Dead Man Dancing

At the start of Talley's lively seventh Hannah Ives mystery (after 2006's Through the Darkness), doughty cancer survivor Hannah suggests that her sister Ruth, newly svelte and bronze-haired spiked, prep for her coming wedding to bright young attorney Hutch, a former ballroom dance enthusiast, with lessons at the J & K Dance Studios in Annapolis, Md. Hannah reflects wryly on the exorbitant costs of dance competitions, a culture addicted to glitzy shows like American Idol, and the nasty potential for child exploitation. With Ruth sidelined by a leg-busting sabotage attack, Hutch and a new partner, Melanie, audition for a TV dance talent hunt, but their instructor falls victim to an exotic poison and Melanie drowns in the South River, jolting Hannah's spunky Nancy Drew nose for clues into classy action. Full of tangy Annapolis local color, this airy concoction won't satisfy all whodunit hungers, but never-say-die Hannah makes it a tasty dessert.