There’s something about a body center stage. Or backstage. Or anywhere in and around the theatre. For as long as there has been crime fiction, it seems, the colorful cast of fictional detectives and amateur sleuths have trod the boards with the best of them, bringing drama and justice in equal measure. And as a professional dramatist and eternal “drama nerd,” these have always been some of my favorite reads.
While I was taking a break from playwriting (thanks to a pesky pandemic) and starting to work on There’s No Murder Like Show Murder – available July 23 from Crooked Lane Books – I took stock of what makes for a good showbiz whodunnit. For starters, the backstage world is full of larger-than-life personalities, ensuring a lineup of fascinating suspects. These people work in an art form that thrives on masking reality, creating a fantasy for an audience and a puzzle for a detective. And as the mystery unfolds, things take an inevitable turn for the dramatic – emotions run higher, betrayal cuts deeper, motives are writ larger, and screams ring out louder in a darkened auditorium.
So, what would this playwright-turned-mystery-novelist recommend to someone hoping to dive into a tale of deadly dramatics? Read on for a few titles I love…
THE TWIST OF A KNIFE
By Anthony Horowitz
The first book on this list is also one of the newest. This installment in his ever-inventive Horowitz and Hawthorne series finds a fictionalized version of the author himself accused of murdering a critic who gave his West End premiere a scathing review. (Writers everywhere might sympathize a little too much with this motive.) If you’ve ever wondered what goes through a playwright’s head on opening night, Horowitz captures it perfectly. The horror of being locked up for a crime you didn’t commit only slightly outweighs the agony of wondering if your favorite line will get a laugh.
CAST, IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE
By Simon Brett
One of my favorite things about a backstage mystery is a peek at the absurdity that often underpins the art. This is the book that kicked off the Charles Paris mystery series, and it’s easy to see what kept readers coming back for twenty books over fifty years. A failing actor sets out to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy producer, donning disguises and stepping in and out of character along the way. It’s certainly a time capsule for 1970s London, and Paris isn’t always the most likable…but few great detectives are! For extra fun, check out the radio dramatization narrated by Bill Nighy.
THREE ACT TRAGEDY
By Agatha Christie
The Queen of Crime Fiction knew that an actor didn’t need to be onstage to cause a scene. (Maybe it’s all the time she spent as a playwright, herself.) This fascinating, twisty whodunnit starts at a dinner party hosted by renowned thespian Sir. Charles Cartwright. But when a guest is poisoned by a cocktail without a trace of poison in it, Cartwright must share a spotlight with the legendary Hercule Poirot and the delightful Mr. Satterthwaite as they bring the drama to a satisfying end.
REHEARSED TO DEATH
By Frank Anthony Polito
Of course, the magic of theatre isn’t exclusive to Broadway and the West End, and this book proves that even on smaller stages, the drama can feel just as big. In this “quozy” (queer cozy mystery) from the Domestic Partners in Crime series, two husbands team up to solve the murder that could bring the curtain down on their upcoming production. For readers who love cozies, this book hits all the marks: amateur sleuths, quirky characters, and adorable dogs. And for the cozy-curious, this is a fresh, contemporary way into the genre with a great mystery at its heart.
THE MURDER WHEEL
By Tom Mead
This book is another recent release and one I couldn’t stop talking about for days after completing it. Although the story starts with a locked room mystery on a ferris wheel – a puzzle I’m still marveling about – its illusionist-turned-sleuth soon finds his way to the stage and dressing room of a theater. After the incredible Death and the Conjurer introduced me to magician Joseph Spector, it was a treat to see this follow-up call him back to the stage.
MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS
By Louise Hare
This book brings the glitz and glamor of showbiz to the open ocean. I dare you not to fall in love with and root for the struggling actress at the center of this historical mystery, even before she finds herself mixed up in a murder en route to her Broadway debut. This book will transport you aboard the Queen Mary in 1936, where Lena Aldridge’s cabaret act is met with prejudice, betrayal, and murder. The historical details kept me enchanted and the mystery kept the pages turning.
ENTER A MURDERER
By Ngaio Marsh
Another Golden Age entry on the list, the second of Marsh’s books featuring Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. The sleuth happens to be in the audience when the most hated member of the cast is shot center stage in the middle of a performance. This one had me absolutely stumped, and the theatre history buff in me loved this realistic peek at the backstage world of 1930s New Zealand. Marsh even brought her famous sleuth back to the theatre in Night at the Vulcan years later.
QUICK CURTAIN
By Alan Melville
And if you’re looking for something a bit more satirical, this Golden Age gem has a similar setup but a significant increase in laughs. (I drew a few curious glances chuckling at this in a quiet waiting room.) Fans of the recent season of Only Murders in the Building will find echoes of its theatrical plot and lighthearted tone here. At times it’s hard to believe that this crime comedy classic is ninety years old. With all their drama and theatrics, thespians can be a lot of fun, too!
Honorable mentions, of course, go to the many murder mysteries in the “theatre adjacent” world of film and television. HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE by Kellye Garrett puts a struggling actor in the role of amateur sleuth, FINAL CUT by Marjorie McGowan does the same with a canny costumer, and EVERYBODY KNOWS by Jordan Harper is a contemporary noir that offers an unvarnished peek at the darker side of showbiz. Just to name a few.
Maybe it’s the smell of greasepaint, the glare of the spotlight, or the intoxicating allure of the applause, but there is something about theatre that brings out the very best and worst of humanity. In all these recommendations, colorful characters give convincing performances on and off the stage, blurring the lines between truth and fiction to create a truly challenging puzzle to solve. I’m honored to add There’s No Murder Like Show Murder to their ranks of showbiz whodunnits that have come before. For these and all the rest I may have missed, I give a heartfelt round of applause.
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