The Long Shadow on the Stage by Nichole Heydenburge

Release: August 10th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Amazon
Source: Love Books Tours
Find it at: Amazon

Jackson Birkman has the perfect life: the lead role on the popular detective show “Dispatching David,” millions of adoring fans, celebrity status, and a beautiful girlfriend. After five seasons, “Dispatching David” has just been cancelled. Jackson worries about the approaching final episode more than his future acting career. His once massive fortune is dwindling and his girlfriend Clara is pressuring him to propose.

When Jackson unexpectedly dies on the set of the TV show during filming, everyone speculates whether it was suicide or murder. Why would Jackson commit suicide? Moreover, if it was a setup, who would want Jackson to die? And most importantly, what was the motive of the murderer? As the investigation continues, Officer Wilson inches closer to the truth, uncovering Jackson’s secrets. She is of the view that no one really knew Jackson at all, however determines to solve the case, no matter the cost.

About the Author:

Nichole Heydenburg earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English with an emphasis in writing and a minor in theatre from Adrian College in 2014. Also, her one act play “The Hidden Story” won a playwriting contest and was performed at her alma mater in 2015. She also had several poems published in “The Oxcart” literary magazine. Nichole has been working full-time as the Content Manager for a start-up company for 3 years. When she isn’t writing, Nichole enjoys going on adventures with her husband, reading, playing board games, and the occasional mimosa. “The Long Shadow on the Stage” is her first novel. She currently resides near Asheville, NC with her husband, Zed.

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The Long Shadow on the Stage Review:

This book was a short, entertaining murder mystery novel revolving around the lives of TV stars.

There are many things which I enjoyed about the story. The plot is unique and intriguing for a murder mystery novel. There were some scenes which shocked me, like the way the culprit kidnaps Jackson and how he kills him. The author also throws quite a few red herrings that keeps you guessing as to who the murderer is. Moreover, the story-line toggles between various timelines and perspectives, which was interesting as we get each character’s take on the plot. The author does a nice job of making you feel like the character has committed the perfect crime, where he/she cannot be caught.

Moreover, the author also wrote the characters really well where she marks most of them as a prime suspect. Personally, I liked all the three characters Jackson, Edgar and Clara, and thought each of them brought something new to the plot. Moreover, I really liked Officer Wilson and the frustration she went through to solve the case. The story really picks up speed towards the end as she tries to figure out who the murderer is.

However, the ending felt anticlimactic. After all the buildup, I felt like the story-line still had unresolved, open-ended questions. From the author’s note, it seems that a follow up book would be released to continue the plot. While this is fine, I was under the impression that this was a standalone, and was a bit disappointed with the lack of closure.

Apart from that, this is a solid murder mystery novel that I enjoyed reading.