Performing Murder

The violent death of a famous actress rocks the rural Iowa town of Orney, where a Hollywood movie company is filming on location. Local newspaper reporter Tony Harrington is stunned by the murder, as he was one of the last people to see her alive. Tony finds himself further entwined in the case when it's learned the actress was seen riding in his car on the night she was killed, and when her former lover attacks him and his best friend.

Soon Tony's world view is shattered when someone he loves is officially charged with the murder, and the evidence collected by the authorities is indisputable. As Tony desperately seeks an alternative solution to the case, he finds it may have ties to a family secret from thirty years in the past.

As the investigation intensifies, so does the action, leaving a second person dead and a third lying on the ground with a bullet hole in his side. At the point where Tony is ready to give up and concede the unthinkable is true, a newfound love convinces him to dig deeper. Her strength, intelligence, and belief in Tony helps him cling to hope and begin to unravel the truth, right up until the murderer fights back, putting Tony in the greatest peril of his life.

Join Tony as he races against time to save an innocent man, win a woman's heart, and stop a criminal genius from once again "performing murder."

“Irresistible...Cheers to Mr. LeValley''s eagerness to keep us turning the pages--providing the unexpected critical dimension needed for a classic thriller! Another home run in the Harrington series. -MAXWELL SCHAEFFER, WHO Radio "''Hear ye, hear ye. The District Court of the State of Iowa is now in session, Judge Arnold Schroeder presiding.'' Tony groaned. Schroeder was not a man known to be kind to accused murderers." This the fourth novel in author LeValley''s series featuring small-town Iowa reporter Tony Harrington. In this narrative, Hollywood arrives to film a movie, and even more skullduggery occurs beyond the cameras than in front of them. Before long, the young newspaperman is in the middle of a murder investigation that is not part of the script the Californians have arrived to shoot. Tony''s father, Charles, is a successful novelist and screenwriter. The elder Harrington has talked the director of the film into using his son''s hamlet as the key location. As the Iowans begin to mingle with the folks from La La Land, unscripted scenes begin to play out. A cast member is murdered, and Tony''s father is charged with the crime. An enraged lover of the deceased tries to save everyone the time and expense of a trial by shooting the primary suspect. Tony falls head over heels for one of the actresses and tries to come to grips with their passionate relationship while he''s doing everything humanly possible to prove his dad''s innocence. One revelation follows another as Tony is soon in danger of being written out of this murder mystery with extreme prejudice. LeValley is a skilled storyteller who keeps his tale as credible as it is intriguing. His cast of continuing characters--Tony''s friends, family, and coworkers--all come across as real people. He provides sufficient backstory for key members of the movie crew to make them feel authentic as well. LeValley''s prose and dialogue are easy on the eye and the ear. His physical action is both suspenseful and intense without being overly brutal. In short, LeValley''s yarn is rated "E" for entertaining. -U.S. Review of Books - Joe Kilgore A movie production has come to the small rural Iowa town of Orney, bringing with it a large cast of Hollywood actors, producers, and cameras. The town''s excitement builds, in Performing Murder ; but the shoot turns lethal when a dead body is discovered floating in the country club swimming pool, further challenging the community with unwelcome change. Tony Harrington (a writer for the Orney Town Crier, one of the smallest daily newspapers in the Midwest) was one of the community members most excited about the production. Ironically, a loved one becomes a murder suspect, and Tony is drawn to investigate. After all, it was he who is at least partially responsible for Hollywood''s choice of Orney as a shoot location. What he uncovers is a hornet''s nest of secrets and issues that go far beyond perp and victim to strike at the heart of a world Tony had thought staid and straightforward, introducing questions and threats that rock the foundations of his world. Joseph LeValley does an outstanding job of involving readers in this blossoming mystery, from the opening racy scenes in which a lovemaking couple stumble upon the body in the pool to Tony''s love for his small town and his well-meaning efforts to see it (and his career as a newspaper reporter) prosper. Tony has stars in his eyes about all the possibilities, at first, but events quickly turn into something more sinister. LeValley brings both the intrigue and Tony''s maturity process to life in a series of encounters that challenge Tony and the reader to uncover the underlying influences for not just murder, but choosing evil over good. Tony''s coming of age and relationships are nicely described. They grow and change during the course of his interactions, lending the whodunit a perfect combination of intrigue and psychological depth. This will especially delight suspense story readers seeking more than a simple whodunit investigative procedural alone. Even when Tony''s guesses prove correct, the case is not resolved. Instead, it takes another twist of danger that places Tony in the position of being responsible for another''s safety or death. From the undercurrents and forces that affect this small town from within and outside to Tony''s growth process of becoming more savvy and effective, LeValley creates a compelling read, in Performing Murder, that captivates on many different levels. - Midwest Book Review - Diane Donovan”

Irresistible...Cheers to Mr. LeValley's eagerness to keep us turning the pages--providing the unexpected critical dimension needed for a classic thriller! Another home run in the Harrington series.
-MAXWELL SCHAEFFER, WHO Radio

"'Hear ye, hear ye. The District Court of the State of Iowa is now in session, Judge Arnold Schroeder presiding.' Tony groaned. Schroeder was not a man known to be kind to accused murderers."

This the fourth novel in author LeValley's series featuring small-town Iowa reporter Tony Harrington. In this narrative, Hollywood arrives to film a movie, and even more skullduggery occurs beyond the cameras than in front of them. Before long, the young newspaperman is in the middle of a murder investigation that is not part of the script the Californians have arrived to shoot.

Tony's father, Charles, is a successful novelist and screenwriter. The elder Harrington has talked the director of the film into using his son's hamlet as the key location. As the Iowans begin to mingle with the folks from La La Land, unscripted scenes begin to play out. A cast member is murdered, and Tony's father is charged with the crime. An enraged lover of the deceased tries to save everyone the time and expense of a trial by shooting the primary suspect. Tony falls head over heels for one of the actresses and tries to come to grips with their passionate relationship while he's doing everything humanly possible to prove his dad's innocence. One revelation follows another as Tony is soon in danger of being written out of this murder mystery with extreme prejudice.

LeValley is a skilled storyteller who keeps his tale as credible as it is intriguing. His cast of continuing characters--Tony's friends, family, and coworkers--all come across as real people. He provides sufficient backstory for key members of the movie crew to make them feel authentic as well. LeValley's prose and dialogue are easy on the eye and the ear. His physical action is both suspenseful and intense without being overly brutal. In short, LeValley's yarn is rated "E" for entertaining.
-U.S. Review of Books - Joe Kilgore

A movie production has come to the small rural Iowa town of Orney, bringing with it a large cast of Hollywood actors, producers, and cameras. The town's excitement builds, in Performing Murder; but the shoot turns lethal when a dead body is discovered floating in the country club swimming pool, further challenging the community with unwelcome change.

Tony Harrington (a writer for the Orney Town Crier, one of the smallest daily newspapers in the Midwest) was one of the community members most excited about the production. Ironically, a loved one becomes a murder suspect, and Tony is drawn to investigate. After all, it was he who is at least partially responsible for Hollywood's choice of Orney as a shoot location.

What he uncovers is a hornet's nest of secrets and issues that go far beyond perp and victim to strike at the heart of a world Tony had thought staid and straightforward, introducing questions and threats that rock the foundations of his world.

Joseph LeValley does an outstanding job of involving readers in this blossoming mystery, from the opening racy scenes in which a lovemaking couple stumble upon the body in the pool to Tony's love for his small town and his well-meaning efforts to see it (and his career as a newspaper reporter) prosper.

Tony has stars in his eyes about all the possibilities, at first, but events quickly turn into something more sinister. LeValley brings both the intrigue and Tony's maturity process to life in a series of encounters that challenge Tony and the reader to uncover the underlying influences for not just murder, but choosing evil over good.

Tony's coming of age and relationships are nicely described. They grow and change during the course of his interactions, lending the whodunit a perfect combination of intrigue and psychological depth. This will especially delight suspense story readers seeking more than a simple whodunit investigative procedural alone.

Even when Tony's guesses prove correct, the case is not resolved. Instead, it takes another twist of danger that places Tony in the position of being responsible for another's safety or death.

From the undercurrents and forces that affect this small town from within and outside to Tony's growth process of becoming more savvy and effective, LeValley creates a compelling read, in Performing Murder, that captivates on many different levels.
- Midwest Book Review - Diane Donovan

Joseph LeValley describes his life as filled with "outrageous good fortune." He is the author of the award-winning mysteries/thrillers Burying the Lede and Cry from an Unknown Grave. In early 2021, he published his third novel, The Third Side of Murder. Prior to becoming an author, Joe was a reporter-photographer for daily newspapers for seven years. Subsequently, he served for more than 30 years as a healthcare executive. During that time, he and his team won four national awards for communications excellence. Also a musician and composer, Joe plays drums and guitar. In 2016, he was inducted with the Mourning Glory Rock Band into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. A lifelong Iowan, Joe has a degree in journalism from Drake University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Jane have six children and live in Dallas County Iowa. To learn more, visit his website: josephlevalley.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

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