television series (imagine a cross between Three’s Company and Friends). The stage show features most of the original cast, including Drake Purslow, Jude’s former boyfriend, who played the landlord on the series. When Jude goes backstage on closing night to congratulate him, she discovers instead that his head has been bashed in, apparently the result of a falling prop (a mid-80s bulky computer). Jude spots a bloody shoe print near the body and suspects foul play, since no one reported the death. That’s all Jude and Carole need to begin their investigations. And when Carole discovers another TV series cast member had died of an apparent overdose after attending another show at the same theater a few years after the TV series, the pair suspect the deaths are connected.

Simon Brett’s Charles Paris stories are popular largely because of the author’s background in the theater, which gives them an authentic feel and allows him to include many bits of interesting stage trivia. Death in the Dressing Room has that same insider feel. The Clincham Theater, where Purslow meets his demise, is not a shoebox venue for local players; it’s a 1,000-seat edifice suitable for hosting touring productions originating in London. Brett gives readers an insider’s insight into how the theater operates. He also gives his readers a better feel for the workings of British television, at least in the 1980s. Death in the Dressing Room isn’t a relic of the 1980s, though. The author brings social media into the storyline and other plot developments that are very much a product of the current decade. I really enjoyed the book’s authentic feel for its background subject matter.

As a mystery, Death in the Dressing Room is good, but those who enjoy the challenge of figuring out whodunit may be a bit frustrated. In the best Detection Club fair play tradition, the author reveals all the clues readers need to figure out what really happened 30 years earlier and in the present day. However, some crucial details aren’t revealed until very late in the book, just before Jude and Carole describe what happened. (Whether either death is a murder is one element of the ultimate puzzle Carole and Jude solve.) I figured out part of the mystery in advance, but not the last elements, which relied on the last information the author provided.

The author’s humor is clear throughout Death in the Dressing Room. For example, Carole describes her feelings about X (the former Twitter): “Everything she read about X made it sound like the gateway to a contemporary form of hell. A hell where scammers were out to scam you, trolls were out to vilify you, and crooked salesmen would blackmail you into buying bitcoins.” Observations like that abound in the book, much to my (and probably most readers) amusement. The highlight is a charity function that one of the House/Home actors arranges in memory of the deceased Drake. The event features something I’d never heard of: a celebrity tug-of-war.

I have not read any previous Fethering novels, so I hadn’t been exposed to Carole and Jude. However, when I began Death in the Dressing Room, I realized some background research might be in order. The relationship between the pair has developed over 22 books, and newcomers to the series and its amateur detectives might sometimes get confused. The two don’t consider each other friends, but friendly rivals in a game of sleuthing one-upmanship. Carole’s favorite research method is Googling (not X, as she noted), although she reluctantly goes to the Clincham Theater as a volunteer, so she can poke around in their old records. (Not surprisingly, she discovers a significant clue in those records.) By contrast, Jade relies on her background and charm to interview potential witnesses and gain their confidence. Both methods lead to the story’s ultimate solution.

One problem with the book was the author resorting to unwarranted shortcuts to move the story along. Neither Carole nor Jade is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. Sometimes, their deductions are a matter of plot convenience. The most egregious example is how Carole figured out Drake’s death was related to the one that occurred 30 years earlier. Since her internet research into Drake’s death had gone nowhere, she decided to research the previous death… because she could. I doubt Hercule Poirot adopted many lines of inquiry in his career merely because he could.

Death in the Dressing Room is an amusing trifle for those who enjoy this type of cozy mystery. Readers’ enjoyment of this book will depend on their tolerance for the main characters. I wasn’t overly impressed by Jude and Carole. Perhaps I’d have enjoyed the book more if I had read any earlier books in the series. However, it’s a short work (under 200 pages) that moves quickly. The author’s industry insights and humor, along with the good central mystery, are enough for me to give the book a solid recommendation. Simon Brett can take another bow.  

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.