The Last Line

Featuring a neurodiverse lead living with Tourette Syndrome, Ellie Marlowe is ready for a curtain call as her latest production sells out, but when the starring male lead drops dead, and everyone in the cast is a potential suspect or the next victim, she must catch a killer before they pull another show stopping murder.

The new production at Ellie Marlowe’s community theater could save her from financial ruin, if only her overbearing lead, Reginald Thornton IV, wasn’t determined to antagonize every cast member. Nervous and with her Tourette Syndrome flaring, Ellie is delighted when opening night goes off without a hitch. But when Reginald’s death scene at the end of the play turns out to be all too real, she quickly comes crashing down.


What is assumed to be a heart attack is soon revealed to be an overdose from a combination of drugs. State police dismiss the death and decline to investigate, even though Reginald's widow insists he never used drugs. Unconvinced, Ellie and her childhood friend, the local chief of police, Bill Starlin, begin investigating. When Reginald’s widow is attacked in her own home, they are sure that something sinister is waiting in the wings.

As Ellie and Bill reveal connections between cast members, they uncover dark secrets and must race to find the killer before it’s curtains for someone else.