Death in Castle Dark (A Dinner and a Murder Mystery, Band 1) - Softcover

Bond, Veronica

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593335872 ISBN 13: 9780593335871

Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group, 2021

Inhaltsangabe

Actor Nora Blake finds her dream job when she is cast in a murder-mystery troupe that performs in an imposing but captivating old castle. When she stumbles upon a real murder, things take a nightmarish turn in this first book in an exciting new series.

Maybe it was too good to be true, but when Nora Blake accepted the job from Derek Corby, proprietor of Castle Dark, she could not see any downsides. She would sink her acting chops into the troupe’s intricately staged murder-mystery shows, earn free room and board in the fairy tale–like castle, and make friends with her new roommates, which include some seriously adorable kittens.

But something sinister lurks behind the walls of Castle Dark. During Nora’s second performance, one of her castmates plays the part of the victim a little too well. So well, in fact, that no one can revive him. He has been murdered. Not ready to give up her dream gig—or to be the next victim—Nora sets out to see which one of her fellow actors has taken the role of a murderous real-life villain.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Veronica Bond is the pseudonym of a beloved author who has taught high school English for twenty-nine years.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

1

The Road to Castle Dark

We call them all Inspector," Derek Corby had told me during my interview. "Most mystery parties assign the guests as suspects who have to learn their backstories and then stumble their way through conveying that information to everyone. That's how we're different: our visitors are detectives-all the same detective, actually-and they get badges and notebooks when they enter. Then they can jot down notes as they dine, as they mingle in the drawing room, as they walk the grounds with the suspects. And this is why we can charge so much for the Castle Dark experience, and why people are more than willing to pay it, by the way: we hire real actors, we cater elegant dinners, and we give people the experience of total immersion. They are living in this castle, moving from room to room, touching the objects, sitting on the furniture. And when they leave, they feel clever, because they took notes and made observations and came up with theories. Our customers routinely rate us at five stars, and almost ninety percent of them return for new story lines."

Derek had been the first surprise about Castle Dark. I had expected, for some reason, a bearded old man who looked vaguely like a sea captain. Derek was young, perhaps thirty-five, dark-haired, clean-shaven, and well-dressed. He had a thick swoop of coffee-colored hair that gave him a slightly Byronic appearance and a charming smile that he employed on a regular basis. I might even have developed a crush on him except that I sensed he already had a great deal of esteem for himself.

"It sounds very interesting," I'd said. I wasn't convinced, and the interview itself had happened in a nondescript office in a Chicago strip mall. Derek assured me that I had already earned a chance at a second interview. "Then you'll see the castle itself, and you'll get a sense of how fun it is to be in the cast. And while I know the pay I'm offering isn't exactly princely, our actors have told me that it's a real bargain to get a room in the castle and to eat catered meals. Room and board-that would certainly help a struggling actor, wouldn't it?"

It would. And so far, it had been his best selling point. The idea of joining the cast of a murder-mystery party at some "castle" that his great-grandfather had built in a wooded area in Wood Glen, Illinois, sounded a little bit creepy and rather trite, as well. And the name-Castle Dark-sounded like some dreadful video game that my little brothers would play.

Derek studied my expression and seemed to read my mind. "I know you're a good actor, Nora. Sheena Preston sent me a tape of your audition for Evita. You were terrific. Your acting, your singing. The fact that you accompanied yourself on the piano-it's obvious that you're a natural talent. Frankly, after seeing that recording, I was shocked that she cast the person she did."

It still rankled; I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I was surprised, as well. I thought I had the part."

"Still, Sheena was impressed with you, and she knew I had an opening." Someone named Carly who had previously played the role of the secretary had left abruptly to get married, he had told me with a dour expression. "It's a great role. Yes, everyone has to be a bit melodramatic, but there is a lot of fun to be had with melodrama, and our set is fantastic." He punctuated this idea by thumping his hand on his desk. "Our props are amazing." Thump. "The whole experience will be worth your while."

"It's a neat offer, Derek," I said, prepared to turn him down.

He held up a hand. "Take a day. Look at our website. Read the reviews. Check out the virtual tour. And then come see me at the castle; if your answer is no, it's no. But you can't decide until you see what's on offer, right? I haven't showed you the place that you'd be staying, free of charge."

The free apartment was a temptation. Some months I could pay my rent with no problem, and other months I fell short. I hated the uncertainty of it, and to live free-who was I to look that gift horse in the mouth?

On the other hand, I needed to be close to Chicago so that I could keep going to auditions, and Wood Glen was out in the boonies. I didn't want to live that far away from my friends and my family. But Derek Corby's handsome face wore a very persuasive expression.

"So you'll come and see me at the castle?" he asked.

"Yes, all right," I said.

"Wonderful. This is Monday, so let's say Wednesday for tea? I'll give you a map."

On Wednesday I drove out of Chicago in my elderly Saab, hopped onto the toll road south, then took an exit that led quickly into farmland and some wooded subdivisions. After that came more scenic vistas of just grass and sky, and the air became intoxicating with the scent of sweet summer grasses (and a hint of manure). Finally I saw a sign that read: Now Entering Wood Glen. Not much later I saw a giant billboard dominated by a picture of a castle. The top of the billboard read: The Most Mysterious Fun YouÕll Ever Have! And along the bottom was just the web address CastleDark.com.

Derek had told me that the billboard was surprisingly effective; many people drove past and then looked for the site on their phones.

I followed Derek's map, worrying that I wouldn't find the "subtle opening" that would take me down a wooded dirt road and then up the long driveway to the castle itself. But Derek surprised me: I saw a red balloon staked into the ground in front of a stand of pines, and a sign that read: Welcome, Nora.

"That's a cute touch," I murmured, slowing down, then turning onto a road carpeted by fragrant pine needles. I assumed that "castle" was a euphemistic way of referring to some big banquet-hall type of place. The website sported some impressive interior pictures, but not that many outdoor shots of Castle Dark, which had made me suspicious.

Still, when I reached another gap in the trees marked by a sign that read: Entrance to Castle Dark. I felt a little flutter of anticipation. The driveway was long and curving, flanked by magnificent summer bushes with flowering blooms-I thought the rich pearly pink blossoms might be gardenias-and the sweet scent lifted my spirits.

"It's like going to Manderley," I said to myself, and when I steered around a slight bend, there was an opening in the wall of foliage, and before me was a real, bona fide castle with turrets and gray stone and mullioned windows. It was enchanting and surprisingly large. How in the world did Derek pay for the upkeep of this place?

I followed a sign that pointed to a parking area, then got out and stretched. The air was fresh here, and a cool breeze wafted over me as I contemplated a gray-stone-and-brick wall. For just an instant I had a feeling that I had traveled back in time and across the sea, where castles were more plentiful and dotted country landscapes just like this one. . . . But of course that was the effect the builders had been going for. I walked up the pebbled parking area, then turned left and stepped onto a brick walkway that led to the main entrance and its massive wooden door. I lifted the gold knocker and let it fall; a moment later the door opened and a blond woman peered out at me. She was pretty and young, probably in her mid to late twenties, and she wore an eager expression. "Oh, are you Nora? God, you're perfect for Carly's role. All that dark hair. Very dramatic. Elspeth will have a field day doing your makeup."

"Um-"

She laughed and reached out with both of her hands to pump one of mine in welcome. "I'm Connie. I'm in the cast. I play Derek's cheating wife. Derek says if you take the part I need to walk you through your lines and the basics of our...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593335872
• ISBN 13: 9780593335871
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: BERKLEY; https://www.penguin.com/?s=BERKLEY; ; Unit 2 Limavady Business Park; Limavady; County Londonderry; BT49 0HR; Vereinigtes Königreich
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland