Retro Reading: 'Til Dice Do Us Part by Gail Oust
Community Theater Can Be Murder
When Lance Ledeaux and his new bride come home to Serenity Cove Estates he didn't think murder would figure into his plans when he wanted to produce his play.
Thus begins the second installment of The Bunco Babes mystery, 'Til Dice Do Us Part by Gail Oust and it's up to the very amateur sleuth Kate McCall to figure out the murder.
In my review of Oust's first installment, I said I wished I could live in a community like the one she's created for her readers. Even though it's a retirement community there's just something that makes everything perfect. A good group of friends and freedom from alarm clocks (but yet still too many characters to keep up with).
Anyway, Ledeaux, a kind of has been actor is still looking for his "big break." He's written a play in which he plans to star, produce and direct. That is until he's killed during rehearsal. Everyone at rehearsal is a suspect but there's three mysterious arrivals in Serenity Cove and Kate pegs them as potential suspects.
While I still can't figure out Bunco (even though McCall does explain it again) the bi-monthly game doesn't interfere with the action of this fast paced story. All of the characters are interesting and if there's a stand out its Polly. You know everyone knows the old lady who "hasn't grown up and still wears the latest trends" and is aching for some type of excitement.
Well she does get the excitement and while the "suspect" (sorry I can't reveal it since it has something to do with the first installment's review) is overheard by Kate telling Lance that she'll get rid of him one way or another, Kate has to decide if she's going to let the authorities know what she knows, which would send the suspect to the gas chamber.
After Kate solved her first murder she thinks she knows a lot more, but this time she wants to learn more about interrogation and much to her chagrin she fails miserably at it but with friends like the Babes, they use their knowledge and help her crack the case.
In the first installment, Kate developed a "crush" on handyman Bill Lewis and since a few months have passed since the first murder she has a feeling that he's not as interested in her after he's returned from Michigan having taken care of his ailing brother.
But Oust does bring one thing to the Bunco table and that's the fact in today's world anyone can find out about your past and present thanks to the Internet.
With the sophomore outing of the Babes the series is still holding up. If you play the game you're bound to enjoy this book.