Alexis Koetting’s Triple Threat

Alexis Koetting has an impressive theatre and TV/film c.v., and her three Bella James mystery novels, featuring an amateur sleuth who is an actor at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival, provide a fun insider glimpse into the world of acting. Triple Threat is Koetting’s second novel, following Encore (and preceding Revival).

Bella is juggling multiple demands on her time. She’s been cast as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and she has a jealous understudy to contend with during rehearsals. On top of that, she’s been voluntold to participate in an Artist-in-the-classroom program, a laudable community initiative that will place her in a local high school to work with a long-time drama teacher.

But when Bella reports for her first day at the school, she learns that the teacher to whom she was assigned has died suddenly that very morning. It initially looks like a suicide, but the police soon determine that it was murder.

Because of Bella’s effectiveness in helping with a previous investigation, she is asked to serve as an informal civilian assistant: her role at the school provides her with the opportunity to get to know some of the most likely suspects, including both students and staff members.

It turns out that the victim, the energetic and affable Al Macie, has made more than a few enemies over the years.

His small Ontario community has been mostly–but not entirely–accepting of his sexuality.

Al has enraged a devoutly religious father by continuing to offer his gifted daughter coaching for her theatre school auditions, and he also seems to have been keeping secrets from his loving partner, Glynn. The teacher who replaces Al, Vincent, has a long and complex history with him, dating back to their own university days. Did he idolize Al, or resent him?

Koetting has a light touch and writes well-paced short chapters that include extensive snappy and realistic dialogue. Her character depictions are memorable, and Bella is a winning protagonist. Happily in love with the veterinarian who helped save her dog in the previous book, Bella is slowly moving towards greater vulnerability and intimacy in her relationship. Having lost her parents at a young age, Bella learned early to be self-sufficient, but her growing trust in her partner (who has his own painful history of loss) is offering a new foundation for her life.

The rehearsal scenes and depictions of theatre training exercises are a lot of fun. Koetting doesn’t linger over scenes of violence, but she is adept at portraying the impact of grief and loss on her characters.

An excellent follow-up to Koetting’s début novel, which was nominated for multiple awards. This one is just as worthy of applause.