Hi, I’m Evelyn Galloway. A typical day in my life would be considered rather extraordinary for many people. You see, I work as a script supervisor for the director, Alfred Hitchcock. We’re currently hard at work on the film, “Foreign Correspondent” starring Joel McCrea and Larraine Day. It’s Mr. Hitchcock’s second film here in the U.S. and it’s set to be a real corker: action, suspense, romance, and spies.
German spies.
Except we’re not allowed to call them German spies. Since the United States is not involved with the war raging through Europe, the film industry needs to be mindful not to use inflammatory anti-German language or imagery. The Germans have even appointed a representative to the film censor’s office to keep a watchful eye out for scenes and dialogue that might be construed as anti-Nazi.
And so, for “Foreign Correspondent” we have Boravian spies – Mr. Hitchcock’s clever little riff on the term, “Bavarian.” I only hope it’s clever enough to pass the aforementioned German envoy.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the role of a script supervisor, I am the person who is hired to analyze a script in order to time scenes and note requirements to wardrobe, props, and makeup. On set, I monitor continuity to ensure nothing changes between shots, i.e. an actor holding a cigarette in his left hand and then suddenly holding it in his right.
Most importantly, I mark the script to confirm that every line of dialogue and every bit of action is captured on film. Only when a script supervisor has verified that a scene has captured all the necessary elements does a director declare that a shoot is complete. That last line makes it sound as if I hold quite a bit power on set.
I don’t. Mr. Hitchcock respects both my opinion and my expertise, but ultimately, what he says goes.
However, what I do have is a terrific eye for detail. So, when I ran into tearful aspiring actress, Phobe Dillon, in the ladies’ room at RKO Studios, I knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. Phoebe claimed she had audition jitters, but I was convinced that she was frightened of something or someone.
It seems as if I might have been right, for later that evening, Phoebe Dillon was discovered strangled to death in a vacant lot downtown.
The weekend before she died, Phoebe attended a birthday party for producer Monty Carpenter, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Errol Flynn, Mickey Rooney, and other members of the Hollywood A-list.
However, it would appear that some of Monty’s guests have something to hide. If my powers of observation are correct, there are powerful dark forces currently at play in the film industry. But just how did a twenty-three-year old waitress and aspiring actress factor into their shocking plans?
AN A-LIST FOR MURDER
Series: An Evelyn Galloway Mystery, Book 2
Genre: A Historical Cozy Mystery, 1940s
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
An irresistible historical cozy series featuring Evelyn Galloway, Hollywood script supervisor turned sleuth!
The list you’d die to be on . . .
March, 1940, and script supervisor Evelyn Galloway is enjoying being reunited with Alfred Hitchcock on his new film. Until twenty-three-year-old Phoebe Dillon, an aspiring actress hoping to be an extra in the movie, is found strangled in downtown L.A. Evelyn encountered Phoebe in the studio just hours before she died. Did she really have audition jitters as she claimed, or was she frightened of something— or someone?
When Evelyn learns that Phoebe attended a birthday party for film producer Monty Carpenter the previous weekend, rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s A-list, she quickly makes disturbing discoveries about some of the guests. It seems that powerful dark forces are at play in the film industry during war—and the reason for Phoebe’s murder is more shocking than Evelyn could ever have imagined.
About the author
Author of 22 traditionally published mysteries, including the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Vermont Country Living Mysteries, and Tish Tarragon Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade (amypatriciameade.com)is a native of Long Island, NY, where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.
After serving as a technical writer for a management coaching firm and composing catalog copy for the Vermont Country Store, Amy relocated to southwest England, where she was a featured author at Agatha Christie’s Annual Greenway Literary Festival.
Amy now resides in Upstate New York with her musician husband and her two cats and serves as President of the Upper Hudson Chapter of Sisters in Crime.