Drama Daddy: A Nicky and Noah Mystery Novelette: Nicky and Noah Mysteries, #17

By Joe Cosentino

Summer stock, romance, and murder blossom at Treemeadow College on July 4th when theatre professors and husbands Nicky and Noah and their thespian cohorts stage an original gay musical adaptation heralding the signing of the Declaration of Independence entitled, I Do Declare. Nicky and Noah need to use their drama skills to catch the killer before the frills on their collars are tied in a knot—around their throats. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino's fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining novelette (mystery #17) in this delightful series. Take your seats. It's Independence Day! The curtain and fireworks are going up on an enamored John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who raise Ben Franklin's kite, Daddy John Dick-in-son, John Hand-cock, George Washington and his French squeeze Guy Raffleur, and murder!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joe Cosentino
• Release date: Jul 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215589014

Joe Cosentino

JOE COSENTINO was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery novel. He is also the author of the remaining Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama Prince, Drama Merry, Drama Daddy, and Drama King; the Player Piano Mysteries: The Player and The Player's Encore; the Jana Lane Mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Moving Forward, Stepping Out, New Beginnings, Happy Endings; the In My Heart Anthology: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star; the Tales from Fairyland Anthology: The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland and Holiday Tales from Fairyland; the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel; and the Found At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando. His books have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O'Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College, Master's degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is a happily married emeritus college theatre professor residing in New York State.

Book preview

Praise for the award-winning Nicky and Noah mysteries:

Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his use of farce, along with his convoluted plotlines, will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven't discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat. Divine Magazine

"a combination of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote…Loaded with puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion still has a surprise in store for you." Optimumm Book Reviews

adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet….I can’t find anything not to love about this series….This read had me laughing and falling in love….Nicky and Noah are my favorite gay couple. Urban Book Reviews

For fans of Joe Cosentino's hilarious mysteries, this is another vintage story with more cheeky asides and subplots right, left and centre….The story is fast paced, funny and sassy. The writing is very witty with lots of tongue-in-cheek humour….Highly recommended. Boy Meets Boy Reviews

Every entry of the Nicky and Noah mystery series is rife with intrigue, calamity, and hilarity…Cosentino keeps us guessing - and laughing - until the end, as well as leaving us breathlessly anticipating the next Nicky and Noah thriller. Edge Media Network

This is one hilarious series with a heart, and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend them all, and please read them in the order they were written for full blown laugh out loud reading pleasure! Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

A laugh and a murder, done in the style we have all come to love….This had me from the first paragraph….Another wonderful story with characters you know and love! Crystals Many Reviewers

These two are so entertaining….Their tactics in finding clues and the crazy funny interactions between characters keeps the pages turning. For most of the book if I wasn't laughing, I was grinning. Jo and Isa Love Books

Superb fun from start to finish, for me this series gets stronger with every book, and that’s saying something because the benchmark was set so very high with book 1. Three Books Over the Rainbow

The Nicky and Noah Mysteries series is perfect for fans of the cozy mystery sub-genre. They mix tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top characters, a wee bit of political commentary, and suspense into a sweet little mystery solved by Nicky and Noah, theatre professors for whom all the world’s a stage. Prism Book Alliance

The Nicky and Noah Mysteries by Joe Cosentino

Drama Queen

Drama Muscle

Drama Cruise

Drama Luau

Drama Detective

Drama Fraternity

Drama Castle

Drama Dance

Drama Faerie

Drama Runway

Drama Christmas

Drama Pan

Drama TV

Drama Oz

Drama Prince

Drama Merry

Drama Daddy (novelette)

Drama King

DRAMA DADDY

a Nicky and Noah mystery novelette

Joe Cosentino

Copyright 2023 Joe Cosentino

Published in the USA

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s very vivid imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author. This novelette is for mature readers.

Cover and interior design by Fred Wolinsky

Dedication

To Fred for everything over all these years, my family, and all the readers who love Nicky and Noah as much as I do, and everyone seeking a drama daddy.

Cast of Characters

I Do Declare Dramatis Personae:

Nicky Abbondanza, Professor of Play Directing, Director, John Adams

Noah Oliver, Associate Professor of Acting, Nicky’s husband, Acting Coach, Thomas Jefferson

Martin Anderson, Theatre Department Chair, Professor of Theatre Management, Nicky and Noah’s best friend, Playwright, Abigail Adams

Ruben Markinson, Martin’s husband, Producer, Props, Benjamin Franklin

Taavi Kapule Oliver Abbondanza, Nicky and Noah’s son, Courier 1

Ty Wilde Anderson Markinson, Martin and Ruben’s son, Courier II

Detective Jose Manuello, King George III

Asterisk Oliver Abbondanza, Nicky and Noah’s dog, Georgie (the king’s dog)

Sami Zaman, Graduate Assistant of Music, Musical Director, Edward Rutledge

Haku Yamato, Assistant Professor of Dance, Choreographer, John Dickinson

Hank Tobias, Professor of Music, Caesar Rodney

Hector Alvarez, Theatre major, George Washington

Philippe Laurent, Theatre major, Guy Raffleur III (Washington’s lover)

Adrienne Rambo, Theatre major, Stage Manager

Maggie Tobias, Costumes, Set décor

Family:

Bonnie (Mom) Oliver, Noah’s mother

Scott (Dad) Oliver, Noah’s father

Valentina (Mama) Abbondanza, Nicky’s mother

Giacomo (Papa) Abbondanza, the ghost of Nicky’s father

We’ll Never Tell:

Dean, Dean, Dean, and Deano of Dean University

Passion Heat, Suds Steamy, and Brick Bulge of The Hot and the Horny

Chapter One

During a recess of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia stand under the attendance board for the thirteen states. The oldest of the trio, Benjamin Franklin, adjusts his spectacles and recalls how his kite and key led to the discovery of electricity. Then glancing over at manly Adams and handsome Jefferson, Franklin puts an arm around both men while crooning the up-tempo, You Electrify Me. After the three men execute a swivel hip jazz dance, Abigail Adams enters, bemoaning her fate in the torch song, Gay Husband, Sad Life. The song turns into a lively bump and grind number. As Abigail begins to exit in excited anticipation of a Sappho visit to Martha Jefferson, the remaining members of Congress enter hurrying toward the colonial desks and chairs. Abigail bumps into Rutledge who knocks into Dickinson as the members of Congress hit the deck like falling dominos. Abigail’s wig, hip pads, and falsies fly across the stage.

Stop! It’s me Nicky Abbondanza, PhD, which in my case stands for Piping Hot Daddy. All the world’s a stage to me—with me in the spotlight. I’m Professor of Play Directing in picturesque and cozy Treemeadow College in picturesque and cozy Vermont. Treemeadow was named after its gay founders, Tree and Meadow, whose bronze statues line the campus entrance. They are put to great use when pigeons or partying students need to relieve themselves. In case you haven’t read my novels, here’s a little lesson for you Nicky and Noah virgins. I’m tall with dark hair (thanks to hair dye for men), a muscular body (curtesy of the torture chamber known as the gym on campus), emerald