GOAT SONG

A theater manager must survive the murders plaguing her small-town production in Drago’s supernatural mystery, the latest novel in the Crow Creek series.

Gabriela Rossi is the new stage manager of the Orpheum Theater in Crow Creek, North Carolina. The Italian transplant is not well liked by her colleagues, partly because she was promoted to her current position after a relatively short time at the theater. When the company’s producer is stabbed to death just days before the start of the new show, Bury Me in Autumn, the cast and crew are suspects. Gabriela is especially disturbed because, seconds before the producer’s body was found, she saw a ghost in the theater with a scar on his neck. “Beware the wolf’s mouth,” the ghost warned her. “He rises in the wolf’s mouth.” Crow Creek Sheriff Brad Gleason is on the case, and he’s happy to spend more time around Gabriela. There’s also Becky Stokes, a local reporter foaming at the mouth to cover the case. As more bodies start to pile up, the mystery becomes increasingly complex. Gabriela finds evidence of ancient rituals linked to the cult of Dionysus that call for sacrifice in the name of the dramatic tragedy. Drago’s prose is crisp and creepy, and he does a fine job incorporating the language and ethos of the theater: “When the doors open, the buzz of the invites bleeds into the house. Gabriela manages a grin. Previews should be exciting. They finally get to show off what they’ve been working on for six weeks. Isn’t that the purpose of theatre? The reason for art?” The premise gives the author an abundance of suspects and victims, and Drago keeps the reader guessing with a number of turns and reversals. A few elements ring a bit false—Gabriela’s frequent reversion to Italian words feels a bit forced—but in general, the mix of small-town claustrophobia, theatrical egos, and ancient mythology makes for an entertaining and surprisingly dark tale.

A well-crafted and immersive paranormal mystery with a Southern accent.