Featuring a neurodiverse lead living with Tourette's syndrome, Ellie Marlowe is ready for a curtain call as her latest production sells out, but when the starring male lead drops dead, and everyone in the cast is a potential suspect or the next victim, she must catch a killer before they pull another show-stopping murder.
Featuring a neurodiverse lead living with Tourette's syndrome, Ellie Marlowe is ready for a curtain call as her latest production sells out, but when the starring male lead drops dead, and everyone in the cast is a potential suspect or the next victim, she must catch a killer before they pull another show-stopping murder.
The new production at Ellie Marlowe's community theater could save her from financial ruin, but her overbearing lead, Reginald Thornton IV, is determined to antagonize every cast member. Nervous and with her Tourette's syndrome flaring, Ellie is relieved when opening night seems to be going well. But then Reginald's death scene at the end of the play turns out to be all too real.
The state police write the death off as a heart attack, but several things don't add up, and Ellie and her childhood friend, Bill Starlin, the local chief of police, begin investigating. When another person linked to the theater is attacked, they're convinced a killer is on the loose.
As Ellie and Bill reveal connections between cast members, they uncover dark secrets and must race to find the killer before it's curtains for someone else.
Industry Reviews
Praise for The Last Line:
"While Lyerly's cozy mystery debut celebrates theater, it also shines a spotlight on Tourette's syndrome . . . Suggest for fans of Mia P. Manansala."
-Library Journal
"A fun small-town murder mystery, with quirky characters and an easy-to follow story."
-Red Carpet Crash
"A lovely debut."
-Aunt Agatha's
"Buy a ticket and see this show! This book is a welcome whodunnit for theater-loving mystery readers."
-Abigail Strom, RITA Award-winning author of Tell Me
"A mystery starring a neurodiverse lead set in the world of theater? I was all in from page one!"
-Harper Kincaid, author of the Bookbinding Mystery series
"Ellie is relatable and real, and by the time you finish The Last Line, she'll feel like your new best friend. I haven't been this excited by a new author in a long time."
-Leslie Lutz, author of Fractured Tide
"Scott Lyerly's highly original debut, The Last Line, features theatre predicaments and sinister secrets. An exciting recipe for a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery. Ellie Marlowe is struggling with Tourette's syndrome as well as the finances of her community theatre, only to be confronted by the death of her leading man on opening night. A search for the killer reveals past indiscretions, shocking motivations, and plenty of guilt. Anyone who knows theatre will appreciate this backstage drama with a colorful cast of suspects. Anyone who enjoys an engrossing mystery will love this twisty tale. Thoroughly engaging!"
-Suzanne Trauth, author of the Dodie O'Dell mystery series
"Scott Lyerly's The Last Line features a diverse cast of characters caught up in the drama inherent in the production of a play, especially one where the lead actor dies on stage. Mystery lovers will enjoy the plethora of viable suspects, motives, and clues, while theatre aficionados will appreciate the detailed depiction of a small regional theater company. A police procedural as well as a traditional, small-town mystery, The Last Line should please a wide variety of readers."
-Victoria Gilbert, author of the Blue Ridge Library, Booklover's B&B, and Hunter and Clewe mystery series
