I really liked this book, a lot. When I first requested this book I had no idea that the author was the famous theatre director Linda Moore. I had often heard her name mentioned in connection with Neptune Theatre. Even then I didn't remember that she got her start in Winnipeg with famed founder of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, John Hirsch. What a legacy she has given Canada in theatre and now I find that she can write a pretty great mystery.

I really liked the bits which explained the meaning of various lines in Hamlet. Even though I took Hamlet in school and have seen it on stage several times there is always something new to glean from it. And of course, the title comes from Hamlet as well Foul deeds will rise, though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes. (Act 1, Scene 1)

Foul deeds did indeed rise to men's (and women's) eyes thanks to the determined sleuthing of Rosalind and McBride. Peter King's sudden heart attack seemed suspicious to his architect son, Daniel, so he hired McBride to look into it. Rosalind is McBride's researcher in addition to being a theatre dramaturge. She researches poisons that could bring on sudden heart attacks and discovers that yew trees, one of which grows on King's property, has poisonous berries and foliage. Before she can even tell McBride about this he is attacked in a parking lot and left for dead. Fortunately, Rosalind's friend, Sophie, was passing the parking lot on her way from rehearsal and hears McBride's dog, Molly, barking her head off. This leads her to discover McBride and soon the duo of Roz and McBride are searching out clues again. Somebody is certainly trying to put a stop to their work. Anyone who tries to help them is in danger as is Rosalind herself. Unlike a lot of PI's McBride is quite willing to bring in the police and one of the Crown Prosecutors even gets in on the act (although the attraction might be Roz and not the case). Eventually murder is proven and the perpetrator is put behind bars. Then the curtain rises on Hamlet and falls on the book.

I would hope that Linda Moore would write more but amazon doesn't seem to know of any. I'll be keeping my eyes open. ( )