Death of a Baritone: A Music Lover's Mystery

In this mystery debut, Phoebe Mullins, newly widowed and approaching 50, happily accepts a summer job working at the Varovna Vocal Colony and Opera Workshop in the tony Hamptons. Phoebe, who has spent the better part of her life tending to the musical careers of others--first her father's and then her husband's--arrives as Cos fan Tutte is in production; she is barely settled in before Frank Palermo, the lead baritone, dies from a fatal reaction to penicillin. His death would seem an accident, except that everyone knew that he was severely allergic to the drug. When the company's cook is found bludgeoned to death, the police inspector asks Phoebe to keep her ears open, and soon she is busy piecing together the mystery. Did Frank's murder have something to do with his recent membership in the Children of Truth, a cult that encourages members to be completely honest with themselves? Or could it be that the Varovna Colony isn't, as its founder claims, ""one happy family""? Sturges nicely develops Phoebe's character throughout this satisfying mystery: she becomes more savvy and independent as her need to find out ""whodunit"" increases. (Nov.)