The Eighth R.A. Huber Novel
Alice Zogg’s eighth mystery novel, MURDER AT THE CUBBYHOLE, is set in Pasadena, California. Who killed the aspiring young actress, Megan Maguire, and just as importantly, why? Megan’s parents hire R. A. Huber to find out. Huber and her spunky assistant Andi set about to unravel the obscure reason for the murder. The young victim’s short life had revolved around an amateur theater group where she had played the lead character role of Vanity in the play From Sin to Virtue. Among the murder suspects are the young woman’s roommate, her employer, the owners of the Cubbyhole Theater, her acting instructor, and several of her fellow cast members, including the director. There is also Megan’s old boyfriend to consider, and the investigating pair cannot rule out her parents. Gradually, the mystery evolves and comes to a climax when Huber and Andi put their own lives on the line in order to corner the villain.
Murder at the Cubbyhole is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book format at
www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com
Purchase Information
Publisher: Aventine Press (March 2012)
Hardcover ISBN number: 978-1-59330-757-8
Paperback ISBN number: 978-1-59330-756-1
eBook Edition ISBN number: 978-1-4566-0760-9
Excerpt from Chapter 1
Megan rose to her feet from a kneeling position, lifted her eyes and arms to heaven and proclaimed, “I swear to God and to the world, justice is ultimately served!”
The final curtain of the play "From Sin to Virtue" fell, and tremendous applause thundered through the small playhouse. When it was raised again and the entire cast took a unanimous bow, the enthusiastic audience gave a standing ovation.
A tall and portly man in center-fifth orchestra row scrambled to his feet and cried out, “Amateurs!”
His companion, a small bald man, raising his voice in an effort to be heard over the noise of people clapping, stated, “I liked it.”
“A bunch of amateurs,” the former insisted, “The characters Vanity and Mother Earth were the only ones worth a damn, until Vanity screwed up her last line!”
“I didn’t notice,” the bald man murmured as he followed his friend out of the theater.
People shuffled toward the exit of the auditorium as cast members made themselves available in the lobby for a chat with fans.
Minutes later, Megan sat at her dressing table backstage, taking off the heavy stage makeup. She stared at her mirror image, lost in thought. The young woman was well cast as the character Vanity with her hazel eyes, thick dark-brown hair, high cheekbones, 22-inch waist, and a general air of arrogance. Did I get the point across with my last line? Will anyone even make the connection? she wondered. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about and I’m just paranoid, she reflected, shrugging off her fear. Then she glanced at the corner table and noticed the pot of exquisite Cattleya orchids with fuchsia and light-pink flowers peeking out of its bright red aluminum foil wrapping. How sweet, a Valentine from a fan, she thought. Searching for a card and finding none, she bent over the orchid pot, reaching deep into its depth.
An ear-piercing explosion shook the dressing room, and her last thought before she left this world was, “They wasted no time!”