Rapier Wit by Jennifer Oakley Denslow

When an extra body turns up backstage, Quanah High School’s production of Romeo and Juliet is in trouble. Small-town high school teacher Regina Murphy has to stop directing and muster up her amateur sleuthing skills to find out who killed stern math teacher Robert Slayton, an ex-military man whose classroom demeanor has made him the center of conflicts with students, parents, and other faculty. Against the advice of Sheriff Mac Snyder, Reggie balances her day job initiating students into the mysteries of the dangling participle, explaining why stage right is the audience’s left, and confronting plagiarists to protect her students and make sure the curtain goes up on time.  (Summary via Goodreads)

In Rapier Wit by Jennifer Oakley Denslow main character Regina Murphy has a pretty good life.  She has a job she loves as a high school drama teacher at Quanah High School, has some close friends, a crush on the Sheriff and a sometimes loving cat to come home to.  But all that changes when a dead body is found back stage after rehearsals one day.....

Regina's drama class is rehearsing for their Romeo and Juliet production when she finds out that Chris, the student playing Romeo, is being taken out of the play by his very strict ex-military father who is also a teacher at Quanah High School.  Unfortunately before Regina can talk to his father to try to talk him out of taking Chris out of the play, he is found murdered back stage.

Regina and her friend Lenore who is also a teacher do some sluething of their own but when another person is found dead at the school, and Regina is threatened by a student, they don't know what to do.  They want to stop whoever is behind the murders and make their school and students safe again but they also don't want to meet the murderer face to face.  However when the Sheriff arrests Chris for the murder of his father, Regina knows he did not do it but proving it will be difficult......

Readers cannot help but fall in love with Rapier Wit instantly.  The characters are so relatable and the storyline will grab your attention instantly.  Readers will feel like they are back in high school roaming the halls trying to get to class on time.....hopefully the only difference from your own experience and the story is the murders....

Review by Missi M.