The Case of the Dovetail Opera
(2025)(The fourth book in the Lady Theodora Ashcombe Mysteries series)
A novel by Daisy Landish
When a soprano dies on stage during La Traviata, Lady Theodora Ashcombe discovers that murder isn't the only performance at London's Royal Opera House.
A prop dagger that turns out to be steel. A victim who asked too many questions about Continental patrons. And a wealthy opera house benefactor with secrets worth killing for.
Lady Theodora Ashcombe thought her investigation into a fashion house espionage ring was finished—until a desperate letter arrives from the Royal Opera House. Celebrated soprano Mlle. Claudette Rousseau has collapsed on stage during rehearsal, struck by a blade that should have been harmless. The police call it a tragic accident, but the opera house manager fears something far more sinister.
The curtain rises on conspiracy...
When Theo and her investigative team arrive at Covent Garden, they discover that Claudette had been documenting suspicious meetings in the private boxes, coded messages hidden in musical scores, and a Continental intelligence network using London's most prestigious stage as their coordination center.
With her loyal spaniel Pip detecting poison, her sharp-witted cousin Bea translating musical cipher, and help from both the brooding private inquiry agent Jasper Welles and the determined Inspector Hargrave, Theo must navigate theatrical temperaments, backstage secrets, and deadly performances to expose the truth.
But the real danger lurks behind the velvet curtain...
As escaped operatives from her previous case resurface with murderous intent, Theo races to find the evidence Claudette died protecting. The investigation leads from dressing room secrets to catwalk confrontations high above the stage, where one misstep could be fatal.
And when the wealthy patron Mr. Percival Dovetail proves to be far more dangerous than he appears, Theo must orchestrate a trap during the opera's final performance—with every seat in the house potentially occupied by a spy.
Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, and classic Victorian mysteries with wit, intelligence, and a thoroughly modern heroine.
Genre: Mystery
A prop dagger that turns out to be steel. A victim who asked too many questions about Continental patrons. And a wealthy opera house benefactor with secrets worth killing for.
Lady Theodora Ashcombe thought her investigation into a fashion house espionage ring was finished—until a desperate letter arrives from the Royal Opera House. Celebrated soprano Mlle. Claudette Rousseau has collapsed on stage during rehearsal, struck by a blade that should have been harmless. The police call it a tragic accident, but the opera house manager fears something far more sinister.
The curtain rises on conspiracy...
When Theo and her investigative team arrive at Covent Garden, they discover that Claudette had been documenting suspicious meetings in the private boxes, coded messages hidden in musical scores, and a Continental intelligence network using London's most prestigious stage as their coordination center.
With her loyal spaniel Pip detecting poison, her sharp-witted cousin Bea translating musical cipher, and help from both the brooding private inquiry agent Jasper Welles and the determined Inspector Hargrave, Theo must navigate theatrical temperaments, backstage secrets, and deadly performances to expose the truth.
But the real danger lurks behind the velvet curtain...
As escaped operatives from her previous case resurface with murderous intent, Theo races to find the evidence Claudette died protecting. The investigation leads from dressing room secrets to catwalk confrontations high above the stage, where one misstep could be fatal.
And when the wealthy patron Mr. Percival Dovetail proves to be far more dangerous than he appears, Theo must orchestrate a trap during the opera's final performance—with every seat in the house potentially occupied by a spy.
Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, and classic Victorian mysteries with wit, intelligence, and a thoroughly modern heroine.
Genre: Mystery