Death Masque (McCabe and Cody Book 8)

Small town controversies can be murder. When a newcomer to Erin, Ohio, proposes to tear down the historic Bijou Theater and erect in its place a boutique hotel, Sebastian McCabe adds ?civic activist? to a long resume that already includes magician, mystery writer, professor, and amateur sleuth. With the strategic help of brother-in-law Jeff Cody, Mac launches a far-reaching campaign to ?Save the Bijou.? The issue becomes highly political when three eccentric mayoral candidates stake out their positions ?  which one of them switches after a hefty campaign contribution. ?The plot machinations of grand opera seem positively guileless by comparison!? Mac cries. Can homicide be far behind? The opera comparison is a natural one, for the new Erin Opera Company is staging an original work with a Mardi Gras theme. As murder strikes again, this time back stage, Sebastian McCabe becomes aware that many of the actors in this real-life drama are wearing metaphorical masks as well.   Lynda Teal, Jeff?s wife, records much of Mac?s sleuthing for a podcast series, never imagining that the most dramatic audio of the concluding episode will come from the murderer.