Woman Who Fell from Grace, The [Mass Market Paperback]

David Handler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1992

Ghostwriting a sequel to Oh, Shenandoah, Hoagy believes he has landed an opportunity that will re-launch his career, until he is confronted with an otherworldly collaborator, family skeletons, and a handful of murders. Reissue. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his first hardcover appearance, novelist/ghost writer Hoagy Hoag, seen last in The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald , takes on the assignment of a lifetime--to write the sequel to the most popular novel in publishing history, Oh, Shenandoah . Alma Glaze, author of the sweeping tale of the Revolutionary War, was killed in an accident 50 years earlier, right after the equally popular film of the book was completed. When Hoagy agrees to the project, he takes on some alarming partners: domineering Mavis Glaze, Alma's sole heir; her twin brothers, Frederick and Edward, mostly dependent on their sister for financing; and nubile Mercy Glaze, Mavis's only child and heir to the Shenandoah fortune. The family housekeeper is found dead after suggesting that the mysterious death of one of the stars, which also occurred right after the film's completion, was murder. Despite the displeasure of the local sheriff, Mercy's fiance, Hoagy investigates. As he digs for ancient secrets and copes with another murder and an alienated young orphan, preparations for a vast anniversary celebration swirl around him. Handler's breezy, unpretentious and warm-hearted hero provides a breath of fresh air in a world of investigative angst.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Edgar-winning Handler's hardcover debut--another headliner in Doubleday's new Perfect Crime series--takes his ghostwriter-sleuth Stewart Hoag to Staunton, Virginia, to work on the sequel to beloved historical blockbuster Oh, Shenandoah, at the request of the family of author Alma Glaze, killed 50 years ago in a car accident. Sound familiar? Well, Alma's diary of the filming of Oh, Shenandoah puts Hoagy on the trail of a Hollywood murder and coverup, and suggests that Alma's own death was no accident. And while he's trying to sell the Glaze family (smooth, elderly twins Edward and Frederick and their crazy sister Mavis) on his theory, the present-day cast starts to get killed off too. Full of incredible coincidences and too cute by half--but Hoagy's laid-back humor is easy to take, and the convoluted mystery will keep you guessing midway through the finale. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Crimeline (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553289144
• ISBN-13: 978-0553289145
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

These days, I live in a 200-year-old carriage house in a quaint, ultra-WASPY little historic New England village. Not surprisingly, I've taken to writing a series of five (and counting) retro-cozy murder mysteries set in a quaint, ultra-WASPY little historic New England village. I call it Dorset. It's a place where everyone knows everything about everyone ' or at least they think they do. Trust me, they don't. Dorset is a place full of secrets, many of them deadly. That's where my deliciously mismatched heroes come in, both of them strangers in a very strange land. Mitch Berger, a pudgy Jewish widower, is the lead film critic for the most prestigious and therefore lowest paying of New York's three daily newspapers. Desiree Mitry is an alluring beautiful Connecticut State Trooper who happens to be black, a gifted artist and strangely drawn to Mitch. Under normal circumstances, these are two people whose paths would never cross. But absolutely nothing about Dorset is normal.

I started the series in 2001 with The Cold Blue Blood , which was nominated for a Dilys Award. My most recent hardcover, The Sweet Golden Parachute came out in the spring of 2006. The latest paperback is The Burnt Orange Sunrise , which I'm happy to report made a few bestseller lists. You absolutely don't have to read the Berger-Mitry books in order, but you'll find it a kick to follow the unfolding romance if you do. Personally, I've found them to be a real treat. I get a chance to dissect the village and the people where I actually live. Absolutely everyone in town reads them. And I have fun bringing my own subversive contemporary edge to the classic old-school village murder mystery. The books feel real fresh to me. I hope you like them.

The Berger-Mitrys are my second crime series. My first foray, which you may remember, featured the dapper celebrity ghostwriter Stewart 'Hoagy' Hoag and his faithful, neurotic basset hound Lulu. I wrote eight novels about Hoagy, a fallen literary wunderkind turned pen for hire who travels the underbelly of show business helping famous stars tell their life stories, secrets and all. Generally, there are plenty of people who wanted those secrets to stay safely buried. Generally, our jaded hero knows how to dig them out. My first Hoagy, The Man Who Died Laughing , was nominated for an Anthony Award. My best known in the series, The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald , won an Edgar and an American Mystery Award. Sadly, several of the Hoagys are out of print right now -- so you may have to do a little on-line detective work to track them down. But go for it. You'll never find another wise-cracking hero quite like Hoagy.

Do you like political thrillers? If so, I took some time off between series a few years back to co-author an international bestselling page-turner called Gideon under the name Russell Andrews. I promise you it'll knock your socks off.

I've also taken the time to write some short fiction. Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine has published several of my short stories since 2001. Two have been included in anthologies ' Opening Shots Volume Two , edited by Lawrence Block, and A Hot and Sultry Night for Crime , edited by Jeffrey Deaver.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Drawer Southern Comic Mystery!!!!!, December 21, 2003

By 

S. Henkels (Devon, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woman Who Fell from Grace (Thorndike Press Large Print Paperback Series) (Paperback)

If you're looking for an amusing page turner filled with Southern Revolutionary War Era Lore,Movie Set Hanky Panky, eccentric doggies, and even more eccentric NewYork Ghostwriters, don't miss this! A super clever whodunnit with Virginia small town folkiness, featuring everything from a "Gone With The Wind" like novel and movie, Woodrow Wilson, strange older twin brothers, a sad,very weird boy orphan, and enough laughs to keep the pages turning. This author is tops, and I hope to see more of his great books! Needless to say, this has the makings of a great flick!