First published 2008
Penelope Thornton-McClure runs book sales at the Movie Town Theater's inaugural Film Noir Festival. The event features guest speakers and screen actress Hedda Geist, a legendary femme fatale who has stayed away from public attention for decades. When Hedda finally returns to the spotlight, someone tries to kill her. The festival takes a deadly turn as other guests begin dying one by one. Penelope finds herself caught in a real-life mystery that mirrors the dark movies being celebrated. She must figure out who is targeting the festival attendees and why her small town's weekend of classic cinema has become genuinely dangerous. The deaths threaten to destroy not just the festival but the safety of everyone involved. Penelope races to uncover the killer's motive before more people die.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, fast-paced, intriguing, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, multiple-murders, race-against-time
Setting: Movie Town Theater
Period: contemporary
423 pages · Paperback · Wheeler Pub Inc
Content warnings: death, murder