The Last Line

Featuring a neurodiverse lead living with Tourette’s 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, but her overbearing lead, Reginald Thornton IV, is determined to antagonize every cast member. Nervous and with her Tourette’s syndrome flaring, Ellie is relieved when opening night seems to be going well. But then Reginald’s death scene at the end of the play turns out to be all too real.

The state police write the death off as a heart attack, but several things don’t add up, and Ellie and her childhood friend, Bill Starlin, the local chief of police, begin investigating. When another person linked to the theater is attacked, they’re convinced a killer is on the loose.

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.

Scott Lyerly was born in Washington DC, and grew up just over the line in Silver Spring, Maryland. He attended school at the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. He worked for nearly a decade as a bookseller but eventually made the job into corporate retail. He currently works as an IT Manager for a large retail company. He lives in central Massachusetts with his family.