Review A Players Exit by Terri Karsten
Title: A Players Exit
Publisher / Publication date: Wagonbridge Publishing (September 15, 2026)
Language: English
Print length: 300 pages
Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery
ISBN-13: 978-1-953444-28-8
ASIN: B0HD5KXH5P
Reviewed by: Janice Kehler MSc MA
A Player’s Exit: An 18th Century Whodunit
Recently widowed Penelope Corbitt has found some stability in her life and that of her daughter Nabby and son Nathaniel working as a cook in a wayside tavern in colonial Pennsylvania. She is grateful for the mild-mannered tavern owner, Mr. Miles Tucker, who also serves as the town constable. Recently a customs officer has begun an investigation into rum smuggling which has threatened the financial future of the tavern. However, the arrival of a travelling theater group appears to be a promising solution until one of the players is found dead in the tavern’s stable.
The events of the book span the day of the murder and the aftermath. Suspects are questioned by Mr. Tucker, while Penelope keeps everyone fed and watered. Secrets of the past swirl around a cast of characters as they prepare for their performance. Penelope and her children have their own secrets which complicate the investigations of Mr. Tucker. Tension mounts as the relationship between Penelope and Mr. Tucker is strained by his frustration over not being able to solve the case and his desire to marry Penelope.
Readers will enjoy the attention by the author to the historical details of time and place. This is the second book for author Terri Karsten featuring Miles and Penelope as well as extensive historical notes, colonial era recipes and a glossary of common terms that have fallen out of use. A Players Exit engages readers to fully inhabit the experience this colonial era alongside a multilayered whodunit.
Terri Karsten
Living in the shadow of the Mississippi River bluffs, Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator for many years with a keen interest in the past. Her novel, A Mistake of Consequence (2015, B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree) takes readers into Colonial America. Her second novel, When Luck Runs Out (2017) is an orphan train story for middle grade students. In 2020, Terri published The Legend of Goshado: A Japanese Folktale (a picture book) and Mindy Saves the Day (an early chapter book). Speaking engagement topics include indentured servants in Colonial America, colonial cookery, orphan trains, and writing workshops.
