On This Page
Description
During a period of 'resting', actor Charles Paris takes on a job as a house painter. Arriving for work at the flat above a fashionable Holland Park restaurant, he discovers the mutilated body of chef Yves Lafeu. It would appear to be an open-and-shut case. Yves' business partner Tristram Gowers caught the night boat to France within hours of a spectacular public quarrel with Yves, and has now disappeared. But is there more to it than that? Charles Paris determines to find out..
Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
His writing style is very assured. Reading one of his mysteries feels a bit like taking a mini vacation. I will have to look for more of the C. Paris books.
Loved the kick-off quotation: "With respect to the extravagance of actors, as a traditional character, it is not to be wondered at. They live from hand to mouth: they plunge from want into luxury; they have no means of making money *breed*, and all professions that do not live by turning money into money, or have not a certainty of accumulating it in the end by parsimony, spend it. Uncertain of the future, they make sure of the present moment. This is not unwise."
William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) "On Actors and Acting"
Loved the kick-off quotation: "With respect to the extravagance of actors, as a traditional character, it is not to be wondered at. They live from hand to mouth: they plunge from want into luxury; they have no means of making money *breed*, and all professions that do not live by turning money into money, or have not a certainty of accumulating it in the end by parsimony, spend it. Uncertain of the future, they make sure of the present moment. This is not unwise."
William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) "On Actors and Acting"
This series started pretty high up the scale and just gets better.
Poor old Charles Paris; his career has reached such a low that he signs up to be a painter and decorator. Needless to say, the first house that he enters contains a dead body and we're off.
The expected array of red herrings later, Mr P solves another pleasing case - and there's a call from the National Theatre: has his star risen at last? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Poor old Charles Paris; his career has reached such a low that he signs up to be a painter and decorator. Needless to say, the first house that he enters contains a dead body and we're off.
The expected array of red herrings later, Mr P solves another pleasing case - and there's a call from the National Theatre: has his star risen at last? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
171+ Works 10,075 Members
Simon Brett was born in Worcester Park, Surrey on October 28, 1945. He attended Dulwich College and then Wadham College, Oxford, where he studied English. Between 1967 and 1977, he was a producer with BBC Radio. He also spent a couple of years working for Thames Television. In 1975, he published his first 'Charles Paris' novel. By 1979, Brett had show more become a full-time writer. He has written and edited children's books, humorous novels and several anthologies. In 1986, he introduced another sleuth: Mrs Pargeter. As well as the Charles Paris and Mrs. Pargeter detective series, he is also the author of the radio and television series After Henry, the radio series No Commitments and the bestselling How to be a Little Sod . His novel A Shock to the System was filmed starring Michael Caine. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Not Dead, Only Resting
- Original publication date
- 1984
- People/Characters
- Charles Paris; Tristam Gowers; Yves Lafeu; William Bartlemas; Kevin O'Rourke
- Important places
- England, UK; Tryst Restaurant
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 123
- Popularity
- 256,220
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.40)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 16
- ASINs
- 2
