Melodie Johnson Howe

Running out of money, Diana Poole is forced to go back to the only work she knows: acting. Her much-loved husband and movie-star mother have died, and now Diana is over thirty-five. In Hollywood that means she might as well be dead. Still, a few key people remember her talent, and she lands a role in a new movie. But an actress should never get her hopes up, especially when she discovers the female lead's murdered body. Raised in her mother's shadow, Diana knows people in “the business”will go to dangerous lengths to protect their images. When her own life and career are threatened, Diana decides to fight back and find the killer. But unmasking the surprising murderer isn't that easy, especially when she uncovers what's real—and unreal—in her own life.

City of Mirrors

One afternoon while standing outside her newly renovated Malibu house, Diana Poole sees a woman across the highway waving at her, but Diana doesn't recognize her. Still waving, the woman walks into the oncoming cars and is killed instantly. Why would anyone do such a thing?The next night, still horrified by the accident, Diana is held at gunpoint by a man demanding the dead woman's scorpion. What kind of scorpion? A live one? A brooch? A pendant? Diana searches the accident scene and finds a diamond-encrusted object in the shape of a scorpion. Breathless, she remembers her movie-star mother showing it to her the last time she saw her alive. With the diamond-encrusted object as her only clue, Diana goes on a heart-pounding journey determined to find answers. But asking a lot of questions can upset people-especially the unpredictable killer who's stalking her.

Hold a scorpion

the Diana Poole stories

Shooting hollywood

In New York, PI Claire Conrad is accosted by a topless dancer who tells her a famous model did not commit suicide and she has a video to prove it. But before she can show it, she is killed. Conrad's probe leads her into the world of fashion. By the author of The Mother Shadow.

Beauty Dies

When a temporary job for Ellis Kenilworth leads to her playing a major role in his will, Maggie Hill enlists the aid of private eye Clair Conrad to uncover the story behind this strange event

The Mother Shadow

A forty-year-old actress tries to make a comeback—but death keeps getting in the way Diana Poole was the last of the starlets. A vibrant blonde with a quick wit and sharp intelligence, she was on her way to the top when Colin Hudson changed her mind about being famous. He was the finest screenwriter in Hollywood, and loved her well enough that she lost the acting bug forever. When he dies, he leaves Diana lonely, broke, and verging on middle age—a combination that’s difficult anywhere, but toxic in Hollywood. Thankfully, Diana still knows how to play the game. Working her old contacts and hustling for a job, she contends with crazy young ingenues, lecherous studio heads, and the cutthroat attention of her fellow fading beauties. But there’s an added twist: On and off the set, she can’t help stumbling over dead bodies. Tragedy follows Diana Poole, and in Hollywood, tragedy comes cheap.

Melodie Johnson Howe

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