Review: Catwalk Dead: Murder in the Rue de L’Histoire Theatre by F. Della Notte

A nearly century-old mystery, an historic theatre and fears of the Macbeth curse make for an irresistible trifecta in Catwalk Dead: Murder in the Rue de L’Histoire Theatre, F. Della Notte’s newest whodunit in her Housekeeper Mystery series.

Life has become much more exciting as of late for Mrs. B. since her son and daughter-in-law moved to Austin and have accepted positions as artistic directors of the Bernardi-Bono Ballet Company, situated in the old Rue de L’Histoire Theatre. What Mrs. B. doesn’t know is that the theatre’s stage manager had voiced his concern about strange goings-on at the theatre to her boss, Father Melvyn, during his confession. The stage manager’s distraught wife reports him missing shortly afterwards and when his beaten body turns up during rehearsals, an investigation is launched into his homicide.

Soon, there’s talk of ghosts and whispers of the Macbeth curse, especially after other disturbing events follow that hit particularly close to Mrs. B., leading to rumors of foul play. When Mrs. B. finds out that the board may want to cancel the rest of the season, she worries that her son and daughter-in-law’s financial investment may soon be in jeopardy and is determined to do everything she can to get to the bottom of things…

There are plenty of wonderful colorful characters in Catwalk Dead, most notably that of the two main protagonists, Mrs. Buonofigliuola (“Mrs. B.”) and Father Melvyn Kronkey, priest at St. Francis de Sales Church. Mrs. B is cheerful and caring and despite her penchant for gossip and interfering, both priests are very fond of her – especially her cooking. In fact, her only adversary is LaLa the rectory cat, who happens to be very possessive of Father Melvyn. Mrs. B. and Father Melvyn have a close working relationship, solidified by a growing friendship, and this gives the story genuine heart.

The setting is Austin in and around St. Francis de Sales Church and the rectory, and despite the larger city setting, Notte has given Catwalk Dead an intimate feel through the use of detail and description throughout her narrative, particularly in her descriptions of the theatre – giving the story the genuine feeling of coziness so crucial to the genre. Ghost lights, the muffled patter coming from the catwalk and the “whoosh” of air create a sense of foreboding that’s almost palpable.

Even with the intimate surroundings, Notte has created a fairly complex plot, but one she has crafted expertly, with no sense of confusion for the reader. Notte manages to juggle several story threads effectively – the problems for the characters are many, with the plot containing some nice twists. The main criticism is there are a few typos and grammatical errors throughout the text, but fortunately these do not detract from the story overall.

All told, Catwalk Dead: Murder in the Rue de L’Histoire Theatre is a great addition to this unique and entertaining series, combining a satisfying whodunit with a generous dollop of feline attitude.