Jane Jeffry's friend, Shelley Nowack, has agreed to find caterers to provide meals for participants in a play the local community college is putting on and asks Jane to help her. Jane agrees, figuring she can work on her latest hobby, needlepoint, while watching the rehearsal. She also hopes to get some ideas for a new book that she is writing. But Jane gets more than she bargained for when an actor in the play is murdered and the janitor at the theater is attacked. Jane's longtime boyfriend, police Detective Mel van Dyne, in investigating the case and asks for Jane's help as she knows the cast and crew quite well. Jane has plenty of suspects for Mel, including the director-playwright, Steven Imry and all the cast members.

Jill Churchill's last Jane Jeffrey mystery "Bell, Book, and Scandal" was pretty bad but I had hoped that was just a one-time thing. Unfortunately, "A Midsummer Night's Scream" is almost as bad, if not worse. Outside of Jane's success as a novelist, there is no character development and the only new interesting character is Gloria Bunting. The writing is stiff and some passages, such as the needlepoint class instructions seem like they are quoted from books. The dialogue is awkward and artificial and at least once Churchill loses track of which character is speaking. Even cozy bits, such as Jane's cat catching a mole are badly written and feel forced.

The Jane Jeffry mystery series used to be a light, cozy, pleasant read and it's a shame to see the series go downhill so fast. I recommend reading the other books in the series and skipping the last two. Hopefully that the next one will be better and puts the series back on track. ( )

I use to read Jill Churchill books all the time, but stopped a few years ago because each seemed so much the same. So, I thought I would try it again. It's an easy read mystery, but leaves you wanting so much more from it. Maybe less catering info and more mystery might have helped! ( )

Jane and Shelley have a new interest: The stage – a run-down old theater that Shelley's husband rescued from demolition and donated to a local college drama department. Students are in rehearsal for a play written by a teacher/director, a surefire bomb in the making, distinctly lacking style, wit, or substance.
Though Jane'' interest is culinary–helping Shelley try out new caterers on the students who are on a "fast-track" summer schedule and are only free in time to get to the theater.
What scenes there are, with petty off-stage feuds and jealousies, ego trips and power plays between the clueless teacher/director /scriptwriter and his cast. Even the presence of two aging professional thespians - a lecherous old boozer, and his genteel, seriously gifted wife can save the dreadful production.
The plot takes darker turn when a rebellious young performer exits right on a gurney on the way to the mortuary. The attack on the janitor who comes in and cleans overnight, and has an interesting secret, forces Jane and Shelley to help Mel out with what they've learned about the actors and crew – stage hands, scene painters, costumers, and lighting experts.
A 'light' cosy read. I think the language and scenarios are a bit too 'everyday' for me ( )