Paul, Barbara Books

The Fourth Wall (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries)

Barbara Paul

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 3 to 5 weeks By: Felony & Mayhem Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $3.33

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A taut and beautifully written murder mystery. 4 out of 5 stars.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful.

Although I first read this book many years ago I have never forgotten its cast of characters and genuinely shocking but satisfyingly believable denouement. The theatre world of New York is rocked when a number of prominient professionals become the victims of viciously personal attacks. A stage manager loses his hand-an actress is disfigured when her face cream is laced with acid... Gradually the link emerges; many years in the past all of them were members of a one theatre group-but why are they being targetted now? Who wants revenge so badly and why? None of them can imagine who holds this grudge. While being a real page-turner this is a genuinely profound character study and the central characters are well-rounded and complex. The plot turns are credible as well as fascinating and the finale is truly explosive. I strongly recommend this to any-one with an interest in detective stories, whodunnits, strong female leads or just fresh and insightful writing.

Editorial Review:

Other than a critic, who'd kill a Broadway play? Playwright Abigail James has long been fascinated by "revenge tragedies," those theatrical classics about getting even. But all of a sudden, she's living in one: The set of her latest Broadway hit has been vandalized, actors horribly attacked, a designer blinded with acid, the brilliant director terrified into hiding. Clearly, they have all committed some grievous wrong, terrible enough to prompt this orgy of destruction. But whom did they wrong? The police are clueless, so James and her colleagues see only one option: They'll examine their collective sins and pinpoint the injured party. And then they'll exact some revenge of their own.

A Cadenza for Caruso

Barbara Paul

List Price: $1.98 By: St Martins Pr Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $0.48

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

hilarious 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The book deals with Enrico Caruso, yes the most famous opera tenor, looking for a murderer. Ok, it is not really the Caruso you think of, when you hear him singing or you read his biographies. May be it has even nothing to do with the real Caruso beside that he loved to play pranks. But it is hilarious and the story funny. Caruso actually looking for a murderer and finding him more by chance than by combination. It is not as thrilling as a 007 and also not as sophisicated as Sherlock Holmes - it's just a funny crime story set in the opera world. Enjoy....

Delightful 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Only one review of this marvelous little book? Perhaps because it is out of print. If you are not overly familiar with the "Golden Age of Opera," as I wasn't when I first read the book, you will find the discovery of whodonnit challenging, but much delight is found just in the reading. The characters, from what I have since learned, appear to be very well drawn, and the writing is of the quality you would expect from Barbara Paul. Her second foray into this genre, "A Chorus of Detectives," follows Caruso with some additional characters as they solve another mystery. Just great fun. (And, if you are familiar with the opera world of the early 20th century, you may enjoy the story even more!) Try to track down a copy of either book.

He Huffed and He Puffed: A Mystery

Barbara Paul

List Price: $16.95 By: Scribner Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $0.01

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Editorial Review:

A crafty corporate raider known as the "Big Bad Wolf" plans a blackmail scheme against three shareholders, all of whom have been accused of murder. Reprint. NYT. PW.

A Chorus of Detectives

Barbara Paul

List Price: $3.50 By: Signet Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $2.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Another Barbara Paul winner 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An ailing Caruso, with the aid of several other stars of the Metropolitan Opera House, tries to track down a killer who has a nasty habit of doing away with the chorus members.

Anyone who enjoys a neat murder plot, set against a carefully researched background, will find this book well worth reading.

Ms Paul has crafted another interesting mystery, and more: she has brought her historical characters back to vivid life.

Kill Fee

Barbara Paul

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Fare Play

Barbara Paul

List Price: $20.00 By: Scribner Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $0.01

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Editorial Review:

Struggling for answers when two murders occur--the first on a crowded city bus, and the second a busy subway--inexplicably without witnesses, police lieutenant Marian Larch uncovers a deadly murder-for-hire ring. 10,000 first printing.

Renewable Virgin,the

Barbara Paul

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But He Was Already Dead When I Got There

Barbara Paul

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Prima Donna at Large (Signet)

Barbara Paul

List Price: $3.50 By: Signet Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $2.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

a hysterical historical musical romp 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This mystery is a follow on to the Cadenza for Caruso mystery. Caruso has been forbidden to interfere in a murder investigation by the police, so he convinces Geraldine Farrar, a soprano at the Met opera, to investigate for him. Narrated in the first person by Geraldine, the novel provides amusing portraits of many famous Met singers and the life they led in WWI New York City. Ms. Paul's portrait of Geraldine is apparently fairly close to the real thing -- a passionate, intelligent, witty, talented, and beautiful woman. Though not a big fan of opera (but a big fan of NYC), I enjoyed this humorous mystery tremendously. I liked it so much, that if I were not an honest woman, I'd have told the public library I lost the book and paid the fine. Hello, publishers! This is one of many vintage mystery novels that deserve to be back in print so a new generation can enjoy them!

Meddling, merriment, murder and mayhem at the Met 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Paul had to do a lot of research to put this delightful story together and she has done a superb job of portraying historic opera stars in a fictional situation. Geraldine Ferrar is the heroine; Enrico Caruso and Arturo Toscanino share the action with fictional characters in this romp through murder at the Metropolitan Opera.

Phillippe Duchon is an annoying, egotistical personality and everyone at the Met has just about had all they can take of him. Suddenly someone replaces his throat spray with ammonia. His vocal chords and his life are finished.

"Rico" Caruso is hard on the trail of the killer but Police Lt. O'Halloran of the NYPD threatens to lock him up if he doesn't quit meddling. Geraldine Ferrar takes over for Rico and the fearless and gorgeous diva throws caution to the wind to find the killer.

This is lightweight entertainment, sheer delight with every turn of the page. Prepare to laugh out loud -- you'll dread finishing it.

The Apostrophe Thief (A Sergeant Marian Larch Mystery)

Barbara Paul

List Price: $3.99 By: Worldwide Library Amazon Marketplace: 178 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

What's an apostrophe thief? 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"The Apostrophe Thief" is definitely the better of the two Barbara Paul books I've read. In fact, the title for this book is the reason I picked both of them up. I was fascinated by the title.

What is an Apostrophe Thief? Does he steal the apostrophe from "it's" to make it "its?" Well, it is the name of a Braodway play that has been burglarized for items that can be re-sold to collerctors. The book includes fascinating insight to compulsive collectors of memorabilia. This book was written pre-Ebay so all of the collecors have to connect by word of mouth or at auctions so there are lots of offbeat characters to meet.

I give this book an "A-".

Editorial Review:

Cooling off at another precinct when a big case leaves her hopping mad at the system, Larch comes to the aid of her Broadway actress friend when memorabilia begins disappearing, and is tempted by another firm's offer until a killer makes a move. Reprint.