Reviewed by Macki’ Wilkerson
Where? When? How? What? Why? Who? Who is exactly the question that Bury the Lead feigns to answer. I mean who would murder a seventy-year-old egotistic misogynist that has a serious history of “the grab hands” as they say. Who would go to any lengths just to keep that curtain down? Well, that’s exactly what established authors Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti team up to unravel with their quills bit by bit in this novel. The work of fiction places itself in modern times and teeters along the lines of mystery and thriller.
The novel is led by our protagonist Cat. She is a forty-five year old, journalist, divorcee with an affinity for getting to the bottom of it. And unfortunately for her that is where she is at–the bottom. After blowing a TV reporter job and becoming a fleeting symbol of feminism, she is relegated to working in the small town of Port Ellis in the journalist company of The Quill & Packet. Cat pioneers as an inquisitive, insistent journalist that uses her skills to find the truth along with a bit of rage. While Cat is a journalist, she also prides herself on being a mother and earnestly works to connect with her son.
This novel isn’t action pact out of the gate. The first three chapters are used to simply set the scene. In fact, the authors’ opening scene is a profile interview between our protagonist, Cat, and the victim (at least that’s what the coroner’s report says), Elliot Fraser. Within this scene, the audience can expect to see the slithering characteristics of Elliot Fraser as he stares at the protagonist with those blue predatory eyes while he tries to offer her a drink. As he asks his ghost writer, Hadiya, to fetch a coffee as if she’s a mere assistant. As he ignorantly greets his theater peer, Jonah Tiller despite having stolen the potential pivotal role of Hamlet oh so many years ago. Therefore, safe to say that at the end of this interview the dislike of Elliot will be rolling off of you.
Instead, key in on the mundane of it all. Enjoy the tales of the little town of Port Ellis. Enjoy the tales of the little town being modernized and updated so much so that the older residents complain about the prices. Contemplate the remodeling of the old restaurant, The Second Act. Admire the budding bonds that Cat has between people like Bruce, Glenda, Kaydence, Adeline, and Amir. Take in all of the people in the town for they are the suspects–characters of this mystery. All of these little moments and people build on the questioning and mysterious tone throughout the novel.
But, when a big body drops in a quiet, small town that thud is heard around the world especially when that body is of the reigning star, Elliot Fraser. The town is thrusted into chaos and fear as people scramble to understand who would be so cruel to murder this bright star on stage. A noteworthy quality to admire is that through Cat’s POV we are solving the mystery alongside her whilst having our own theories and suspects. It encapsulates the audience into the narrative and urges us to look at everybody in the book with one eye open, man or woman. For in this town everyone has something to hide and a web of lies is used as protection. And, if they want to protect it, they will go to any lengths to do so. Unfortunately, Cat gets caught up in those lies because she is the one out right questioning everyone, poking around about The Playhouse’s history, and her persistent attitude in breaking this big story causes tension amongst her townspeople.
Although who? Is the question of the hour, what are the driving forces in this book? Throughout the novel and through the lens of Cat, the book displays the woes and triumphs of motherhood, the dynamic of feminism, self-re-discovery, the power of money, and the stark racism within the entertainment world. It is a reflection of humans’ malice, humans’ instincts, and humans’ power in this world amongst everyone else. The authors bundle so much in these 352 pages. Though there are moments where we could use just a little bit more: the relationship between Cat and Amir or more persecution for the people that ultimately had a hand in The Playhouse’s history. However, each red string of these themes crosses and connects in finding out who did it and why? For when the dust settles, the theatre door opens once more, and the yellow tape is rolled up, “To be or to not be [for why] is the question.”