Fade to Black [Mass Market Paperback]

Della Borton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 1999

INTRODUCING GILDA LIBERTY AND HER ECCENTRIC MOVIE-MAD FAMILY . . .

If the cameras had been rolling when eighty-two-year-old film legend Mae Liberty ascended to that big movie studio in the sky, she would have won her second Oscar. After all, her dying word was "Rosebud." But now her funeral in Hollywood is drawing raves--not to mention the threat of blackmail, a case of arson, and an uninvited corpse.

On the scene are Mae's infamously eclipsed twin sister, three generations of the loony Liberty lineage, and her niece Gilda--the sole voice of reason in this odd acting dynasty. Gilda left Tinseltown years ago, hoping never to return. Now she has become the reluctant heir to a crumbling legacy: the Paradise, a once-opulent movie palace that has preserved not only Mae's memories--but her secrets as well. With the aid of a seasoned private eye, Gilda soon discovers a tangled family plot hidden in every frame of Mae's illustrious past. And scene by scene, it's unreeling toward a fatal . . .

FADE TO BLACK

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a change of pace from her Cat Caliban series, Borton (Six Feet Under) introduces Gilda Liberty, who, smarting from a recent break up, returns to her hometown of Eden, Ohio, for the funeral of her aunt Mae Liberty, an Oscar-winning actress. Here she is reunited with several generations of eccentric Libertys, all of whom are tangled up with the movies. Soon Gilda finds herself caught up in mysterious events that seem somehow related to Mae's death. First she finds that important papers are missing from Mae's bedroom and that her last word was "Rosebud" (even though she never liked Citizen Kane). Gilda can't understand why several Libertys suddenly become hostile toward their "honorary uncle," Mae's long-time admirer, Julius Cole. Then, all too soon, Julius's burnt corpse is found inside the torched remains of the town's chain theater (rival to the independent theater that Gilda has just inherited). Gilda, teaming with S. Styles, a female PI, begins to uncover Julius's trail of real estate schemes and blackmail. Next, the family special-effects expert is murdered, too, and it's up to Gilda to put all the pieces together. In the end, Borton's memorably wacky characters and incessant Hollywood references add up to a fun read.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

INTRODUCING GILDA LIBERTY AND HER ECCENTRIC MOVIE-MAD FAMILY . . .

If the cameras had been rolling when eighty-two-year-old film legend Mae Liberty ascended to that big movie studio in the sky, she would have won her second Oscar. After all, her dying word was "Rosebud." But now her funeral in Hollywood is drawing raves--not to mention the threat of blackmail, a case of arson, and an uninvited corpse.

On the scene are Mae's infamously eclipsed twin sister, three generations of the loony Liberty lineage, and her niece Gilda--the sole voice of reason in this odd acting dynasty. Gilda left Tinseltown years ago, hoping never to return. Now she has become the reluctant heir to a crumbling legacy: the Paradise, a once-opulent movie palace that has preserved not only Mae's memories--but her secrets as well. With the aid of a seasoned private eye, Gilda soon discovers a tangled family plot hidden in every frame of Mae's illustrious past. And scene by scene, it's unreeling toward a fatal . . .

FADE TO BLACK

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (March 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449004074
• ISBN-13: 978-0449004074
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,386,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good mystery with quirky characters, November 24, 2000

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fade to Black (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the second of Borton's books that I have read. This is apparently the first of the series. The characters are outrageous and the mystery is pretty good also.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical old fashioned mystery, June 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fade to Black (Mass Market Paperback)

Very 90's heroine returns home after a split with her lover Liz to find she has inherited an old theatre. Her relationship raises no eyebrows with the eccentric family, all of whom have a theatrical past.

Way too many characters to keep straight. I finally got tired of re-checking whom was whose child, sister.etc..

Nothing really tense or suspenseful. Too much time is taken to point out the family's indiosyncrasies and not enough solid mystery.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wacky, Comical Mystery With A Heart, February 15, 2000

By 

Karen Bierman Hirsh (Greenwich, CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fade to Black (Mass Market Paperback)

The writing is simple but the plot is full of imagination. Star of the silver Screen, Mae Liberty abandons Hollywood for small town life yet when she dies the whole family (all of whom are some how involved in the "industry") come rushing home.

Quirky and entertaining, Mae has planned out her death scene yet all goes awry and her last word uttered is "Rosebud" - her funeral hits the papers and reporters from around the country show up but not before a murder and arson are committed.

Now her beloved niece Gilda must figure out how to keep her great-aunt's movie theater open while she tries to solve a mystery. The book is filled with flamboyant, colorful and crazy characters - all of whom you will fall in love with.

This was a funny and easy read that I highly recommend for a quick beach read or a rainy Sunday.