Cape May, 1947. Cole Harper thought he was taking a simple case—check on an aging vaudeville star for his worried son. But Marigold House, a crumbling seaside boarding house filled with retired vaudeville performers, has more secrets than applause lines.

When a magician's disappearing act goes wrong and his glamorous—if somewhat faded—assistant, Vivacious Vivian, a one-time burlesque dancer, vanishes mid-performance, Harper finds himself caught in a tangle of backstage grudges, fading glory, and dangerous illusions. The residents may be past their prime, but their rivalries are still razor-sharp—and someone is playing for keeps.

Harper can't help noticing the whispers about Lucinda—the supposed daughter of the Salerno crime family who disappeared nineteen years ago. He wasn't hired to find her, and digging too deep could be dangerous. Still, in Harper's world, trouble has a way of finding him.

From a wisecracking ventriloquist's dummy that seems to have a mind of its own to the jealousies lurking in the wings, nothing at Marigold House is quite what it seems. As the storm clouds gather, Harper must separate the old showbiz tricks from a deadly new game—and decide how close he's willing to get before the curtain falls for good.

Final Acts at Marigold House is classic noir with a theatrical twist—where the truth doesn't always take a bow, and walking away can be the smartest act of all.