MURDER IN THIRD POSITION

The Nutcracker ballet is filled with holiday cheer, but no one is happy, least of all lead dancer Leah Siderova. It’s bad enough when Maurice Kaminsky forces her to perform upon a shaky platform, which teeters high above the stage. It’s worse when the curtain opens on the first murder victim, and the scene looks more like the end of Romeo and Juliet than a child’s vision of Christmas.

The dancers were unanimous in their dislike of Maurice, and they eagerly anticipated his departure. What they didn’t foresee is that he would exit in a body bag, and not on a nonstop flight to LA.

Leah doesn’t want to get involved in the ensuing murder investigation, but when suspicion falls upon Tex, her dance partner and friend, she has no choice but to act. She enlists the Choreographers of Crime for help, but it’s her life, her career, and her complicated romance with homicide detective Jonah Sobol that’s on the line.

With opening night less than a week away, and the future of American Ballet Company hanging in the balance, can Leah save Tex in time to save the show?

. . .

“So you think you can dance? It’s going to take more than a perfect pirouette to make it in Lori Robbins' brutally realistic ballet company, where one misstep can end in murder. Ballerinas are notoriously strong physically, mentally, and emotionally, but in Robbins' Murder in Third Position, the usual blood, sweat and tears hidden behind the curtains are ratcheted up to a life-and-death crescendo. The mystery of why this series has been nominated for and won major industry awards was solved in the first two pages of this book— Brilliant characters, deviously deceptive plotting, delivered deftly with wry humor, and a setting to die for— A backstage pass to the fascinating world of dance that few of us ever have the opportunity to infiltrate and even fewer would survive. 5 enthusiastic stars.” 

~ Gabrielle St George, author of the Ex-Whisperer Files Mystery Series,

How to Murder a Marriage, and How to Kill a Kingpin

“Murder in Third Position is a sparkling jewel of a mystery that’s guaranteed to keep you turning pages until its satisfying, unexpected conclusion. Dancer Leah Siderova is back, forced to overcome her fear of heights when the ballet company’s detestable set designer unveils his creation for The Nutcracker ballet. Leah could kill the designer who created the towering platform that she’s forced to climb. But when he’s murdered, and Leah’s favorite ballet partner becomes a primary suspect, she enlists her friends and family to help prove his innocence. With an insider’s take on the competitive world of professional dance, author Lori Robbins brings her story and the streets of New York to life with the heart, tongue-in-cheek humor, and quirky characters that characterize each of her On Pointe mysteries. I was smitten long before the end of Chapter One and can’t wait for the next entry in this delightful series.” 

~ Mally Becker, Agatha-nominated author of The Counterfeit Wife

“In Murder in Third Position, ballerina Leah Siderova dances her most daring investigation yet. When an acclaimed set designer is killed days before The Nutcracker’s opening night, Leah Siderova fears the crime will be pinned on her dance partner and leaps into action to clear his name. But when the body count continues to rise along with the American Ballet Company curtain, Leah finds herself in a media-storm spotlight with a ruthless killer hot on her trail.Robbins choreographs a heart-pounding whodunit that will have readers furiously flipping pages to discover the culprit. Leah Siderova’s grace and grit pirouette off the page, and her chemistry sizzles with the ever-gallant Detective Jonah Sobel. Mystery lovers won’t want to miss a moment of this mesmerizing performance and will be begging Robbins for another encore.” 

~ Sarah E. Burr, author of #FollowMe for Murder

and the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries

“Lori Robbins’ third book in her On Pointe Mystery Series begins with principal ballerina Leah atop a precarious set trying to quell her fear of heights. Later when the set collapses, the mystery and intrigue begin. Murder in the Third Position puts us in the backstage heart of a ballet company’s production of The Nutcracker. While Leah and her “Choreographers of Crime” friends try to solve the murder, mayhem occurs. This is a thriller, a whodunit with humor, and an eye-opening look into the workings of a ballet production. All combine to create a page turner that has the reader wanting more from Leah and her plucky crime solving crew.” 

~ Linda Norlander, author of the Cabin by the Lake Mystery Series

“Lori Robbins gives a master class in murder with her latest On Pointe Mystery, Murder In Third Position. When over ambitions set designer, Maurice Kaminsky is found dead, and ballerina Leah Siderova is almost crushed by his unstable set, she takes a grand jeté into the mystery to catch the killer before he strikes again. With wit and humor, the world of dance comes to thrilling life.” 

~ Cathi Stoler, award-winning author

of The Murder On The Rocks Mysteries

“Lori Robbins has written another skillfully plotted mystery set in the competitive and uncompromising world of professional ballet, drawing the New York dance world in full color.” 

~ Elizabeth Mannion, author of Dreaming in Irish

and Traces of Irish