Constance and Gwenyth Little
19484/5 stars
While on vacation, Gloria Rouston finds herself pushed off a bridge, and she knows it's an attempt by a family member to murder her for her large fortune. Instead of going back to her home, she uses all her cash to fix her nose and change her hair, and returns to town as Jane Cowrer, the new wife of a up-and-coming lawyer, determined to find out who wanted her dead. In the meantime, her other husband, Dick Rouston, identifies a body as Gloria's, takes over her money, and becomes engaged. Add to this an actual murder, a ghostly piano, and a whole lot of lies and secrets, and Jane/Gloria may be in too deep.
The Little sisters excel at writing laugh-out-loud slapstick comedies wrapped around a solidly good whodunnit. The Black Piano, however, has none of their signature humor. It is still a well-written novel with a nicely plotted mystery and a engrossing story. I wouldn't recommend it as the first novel to read by the Littles, as it's not a good example of their talent for the zany and absurd, but on it's own, it is certainly a good read.
