"Fun police procedural romance"

Having attained first prize in every ballroom competition that she competed in, everyone agrees that Lara Trudeau is the dancing queen though all agree that the Prima Donna is a detestable nasty egomaniac. Currently, she is expected to triumph again as she vies for the trophy of the Universe of Champions event. However, this time during one of her classy moves Lara abruptly dies fittingly on the floor where she reigned as the monarch of dance.

Quinn O'Casey heads the investigation into the ballroom dance queen death that seems so suspicious. However, he goes undercover to learn what he can about the regulars, employees and owner of the Moonlight Sonata Dance Studio. His deepest interest is in the owner Shannon MacKay, but he is not sure if he wants to handcuff her as a criminal or as the woman he is falling in love with.

Police procedural romance readers will take great delight with the terrific DEAD ON THE DANCE FLOOR. The story line hooks the audience from the first step until the final pirouette. Because Lara is universally loathed, Quinn has too many suspects to contend with, but Shannon is the most obvious of all. Adding to his tension is he wants to not only believe in her innocence he wants to dance with her preferably in the bedroom not the ballroom. Shannon is his ideal partner so that the audience obtains a fine story that in many ways feels like a modernization of the classic film Laura.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted February 23, 2004

New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham choreographs a sexy thriller of passion and murder...

Summary

Accomplished dancer Lara Trudeau drops dead of a heart attack brought on by a lethal combination of booze and pills. To former private investigator Quinn O'Casey, it's a simple case of death by misadventure. But when his brother Doug, a Miami-Dade patrolman, asks for help, he can't refuse. Especially when he learns that Lara and Doug—a student at the Moonlight Sonata dance studio where Lara occasionally taught—were having an affair. And despite Quinn's lack of interest in the case and even less in dancing, experience has taught him not to count on the obvious when it comes to murder.

Going undercover as a dance student, Quinn meets studio manager Shannon Mackay, a beautiful, graceful woman who has left world-class competition to teach. He also uncovers some disturbing facts. Everyone there had a reason to hate Lara Trudeau, a woman as ruthless as she was talented. As a drama of broken hearts, shattered dreams and tangled motives unfolds, Quinn begins looking for a killer.

In a city where pleasure drugs are a fast and dangerous high, Quinn is alarmed by the growing number of deaths due to overdoses, illegal substances and execution-style shootings connected to the Moonlight Sonata. Shannon, too, has begun to wonder if strange events surrounding the studio have a deeper source. She suspects she's being followed. Worse, she fears someone may be trying to kill her.