Dead On The Dance Floor

Lara Trudeau, one of the top ballroom dancers, dances her last dance, a spectacular performance, only to wind up dead on the dance floor. Cause: cardiac arrest due to a mix of prescription drugs and alcohol. Most believe it to be an accident, but Shannon doesn't. Sure, Lara was known to take a pill or two right before a dance to calm her nerves, but she never mixed with alcohol. To Shannon, it doesn't add up, but everyone else is convinced… all except for Doug O'Casey.

Doug had been sleeping with Lara and doesn't believe that Lara would have done that to herself either. Being a cop, and everyone at Moonlight Sonata dance studio knows that, he asks his brother, Quinn, to investigate. Quinn, a P.I., doesn't really want the job - he's supposed to be on vacation, sees the distress in Doug and reluctantly agrees.

Quinn begins asking questions, seeming innocent, but Shannon is suspicious of him, just as he is suspicious of her. Shannon was previously Ben's dance partner, but after a broken ankle, Ben had moved on to Lara, eventually marrying her, then divorcing. If anyone would be a suspect of murder, it would be Shannon. But Quinn spends more time with Shannon, becoming convinced it isn't her, and getting closer to her all the time. He's falling for her, just as she is for him, and neither are really liking the idea.

I would have never guessed who it was. There were too many possibilities, and at one point, it didn't make sense. You do get the point at the end, but it still leaves a bad taste. It was like the book was hastily written without any real thought. Surprising just the same.

Enough details of ballroom dancing so that you get the idea of what's going on. If you watch Dancing with the Stars, you'll catch on really quick. I do think, however, that the ballroom dancing angle was played just a little bit overboard.

Shannon and Quinn start off hot and heavy and remain that way. Other than the sparks between them, I didn't feel much spark in the rest of the novel, which would be disappointing for me. I've always given Graham's novels at least a 4-star rating if not a 5 - this one doesn't deserve that much from me. But I won't give up on her.

I love the book! It had me guessing right to the end.