A Curtain Falls (Simon Ziele Series #2)

by Stefanie Pintoff

Overview

The careers of New York City detective Simon Ziele and his former partner, Captain Declan Mulvaney, went in remarkably different directions after the tragic death of Ziele's fiancée in the 1904 General Slocum ferry disaster. While earmarked for bigger things, Ziele moved north of the city to escape the violence, and Mulvaney dug in deeper, heading up the precinct in the most crime-ridden part of New York.

Yet with all of the resources at Mulvaney's disposal, a puzzling crime compels him to ask his former partner for help. A chorus girl has been found dead on a Broadway stage dressed as the lead. There is no sign of violence. The coroner would call it a suicide, but then she'd be the second actress to die that way in only days.

Following on the heels of Pintoff's Edgar Award–winning debut, A Curtain Falls is a moody and evocative tale that follows Ziele as he scours the streets in search of a true fiend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312573218
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	05/10/2011
Series:	Simon Ziele Series , #2
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Stefanie Pintoff is the author of In the Shadow of Gotham and Secret of the White Rose. In the Shadow of Gotham is the winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Washington Irving Book Prize, and she has earned nominations for the Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards. She is also a graduate of Columbia University Law School and has a Ph.D. in literature from New York University. Now a full-time writer, she lives with her husband and daughter on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Reading Group Guide

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the meaning(s) of the title A Curtain Falls.

2. Charles Frohman is a real historical figure credited with inventing the "star system" that shaped early Broadway (and was later used in the Hollywood studios of the 1930s and 1940s). What are the rules of his system? How do they infuse an environment already marked by greed, ambition, and jealousy?

3. At the heart of any series is the continual emotional development of the principal characters from book to book. Which character grows the most in this book? How?

4. In addition to serving as a physical location, the Broadway theater is almost a character is its own right. Does this setting add to the novel? What kinds of details bring it alive?

5. The essence of theater is the blurred line between appearance and reality, truth and lies. In what ways does this theme lie at the heart of A Curtain Falls?

6. The author depicts many representations of family, relationships, and the nature of grief. How do characters compensate for absence and loss? Which are the most successful? Why do you think that is?

7. Detective Ziele struggles with his newfound knowledge when he discovers Timothy Poe's true situation. Did you find his struggle true to his character and time period?

8. What is your favorite scene in the book and why?

Editorial Reviews

Stefanie Pintoff shows how the best in historical fiction not only unveils our past, but shows how our modern concerns evolved. . . . Her detailed characters and gripping plot about greed, jealousy, and obsession for fame set A Curtain Falls on a higher plane.” —Oline Cogdill, Sun-Sentinel

“This worthy sequel to Pintoff's acclaimed Edgar Award–winning debut, In the Shadow of Gotham, brings to life New York's theater world at the turn of the twentieth century and the fledgling science of criminology. Fans of Caleb Carr will like this one.” —Library Journal (starred review) on A Curtain Falls

From the Publisher

Set in New York City in 1906, Pintoff's worthy sequel to her Edgar-finalist debut, In the Shadow of Gotham (2009), finds Det. Simon Zeile pursuing another sensational case. When chorus girl Annie Germaine turns up dead on a Manhattan theatrical stage, dressed in the outfit of the company's leading lady, Broadway impresario Charles Frohman asks the authorities to keep the tragedy as quiet as possible so the news won't affect the box office receipts. Next to Annie's body, which shows no marks of violence, is a cryptic note. Zeile soon learns that another actress, presumed to be a suicide, was found dead on another stage three weeks earlier, dressed up with a similar note next to her body. Certain that a serial killer is at work, the detective again consults criminologist Alistair Sinclair, who helped him investigate in the previous book. A larger pool of suspects would have benefited the plot, but the convincing period detail and expert storytelling will hook most readers. (May)

Publishers Weekly

It's boom times in 1906 New York City, and the theater world is thriving. When a chorus girl is found dead on a Broadway stage, Capt. Declan Mulvaney asks his former partner Simon Ziele to help out. With the help of criminologist Alistair Sinclair and his daughter-in-law, Ziele must use all of his investigative powers, along with Sinclair's insights into motive and society, to solve this one. VERDICT This worthy sequel to Pintoff's acclaimed Edgar Award-nominated debut, In the Shadow of Gotham, brings to life New York's theater world at the turn of the 20th century and the fledgling science of criminology. Fans of Caleb Carr will like this one. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/10; library marketing.]

Library Journal