When dancer Jessica Warner turns up missing just before the premiere of her troupe's new show, Taming of the Shoe, all hell breaks loose. Accusations and scandalous truths surface to tear the very fiber of the dance company.

Inspector Terry is called in to make sense of the mess and find Jessica. The pool of suspects is deep, ranging from the crippled secretary to the theatre's masseuse, or the wronged husband to the troupe's choreographer. Motives abound, as Jessica has not been the nicest of women.

Will Terry find Jessica before it's too late?

Spindler opens her Inspector Terry series with an exciting premise. Unfortunately, the opening scenes are quickly bogged down by the introduction of a huge cast of characters. It may take a reader several chapters to put names and personalities together correctly. The addition of a sizable cast with the entrance of the investigators further complicates the settings. At times, a reader may feel the need for a directory of characters.

Another disappointment was the ease with which the reader will figure out who caused Jessica's disappearance. This book may be more aptly labeled as a suspense novel as there is little mystery for the reader.

The heart of the story lies in Terry's journey to an answer, as well as the growth of several characters. Once the cast and setting is established, the novel gets harder to put down. Spindler does a lovely job of portraying the theatre, as well as the location in which the mystery is resolved.

The second half of the novel redeems many of the problems in the first half. Spindler's development of the main characters is deeply moving, and the resolutions are logical and compelling.

If you enjoy a short, suspenseful read, this is worth your time. If you are easily distracted by large casts and multiple subplots, this may be a bit overwhelming, although Spindler does provide an amazing insight to the human psyche.

-C.W.

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