Oliver Twisted By Cindy Brown: Review/Giveaway

by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the Oliver Twisted, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

For aspiring actress Ivy Meadows, nee Olive Ziegwart, her newest gig on the Hawaii-bound SS David Copperfield is about as perfect as it could get. Not only would she be paid to perform as Nancy in the onboard musical adaptation of Oliver Twist, Ivy would also be working undercover with her private detective uncle to investigate a string of cruise line thefts. Before Ivy can even attend a rehearsal or question a suspect, she has the unpleasant experience of discovering her Madame DeFarge’s roommate’s body stuffed into their tiny cabin’s closet.

The cruise line improbably declares Harley Locklow’s death to be natural, but Ivy has more than enough to keep her occupied on the Get Lit! literary-themed cruise. She may not know her Dickens, or even Oliver Twist, but Ivy does know lying and scheming performers when she sees them. Tasked with looking after the under-aged Oliver, Ivy will have her hands full with his fellow cast of orphans who may be method-acting their way through pranks and pickpocketing. She’s also not entirely sure whether she is dating the director, and his celebrity self-help mogul of a stepfather is on board gathering both followers and dissenters. Back home in Phoenix her beloved brother Cody has inexplicably left his group, and the unreliable cell phone reception only further exacerbates her frustration.

Once again, author Cindy Brown incorporates her theater experience into this delightful romp of a mystery. Terrified of water and not fond of heights, Ivy inexplicably finds herself on a ship dangling from the rafters as an aerial dancer. Her normally reliable Uncle Bob is embracing his role as a well-to-do rancher, especially as it seems to have garnered him the attentions of a blonde trophy wife-wannabe. What truly delights are the behind-the-scenes activities not just of the rehearsals, but of the entire caste-system structure of the cruise ship. Laugh-out-loud moments come not just with the impracticality of a hoop skirt within the tiny confines of a ship, but with the intermingling of cockney-speaking costumed actors amidst the passengers. Cameo appearances by familiar characters from the previous two entries in this series are sure to please, but it is the sympathetically loyal and resilient lead actress who will win readers’ hearts. This continues to be a genuinely heart-warming and fun-spirited depiction of the eccentric niches within the entertainment world.

This book was published by Henery Press. To learn more about their books check out their website: henerypress.com.

To enter to win a copy of Oliver Twisted, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “oliver,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 18, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Tagged as: books, Cindy Brown, mystery, Oliver Twisted, theatre