by Sarah Erwin

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

In Murder in Fourth Position, Lori Robbins’ newest entry into her On Pointe mystery series, ballerina Leah Siderova has the opportunity to make her Broadway debut in the year’s hottest musical, Mad Music, while also serving as undercover protection for the show’s main star.

Leah is delighted for the chance to elevate her career and to help her detective boyfriend out with what appears to be a nuisance case of online bullying of actress Amber Castle. Unfortunately, these seemingly harmless threats move into real life and send two characters into the hospital for poisoning almost as soon as rehearsals start, and the story takes off from there.

Leah’s determination to not only protect Amber, but also find the suspect, puts Leah into the spotlight, and she starts receiving threatening and creepy texts from a blocked number. Suddenly everyone in the cast and crew seems suspicious, and Leah doesn’t know who she can trust. Thankfully, Leah has a crew of family and friends that are eager to jump in and help. From the “weird sisters” to a mob boss, to Leah’s aunt and mother, each character becomes involved in the musical and the hunt for the suspect.

This was such a twisty mystery and I suspected everyone! I adored Leah’s family and friends and felt those scenes added great humor to the story. As a reader, I was glad Leah wasn’t alone in her quest for the truth. I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at a Broadway musical and the life of a dancer and actor. It was fun to see a side of New York City’s theater district through the eyes of those who work there, rather than through a tourist’s eyes. I could easily picture the scenes thanks to the vivid descriptions. This is a short, fast-paced mystery that can easily stand on its own or be read as part of the series. For dance lovers and mystery lovers alike!

To enter to win a copy of Murder in Fourth Position (print in US or ebook internationally), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “position” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 28, 2023. U.S. residents only. You must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.