A Chorus Lineup
A Glee Club Mystery, Book #3
By Joelle Charbonneau
ISBN# 9780425252499
Author’s Website: http://joellecharbonneau.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Paige Marshall is back in the spotlight in Joelle Charbonneau’s newest Glee Club Mystery. This time the high school show choir coach is fighting to keep her singers in a national competition despite charges of sabotage
They have the talent. They have the heart. Nothing can stop Prospect Glen’s choir from taking home the trophy in the Show Choir National Competition. But below the soaring voices, there are murmurs of suspicion. So-called accidents keep befalling the other choirs. Yet Prospect Glen remains untouched.
With their competitors clamoring for them to be disqualified, the group may soon be singing a different tune. If there’s anyone who can restore harmony to the competition, it’s Paige. But this time she’ll need to stick her neck out to discover who’s behind the sabotage, or she may end up singing her own swan song. (Goodreads)
Review:
This third installment of the Glee Club Mystery series finds Paige and her show choir, Music in Motion, Nashville bound to participate in the National Show Choir Competition. Everyone is along for the ride: Larry the musical director, Devlyn the drama teacher and co-choreographer (and Paige’s quasi boyfriend), Jim the band director, Paige’s Aunt Millie, Millie’s boyfriend Aldo, even Aunt Millie’s dog Killer. Both Paige’s and the choir’s reputations have preceded them, and they are immediately given the cold shoulder by a volunteer, LuAnn. A short time later most of the teams’ costumes are found shredded, and LuAnn immediately accuses Paige of sabotage. Then a light bar falls on the competition stage during a rehearsal, and LuAnn’s accusations fly again in Paige’s direction, and LuAnn insists that Music in Motion be disqualified. No one can figure out why LuAnn has it in for Paige, but the head of the competition, Christine, tries to rein LuAnn in and refuses to renounce Paige’s choir. Finally, Paige finds LuAnn dying behind the performing arts center, an apparent victim of a hit and run.
So Paige has problems. She is briefly a suspect in LuAnn’s death. One of her soloists has a sore throat that is affecting her voice. All of her school’s costumes and band instruments are being stored in her hotel room, making it very crowded. In an effort to discourage any rumors about inappropriate student relations, Devlyn continues to display a gay persona to the world, and this makes his relationship with Paige rather complicated. There are whispers about the school board extending her contract, but she is really hoping that her performing career will take off. And, to make a busy week even more tightly scheduled, Paige’s manager informs her that she must be back in Chicago for an audition for the Lyric Opera or her singing career prospects are toast.
Christine asks Paige to investigate the sabotage because she is afraid all of the “accidents” they have been experiencing will scare the sponsors away. She actually seems more concerned with the money than the students. Paige wonders if the sabotage and LuAnn’s death are related. There are plenty of suspects for Paige to look into, including several other choir coaches, Christine, and Kelly, the competition’s assistant director.
I enjoy this series since it combines two of my loves, mystery and music. As an operatic singer and former choir and band member, I can relate to the trials and joys Paige and company go through. I think Charbanneau does a good job of leading the reader through all aspects of competition. I appreciate how Paige’s attitude has changed, from reluctant teacher to really caring about the kids, as the series progresses. I find Paige amusing. For example, the very first paragraph of the book had me chuckling to myself.
“A singer knows she’s arrived when a limo picks her up and whisks her off to a luxurious hotel, where she’s greeted by hundreds of roses and cards wishing her well before her starring performance the next night. The fact that I currently rode in a yellow school bus with duct-taped vinyl seats, surrounded by a bunch of high school kids hopped up on sugar on the way to a Holiday Inn, spoke volumes about the career choices I had made.” (p. 1)
The author writes well, and her characters continue to grow with each book. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged in the mystery, and all of the suspects blend well together. The romance aspect of the book is realistic and adds a layer to the story. A small criticism: there is a sub mystery concerning a stack of boxes and their contents that is not resolved to my satisfaction. Readers who do not care to know all about costumes, rehearsals, competition politics, and the stresses of performing may find this book a bit tedious. For me, it brings back memories. Recommended for lovers of music, the movie Pitch Perfect, and the TV show Glee.
