One of the topics I have enjoyed watching movies/TV and in real life as well as reading books is based around Ballet. If only I had been taught earlier on in life and a bit more graceful and coordinated, I think I would have loved to give ballet a go as I just love watching the dance and the fluidity of it. I had read previously one of the books in this series and so was excited to give this one a go. Leah is back and this time she is not only going undercover in a Broadway musical called Mad Music, but she is also dancing the lead and keeping an eye on one of the main dancers Amber. Someone has been sending threats to Amber and when Amber and another cast member turn up in hospital, it's time to up the ante as the actual police finally take notice. What will happen though when Leah finds herself a target of the same stalker? Who is threatened by her and Amber and doesn't want them in the lead? Is it one of the other dancers Carly, Natalie, or Rose? As the investigation goes along, it looks like everyone in this world has a motive, but which one is causing the damage? I did like the twist of this book and it did make you think that the world of dance and ballet more so, can be quite a cutthroat industry as age is everything, it is a career that the slightest thing can ruin forever and it can be gone in a flash. I am now looking forward to giving this author's other series which is another cozy mystery but set around a schooling environment. Murder in Fourth Position can be read as a stand-alone and is the perfect read for all ballet fans and those readers who love their mysteries more on the safe cozy side of the fence.

A great title for those that like a good murder mystery with the added benefit of dancer as a character. I would recommend to any murder mystery reader.

*I DNF’d this book at 45% *
This book is about a ballerina who goes undercover in a Broadway show to help investigate threats made to the lead actress. I struggled to engage with this book. The pacing felt off. It started out fast paced and then slowed down considerably as more and more characters and back stories were introduced. It made it difficult to care about and stay focused on the main plot. I was also turned off by the frequent mentions of diet and counting calories. The writing was very readable and may work for someone looking for a low stakes mystery.

Good book. Took some time to get into it as didn't realise it was part of a series when requesting. But after reading another popular ballet mystery I was drawn to this book and by the cover.

The story follows Leah as she navigates the New Mad music show, new friends and frenemies while also being an undercover agent to solve the mystery threat to the show's heading star, herself and the success of the show.

It was really good and the ending, not what I had expected, had me guessing the mystery stalker until the end.

This was a really interesting and unique story that was enjoyable! I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series! I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Lori Robbins, Level Best Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me. It’s one in a series and I’ve read the previous book, but I really struggled with how ‘in media res’ this was - action would happen with a character and only then would we be told who the character was or the significance of the interaction was. It’s an odd and confusing writing style.

I didn’t know this was a series so I was a little confused at the beginning.

This book was effortlessly cool. The world of ballet has always intrigued me and adding a little murder mystery made it better.

I like the plot and the characters and am definitely gonna look into the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I picked up this book without realizing it was part of a series, so that's on ke for not knowing much about the characters before diving in. As a former ballerina, I love seeing the rise in ballet content in books, but am often disappointed by the actual ballet content itself. This was not the case this time, the ballet content was believable and actually worked well within the story. Combined with a murder mystery and Broadway, it was a perfect storm for me.

Give me all the murdery ballet novels! An addicting whodunit and why in the tough world of dance and theater. Lori Robbins just became a new favorite author!! I just bought her entire backlist!

ballerina, ballet-training, professional, undercover, dancing, dance, attempted-murder, attitude-of-entitlement, fame, law-enforcement, not-accidental, musical, Broadway, cooperation, jealousy, greed, friendship, unputdownable, series, secrets, lies, life-changes, investigations*****

Former Prima Ballerina Leah Siderova had been working undercover as protection for Amber Castle who was getting a lot of threats. Then Amber is apparently poisoned at the studio and Marty the wardrobe assistant was found unconscious as well during the rehearsal for the Broadway performance of “Mad Music “. Thence the sleuthing begins with Leah continuing to assist the NYPD. There is plenty of sly humor, fascinating characters, sneaky twists, and obscure red herrings. Loved it even though I'd never read the previous books in the series.
I requested and received an EARC from Level Best Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the fourth instalment in the On Pointe Mystery series.

Thrillers revolving around intense rivalries will forever be my favourite, which is why academic or arts based ones are those I tend to gravitate towards. I knew nothing about this book but saw the cover and immediately wanted to read it.

The thriller was a solidly delivered one and I did enjoy exploring the narrative twists and turns. It did not have as much actual dance content as I had anticipated and I really wished to see more practise sessions feature.

There was also much occurring in the protagonist's past, which took the focus away from what was currently occurring even though it did have bearing on the current concerns, but this was to be expected from the fourth book in a series. I had not read the prior three novels before beginning this one so it was entirely my fault that I did not bond more with these aspects, however.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a quick read and quite a cozy little mystery. Unfortunately, when I requested the title I didn't realize that it was part of a series. I was able to fill in most of the gaps myself, but I felt like I missed some of the depth and importance of some of the character relationships. However, I enjoyed this novel enough that I will be going back and starting at the beginning of the series. Thank you so much for access to this title!

Really enjoyed this book, as a dancer in my younger years I found it really easy to connect too, and really enjoyed the read.

This was an okay story, it was a fun premise, I haven't read a murder mystery set in the world of ballet and Broadway before so that was fun and I am willing to read more of them. I didn't realise this was part of a series, but I don't think I really missed anything in the other books so that was nice.

I liked Leah as a character she was independent and very strong, her eating disorder was very much in the foreground which got a bit annoying because it was mentioned more than the things that were happening to Amber. That takes me to Amber, I couldn't really get a read on her, I still don't really know how to feel about her even after finishing the book. Detective Sobol was nice he was a good character in the book. The people in the company were just there for the story don't have much to say about them. I do wish we would have seen more from the Weird Sisters they were introduced as ladies who could help the investigation but they just ended up sitting around and storming in the room at the end.

Thank you NetGalley, Lori Robbins and the publisher for this eARC, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Level Best Books, Lori Robbins, and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

To start this book was a fun and light mystery. The setting of Broadway was perfect for someone who enjoys both Broadway and a good murder mystery. It also was very nice to read a lighter mystery that was fast paced and thrilling at some parts. Aside from the overall mystery and main plot I was thrilled by the romance added in. I would do anything to have a knight in shining armor like the main character's romantic interest.

Overall this book is great if you are looking for an amazing setting, a fun mystery, a little romance, and a quick read. I will definitley be adding more Lori Robbins' mysteries to my ever growing TBR.

*I would like to thank NetGalley for kindly offering me a copy of this book to review - all thoughts and opinions are my own*

I found the premise of this book really interesting, and it hooked me right off the bat. I loved the world of ballet that was created in this story, it was very new and refreshing! However, I had no idea this book was in a series, had I know that I would have approached it differently. At times I felt like i was playing catch- up and didn't totally follow. Nonetheless, I throughly enjoyed it!!

Murder in the Fourth Position

In her fourth On-Pointe Mystery Lori Robbins takes us backstage of a Broadway production. As in her previous books, she gives us an insider’s view of theater through the eyes of Leah a prima ballerina and amateur sleuth. When Amber Castle, star of the show receives on-line threats, Leah goes undercover with the company to find out who is putting the star in danger. Leah is determined, wise and witty. Along with Leah, Robbins paints the picture with a cast of delightful characters including an elderly dance trio called The Weird Sister, an ex-mobster named Sol and Leah’s mother, who authors murder mysteries including one entitled The Merry Knives of Windsor.

If you want to read a page-turner mystery that includes drama, humor and a realistic look at the hard work it takes to be a dancer, this is a five-star read.

I received an arc and i was so happy to dive into it because the premise for this book attracted me the most

But I could not for the life of me connect with the writing, the characters, anything
Maybe it was just not for me and some people would find it entertaining
Thank you for the arc Netgalley

I liked this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't like the writing style but overall the story was good.

Murder in Fourth Position by Lori Robbins
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Pub date: Oct. 3, 2023

Thank you Netgalley and Level Best Books for a gifted ARC of this book- my review is voluntary and my honest opinion.

I would consider this book a “cozy mystery”. It was not one that got my heart racing or had me up at night thinking about it. But it was a cute and fun read that kept me interested enough to want to find out what happened.

I wish that the weird sisters had played a bigger role. There was a big fuss made about their special skills, but in the end they really only served as a sounding board for Leah to discuss her own theories with. They were lovable characters and I wanted them to have more involvement.

My only other criticism is how prevalent Leah skipping meals and counting her calories was. I grew up in the world of dance, so I know that this is unfortunately a very real thing that dancers struggle with. I don’t mind it being mentioned once or twice, but it was talked about more than the threats to Amber were. And it didn’t add anything to story.

But other than that, Leah is a strong and independent main character. You’ll especially enjoy this if you love or have any involvement in the dance/ stage world. This is perfect short read for when you want a light cozy mystery to cuddle up with on the couch for a weekend.

I will be doing a “rapid review” of this book on my Instagram stories in the coming weeks sometime before pub date, and will save that story to my rapid review highlights