Corpse de Ballet (37 page)

As the machine clicked off, the phrase at last returned to Juliet's memory. “Next time.” So that was what he had meant. Her new business card materialized in the air before her:

JULIET BODINE

ROMANCE NOVELS PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS

She liked it. Maybe she'd get a P.I.'s license while avoiding her next book?

Cheerfully, she picked up the phone.

Acknowledgments

This book was written with the help of many people. Among those who generously shared their expertise, their literary insights, and their encouragement are Dr. Alan Astrow, Ann Banks, Professor Robert J. Castelli, Ellen Chuse, Lieutenant Vincent DiDonato, Waverly Fitzgerald, Louisa Geswaldo, Dr. Alan Gribetz, Jessica Gribetz, Carol Hill, Caryn James, Gara LaMarche, Miriam Miller, Madeleine Monette, Brian Morton, Jill Nathanson, Dr. Gale Organist, Mary Pope Osborne, Dr. David B. Pall, Lieutenant Regina Rogers, Debbie Sankey, Sean Savoye, Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Laura Shapiro, Ellen Walker, and Lawrence Weschler. Mary Evans, who represented this book, and Hope Dellon, who edited it, are brilliant exemplars of their respective professions. Thank you.

 

PRAISE FOR ELLEN PALL'S

CORPSE DE BALLET

“Utterly delicious, this clever, teasing, sophisticated mystery is the perfect book for a cozy chair, champagne, and bonbons.”

—Lynne Sharon Schwartz

“A sparkling tale of life—and death—among dancers in the high stakes world of New York City ballet,
Corpse de Ballet
will captivate any reader who has ever succumbed to the delights of dance.”

—Joanne Dobson

“Given that choreographers and dancers often plot each other's murders, Ellen Pall's loving and very funny satire is full of witty insights and little wisdoms on the grandiose world of ballet, and moves with the fluidity of a dance.”

—Lar Lubovitch

“Pall really delivers the goods here and makes the backstage world of ballet come unforgettably to life.… Sheer fun.… Even if you've never been to a ballet or cared to do so, you'll be caught up in this book.”

—
Denver Post

“Pall's initial pirouette in mystery writing is well-turned, indeed.”

—
Trenton Times

“In a delightful variation on the locked-room murder mystery … Pall entertains, surprises, and charms.”

—
Tampa Tribune and Times

“The story is scintillating and puzzling.”

—
Romantic Times

“A wonderful plot, a fascinating look at the world of ballet, and a unique approach to sleuthing.”

—
Library Journal

CORPSE DE BALLET

Copyright © 2001 by Ellen Pall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001019174

ISBN: 0-312-98010-8

St. Martin's Press hardcover edition / June 2001

St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / August 2002

St. Martin's Paperbacks are published by St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

eISBN 9781466827813

First eBook edition: August 2012