Hippolyta Halfpenny is a quiet, steady presence in a family that thrives on theatricality and makes their living in an unusual way: They’re professional mourners.
In Naomi Stephens’s soon-to-be-released murder mystery, “Don’t Upstage the Body,” when a client wants a bigger crowd or a more respectable-looking send-off, Halfpenny’s family shows up in black under aliases, padding the pews and dabbing dry eyes.
