Toni Ney, once a ballet dancer herself is now earning her daily bread as an exercise expert and reviewing ballet part time for a local newspaper. The same day in the early forties that her soldier boyfriend Eric Skeets comes home on furlough Tony is off to the Civic Opera to review a ballet that is intended to take New York by storm. The premier danseur is Russian Vova Izlomin who is a poor example of a human being but makes up for this by the artistry of his dancing. Just lately returning to the dancing scene, he has been in seclusion after a severe schizophrenic break down. The ballet is intended to show him at his very best, reconditioned in top form.

The beginning of the ballet goes off beautifully and the audience is appropriately awed, but suddenly the main attraction had disappeared. he is found later hanging from some ropes high up back stage. You can describe the rats warren of a multistory back stage to me a million times and I will never quite get a picture of what they are talking about. I always envision a ship's deck with spars, ropes, hooks and pulleys all over the place.

Thus the story unfolds. Did the dancer crack yet again, or did a jealous rival or doting wife do him in? Inspector Anthony Torrent of the NYPD needs Toni's help to understand the nuances of the behind the scenes life at a ballet theater. Toni enjoys helping him out because she has a good eye for detail and she loves the excitement of the hunt. She also has a roving eye that has lit on a handsome wealthy tomcat of a man who is on his third marriage and who is also looking for a new fancy. This is one part of the story that disappoints because it shows that Toni's judgement is lacking.

The story has an intricate finale much like any ballet and well worth the read. I am sorry the series is so short. There is a beautiful Rue Morgue edition that Goodreads doesn't show so don't judge by the no picture icon. ( )

The body of Vova Izlomin,principal dancer of the American Ballet company is found hanging from a backstage rope. A former dancer and ballet reviewer,Toni Ney is on hand to assist the police with sorting out the many conflicting aspects of life in a Ballet Company,
Interesting overview of the world of Ballet but less so of the world of crime and murder. The main character of Toni Ney is a card-board cut-out character and colorless with it. However some of the members of the ballet Company are much better described and come over as quite interesting individuals.
As always with this publisher,a well produced and stylish book. ( )