Docketful of Poesy: A Poetic Death Mystery (Poetic Death Mysteries) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Killian's entertaining fourth mystery to feature Grace Hollister (after 2006's Sonnet of the Sphinx) takes the literary scholar from Los Angeles to England's Lake District, where an adaptation of her memoir, Dangerous to Know, is being filmed for cable TV. After the movie's screenwriter dies in a hit-and-run in L.A., Grace gets hired as a script doctor. She shifts into gumshoe mode on the set after various mishaps, including an actor's poisoning. Might there be a link between the film company's woes and two armed men breaking into the shop of her lover, Peter Fox, a former jewel thief turned antiques dealer? When not busy researching her latest forgotten female poet, Grace investigates the film crew, finding more questions than answers. Meanwhile, misunderstandings between Grace and Peter, as well as a certain local police detective in love with Grace, threaten their relationship. Series fans will eagerly await further developments in the next installment. (Apr.)
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Product Description

Mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Theater of the Absurd takes on a whole new meaning when former teacher and Byron scholar Grace Hollister is hired as a script doctor for a cable film production. Hollywood wants to film the book Grace wrote about her her past academic (and extracurricular) exploits on location in the Lake District. At first Grace revels in reflected Hollywood glamor and her reunion with boyfriend Peter Fox, antiques dealer and former jewel thief. However, although the film's budget seems boundless, almost no one in the cast or crew seems to have much experience making movies. It's almost comical...until history begins to repeat itself for real, and then it's curtains for more than one of the cast.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Perseverance Press (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880284979
• ISBN-13: 978-1880284971
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #258,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 4 in The Poetic Death Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth waiting for!, April 28, 2009

By	B. Gallagher (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've adored Grace Hollister - and more specifically, the dashing Peter Fox - since I read the first Poetic Death mystery, "High Rhymes and Misdemeanors," way back in 2004 or so. When I heard the series had been discontinued, I was horribly disappointed, and when I got word that Perseverance Press had picked it up and there'd be a new installment, I started pestering the author for an early read.

I didn't get one, but I'm happy to say that it was worth the wait. "Docketful of Poesy" is a great read, and a worthy follow-up to the other books in the series. The switch from third person to first person point of view was interesting, in that it allowed me to connect with Grace on a more personal level than in the other books. And this fourth installment is really all about Grace's feelings: about Peter, about her other love interest, Detective Brian Drummond, about her parents, about England...

The book opens in California, for a sort of fish-out-of-water feeling. Grace is dealing with her family, and with Detective Drummond, while Peter is far, far away in England. It isn't until the action moves there, and all the players are together again on their home turf, that the book really starts to pick up speed. (Although I have to admit that the scene where Peter meets Grace's mom is pretty darned funny!)

Most of the cast of characters from the earlier books are here, including my favorites, the dangerous Catriona, and biker-librarian Roy Blake, and the way the plot loops back to previous books, and to Peter's dangerous past, is great. The background information on poetess Letitia Landon is fascinating, and the plot twist at the end of the book is masterful, and opens up for some very interesting vistas of possibility for future books. A few things get settled at the end of this one, and some loose ends get tied up very neatly, but not so many that there isn't plenty of scope to do it all over again. And again. I'm waiting!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent literary scholar amateur sleuth, April 11, 2009

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Byronic scholar Grace Hollister is excited with the cable film adaptation of her memoir Dangerous to Know. Invited to the set, she travels from Los Angeles to the movie location in the Lake District thinking this will be a fun English country holiday.

However when the TV movie's screenwriter dies in a hit-and-run, the producer hires Grace as the script doctor. Upon arrival on location, Grace notices several questionable incidents, but initially assumes it is a coincidence until a poisoning occurs. When her lover reformed jewel thief turned antiques dealer Peter Fox informs her someone broke into his shop, she begins to investigate thinking there is a link to the shop's B&E and the film's misfortunate happenings though she cannot see what that is and even doubts her theory. As she researches her next forgotten literary star project, Grace makes inquiries into the film crew.

The latest literary scholar amateur sleuth Grace Hollister (see SONNET OF THE SPHINX) is a terrific tale as the heroine holds together several intriguing subplots. Besides her research into a poet, she investigates the break-in into the antiques shop and the problems on the movie set. She also has some issues with Peter accentuated by a cop who wants her. DOCKETFUL OF POESY is a wonderful mystery as Grace uses her literary research skills to investigate HIGH RHYMES AND MISDEMEANORS.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars Danger from LA to the Lake District, September 23, 2009

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Grace Hollister is in the States attempting to finalize things to move to England permanently. But along the way, she's gotten involved in a movie. At first it was supposed to be a documentary of the book based on her first adventure with Peter Fox, but it looks like it has as much fiction as fact to it.

Grace is rattled when Peter shows up in LA after someone attempts to kill him in England. But a fatal accident only makes her fears worse. Surprisingly, the entire production moves with Grace back to the Lake District. But she just can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong. What is really happening?

I must admit that the first bit of the book was a bit surreal to me. Grace being in LA and the book being written in first person threw me. But that didn't last for more than a chapter or two as I got caught up with some characters I really love.

Unfortunately, the plot stalls near the middle. There was just too little happening for a while. But once it picked up again, it was a mad dash to the climax. The ending doesn't spell every plot point out for you, but if you think about it, everything that happens does make sense.

It was so nice to see these characters again after being gone for so long. From the ending, I'm not sure if more books are planned or not. If this ending isn't happy ever after, I'll enjoy catching up with them again.