre (and inner city New York). I think maybe the author was trying to cram in rather too many words of 1940's slang, but not being a native English speaker, I suppose I shouldn't comment on the language. There are a few typos, but not enough to distract me from the story. A fun, quick read. ( )