Actor Nora Blake finds her dream job when she is cast in a murder-mystery troupe that performs in an imposing but captivating old castle. When she stumbles upon a real murder, things take a nightmarish turn in this first book in an exciting new series. Maybe it was too good to be true, but when Nora Blake accepted the job from Derek Corby, proprietor of Castle Dark, she could not see any downsides. She would sink her acting chops into the troupe’s intricately staged murder-mystery shows, earn free room and board in the fairy tale–like castle, and make friends with her new roommates, which include some seriously adorable kittens. But something sinister lurks behind the walls of Castle Dark. During Nora’s second performance, one of her castmates plays the part of the victim a little too well. So well, in fact, that no one can revive him. He has been murdered. Not ready to give up her dream gig—or to be the next victim—Nora sets out to see which one of her fellow actors has taken the role of a murderous real-life villain. Praise for Death in Castle Dark "A promising new series with a charming heroine, plenty of romance, and a generous portion of red herrings."--Kirkus Reviews Veronica Bond is the pseudonym of a beloved author who has taught high school English for twenty-nine years. 1 The Road to Castle Dark We call them all Inspector," Derek Corby had told me during my interview. "Most mystery parties assign the guests as suspects who have to learn their backstories and then stumble their way through conveying that information to everyone. That's how we're different: our visitors are detectives-all the same detective, actually-and they get badges and notebooks when they enter. Then they can jot down notes as they dine, as they mingle in the drawing room, as they walk the grounds with the suspects. And this is why we can charge so much for the Castle Dark experience, and why people are more than willing to pay it, by the way: we hire real actors, we cater elegant dinners, and we give people the experience of total immersion. They are living in this castle, moving from room to room, touching the objects, sitting on the furniture. And when they leave, they feel clever, because they took notes and made observations and came up with theories. Our customers routinely rate us at five stars, and almost ninety percent of them return for new story lines." Derek had been the first surprise about Castle Dark. I had expected, for some reason, a bearded old man who looked vaguely like a sea captain. Derek was young, perhaps thirty-five, dark-haired, clean-shaven, and well-dressed. He had a thick swoop of coffee-colored hair that gave him a slightly Byronic appearance and a charming smile that he employed on a regular basis. I might even have developed a crush on him except that I sensed he already had a great deal of esteem for himself. "It sounds very interesting," I'd said. I wasn't convinced, and the interview itself had happened in a nondescript office in a Chicago strip mall. Derek assured me that I had already earned a chance at a second interview. "Then you'll see the castle itself, and you'll get a sense of how fun it is to be in the cast. And while I know the pay I'm offering isn't exactly princely, our actors have told me that it's a real bargain to get a room in the castle and to eat catered meals. Room and board-that would certainly help a struggling actor, wouldn't it?" It would. And so far, it had been his best selling point. The idea of joining the cast of a murder-mystery party at some "castle" that his great-grandfather had built in a wooded area in Wood Glen, Illinois, sounded a little bit creepy and rather trite, as well. And the name-Castle Dark-sounded like some dreadful video game that my little brothers would play. Derek studied my expression and seemed to read my mind. "I know you're a good actor, Nora. Sheena Preston sent me a tape of your audition for Evita. You were terrific. Your acting, your singing. The fact that you accompanied yourself on the piano-it's obvious that you're a natural talent. Frankly, after seeing that recording, I was shocked that she cast the person she did." It still rankled; I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I was surprised, as well. I thought I had the part." "Still, Sheena was impressed with you, and she knew I had an opening." Someone named Carly who had previously played the role of the secretary had left abruptly to get married, he had told me with a dour expression. "It's a great role. Yes, everyone has to be a bit melodramatic, but there is a lot of fun to be had with melodrama, and our set is fantastic." He punctuated this idea by thumping his hand on his desk. "Our props are amazing." Thump. "The whole experience will be worth your while." "It's a neat offer, Derek," I said, prepared to turn him down. He held up a hand. "Take a day. Look at our website. Read the reviews. Check out the virtual tour. And then come see me at the castle; if your an