The Actress

Name: The Actress
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3 (2 reviews)
Author: Elizabeth Sims
ISBN: 9781666152227

Author: Elizabeth Sims

Series: Rita Farmer Mysteries #1

Narrator: Johanna Parker

Unabridged: 10 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/23/2021

Categories: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Suspense & Thriller

Synopsis

Aspiring actress and single mother Rita Farmer has gone from struggling to find work to downright desperate. If she doesn't land a paying job soon—horror movie, soap commercial, anything—she's afraid her ex-husband will use her dire financial straits to take away Petey, her cherished four-year-old son.

While she's charming the crowd at storytime at the LA public library, a celebrity defense attorney approaches her with an unusual job offer: So long as she's discreet, Rita can rake in a thousand dollars a day preparing his client for her appearance in court. Easy money? Hardly. His client, Eileen Tenaway, is not only a wealthy heiress and a queen of the tabloids but she's been charged with the murder of her own child. The attorney needs Rita to coach Eileen secretly to help her seem more sympathetic, more human. He needs the jury to believe not only her words but the subtle cues of body language, facial expressions, even vocal style.

Rita knows she can do it, but what she doesn't know is how determined she'll become to find out what really happened to Eileen's family—once her own life and Petey's life depend on it. The Actress, Elizabeth Sims's engrossing series debuting a spirited sleuth, delivers a fresh, behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood's high society at its lowest.

About Elizabeth Sims

Elizabeth Sims earned degrees in English from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, where she won the Tompkins Award for graduate fiction. She's worked as a reporter, photographer, technical writer, bookseller, street busker, ranch hand, corporate executive, certified lifeguard, and symphonic percussionist.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Della B on April 10, 2021

Now this was a wonderful mystery ride. Told in an entertaining first person narrative, this gay adjacent story held me spellbound. It is chock full of suspense with an eclectic cast of characters. A solid five star novel. 5⭐️......more

Goodreads review by Marjorie on January 27, 2020

3.5 Stars Well, this certainly put a smile on my face. Most of the plot is completely implausible but you know what, the very over-the-topness of it all is what saved it from falling at every hurdle. Like Los Angeles itself everything is overblown and just a facade of beautiful people, phoney wealth......more

Goodreads review by Patricia on July 30, 2018

Finally finished this one after setting it aside 2 times. Sims' previous sleuth, Lillian Byrd, was much more fun and authentic. I can't get happy with this new gal, (Can't even remember her name which says something.) I finished it a few weeks ago and I do remember that Sims pulled off some intrigui......more

Goodreads review by Scot on February 18, 2020

Very well written! An engaging mystery about a single mom would be actress in L.A. who is trying desperately to make ends meet and raise her four year old son Petey. She gets hired to help teach a Beverly Hills trophy wife accused of infanticide to develop strategies to win over the jury during the......more

Goodreads review by Lynda on March 24, 2020

I started this over a week ago and I've not been well, so reading less than usual, but I'd still only got as far as 33% and I realised it just isn't for me. I like the general idea and concept of what she's supposed to be doing BUT the author has created a main character who doesn't seem to take any......more