MURDER IN FIFTH POSITION

Ballerina Leah Siderova has a lot in common with Superman. They both wear tights, perform for a fickle crowd, and worry about the state of the world. Unfortunately, only one of them can fly. And he wasn’t available the night Leland Vanderhof fell sixteen stories from his penthouse apartment to the pavement below.

The scene of the crime was a glittering party, where two hundred dressed-to-kill guests gathered to celebrate three finalists for the Vanderhof Prize for Choreography. All profess shock at the tragic end of Leland’s life. One of them knows exactly how it happened.

A second murder and a mysterious disappearance (or two) are bad enough. But when her extremely significant other, homicide detective Jonah Sobol, shows up with a glam new partner, Leah has to come up with a whole new set of moves.

Can Leah find the killer, get the guy, win the prize, and rescue her career? Fans of Agatha Christie and Amazon’s hit series Étoile are assured of a front row seat, from the opening credits to the final curtain.

. . .

“Lori Robbins’s newest entry in her delightful On Pointe mystery series finds ballerina Leah Siderova grappling with threats to her career, her heart, and her life. Leah is delicate as fine-gauge wire but tough as iron rebar; when a wealthy arts patron is murdered, Leah uses her insider knowledge of the closed world of ballet to draw back the curtain on the crime. The classical dance scene, with its obscure rules, vicious jealousies, and eccentric personalities, makes a swoon-worthy setting for this dazzling mystery.”  

~ Delia Pitts, author of the Shamus award-winning

Trouble in Queenstown, book one in the Vandy Myrick Mystery Series

“A resounding standing ovation for Lori Robbins and her brilliant ballerina sleuth Leah Siderova! Murder in Fifth Position takes readers deep inside two close-knit and cutthroat little worlds – ballet and the super-rich – for a tightly-plotted, twisty, and dangerous adventure. With a sharply-drawn crew of amateur and professional sleuths to love and root for, and a wonderfully wicked lineup of potential villains, it’s a marvelous, and murderous, ride. The first books in the series aren’t a prerequisite to enjoy this one…but readers will want to go back and grab them. Lori Robbins puts on a devious and delicious show – more On Pointe mysteries, please!” 

~ Kathleen Marple Kalb, author of the Old Stuff

and Ella Shane Mysteries

“In Murder in Fifth Position, celebrity ballerina Leah Siderova, newly nominated for a prestigious choreography prize, finds herself center stage in a real-life drama when the wealthy benefactor behind the award is murdered. At the widow’s request, Leah is drawn into a high-stakes investigation that exposes the rivalries, jealousies, and ruthless ambition of the ballet world. With high suspense and elegant plotting, author Lori Robbins keeps readers guessing until the final curtain. Fans of the series will enjoy Leah’s continued evolution, while newcomers will be hooked by the novel’s crisp prose, sly humor, and unrelenting tension. It’s a must-read. I highly recommend it!” 

~ Lori Duffy Foster, author of the Agatha-nominated

Lisa Jamison Mysteries

“In award-winning author Lori Robbins’ Murder in Fifth Position, the latest installment of her On Pointe Mysteries, Leah Siderova is once again tracking down a murderer, maybe more than one, while she navigates the ongoing crises, jealousies, and rivalries that inhabit the backstage world of ballet. Rumors swirl, accusations multiply, and Leah is swept into the investigation in this engaging, at times laugh-out-loud page-turner full of suspense and nail-biting tension. Ms. Robbins does a wonderful job of creating the dance world and its behind-the-scenes practices and pettiness, both competitive and supportive, and meshing it with the specifics of detection. Events crash, one into another, until Leah must follow her instincts and confront the killer, jeopardizing her life and her career.  Murder in Fifth Position is witty, fast-paced, and unputdownable, and will keep you guessing and weighing the guilt or innocence of multiple suspects until the end. Five stars!” 

~ Suzanne Trauth, award-winning author of What Remains of Love

and the Dodie O’Dell Mysteries