Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Fade to Black
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Della (D. B.) Borton
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth
Series: Gilda Liberty # 1
Fawcett, Apr 1999, $5.99, 288 pp.
The last time Gilda Liberty returned home to Eden, Ohio was nine years ago when her grandmother died. Now she returns to the family's hometown to attend the funeral of her aunt, the Oscar-winning, film legend Mae Liberty. The first thing Gilda realizes is that the Liberty clan remains as eccentric and kooky as ever. The next thing she learns is that her aunt's dying words were "Rosebud", not some dramatic scene from a beloved movie. The real stunner for Gilda is to learn that she inherited the family movie theater, the Paradise.
Mae also left a substantial amount of money to her niece, who she felt was the only family member capable of managing her beloved theater. Before Gilda can make a final decision as to whether to stay in town for the next five years surrounded by lunatics or flee back to New York, she learns that someone burned down the only competition in town and a corpse was found within the burned out Eden Theater. When the accusations start to come too close to home, Gilda decides to investigate the arson and her aunt, not yet realizing she just placed her own life in danger.
FADE TO BLACK, the first entry in the Gilda Liberty series, is a humorous amateur sleuth tale that constructs its background based on Hollywood goes Middle America. The astounded, bewildered, and shocked Gilda is a perfect straight woman for her family, the zaniest crowd to populate a book in years. The story line is entertaining, as it never allows the audience to take the plot serious. Readers who enjoy joviality in their detective novels will want more tales from Della Borton starring the eccentric Liberty crew.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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