Author:
Writer, singer and actor Joanne Sydney Lessner draws on her own experiences pursuing a performing career in New York City for her acclaimed Isobel Spice Mysteries. With her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, she has co-authored several musicals, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango and Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman, opening Off Broadway in November 2019. Her play Critical Mass received its Off Broadway premiere in October 2010. Joanne is also a regular contributor to Opera News and a graduate of Yale University.

In the world of PR, there’s only one crime worse than killing a deal—killing a client. 

Aspiring actress and office temp Isobel Spice finds a warm welcome at Dove & Flight Public Relations, thanks to her old school friend Katrina Campbell. However, the atmosphere chills considerably when Isobel unwittingly serves an important client a deadly dose of poisoned coffee. Her stalwart temp agent, James Cooke, rushes to her aid, but balks when he learns that the victim was the fraternity brother who got him expelled from college. News that Dove & Flight is being acquired by an international conglomerate quickly supplants the murder as the hot topic of office gossip, but Isobel is convinced the two events are related. When all roads of inquiry lead back to Katrina, Isobel is forced to consider the possibility that her friend’s killer instincts go beyond public relations.

Bad Publicity

Isobel stared at the phone. Either it was too painful for James to admit she'd seen him in that condition, or he had no memory at all of her being in his apartment the night before. He was certainly aware of her presence at the time - he had practically begged her to stay. Now she wondered what would have happened if she had. That lame "Oh, I was planning to call you" didn't fool her for a second. That's what she said whenever her mother called. He was avoiding her. Why had he even bothered to accept her invitation to Delphi's play? Maybe because he knew she wouldn't dare mention last night with other people around - 


Her stomach lurched. What on earth had she been thinking? She was going with Hugh! She had been so desperate to invent a reason for calling James that she'd completely forgotten. She groaned and put her face in her hands. Now what? She supposed she'd have to tough it out and just hope they didn't get into another dick-swinging competition. 


Chapter 39