Murder Unprompted

Charles Paris is Jessica Fletcher with a big bottle of Bell’s Scotch Whiskey close at hand. He is a failed father and husband with a less-than-mediocre acting career. How he is not known as the jinx of the British theatre is a mystery because whenever he shows up, someone soon to be a corpse won’t be bar behind. Unfortunately for the murderers, he is an observant guy who is very good at putting the clues together.
In Murder Unprompted, the victim is an aging star who has his lines fed to him by a gadget quaintly known as a “deaf aid.”
If you like cozies with a noir edge, you can’t do better than Simon Brett.

I wouldn't mind having been fooled by the denouement of this book, had I not heard it as a radio production some years back! I am usually pretty good at working these tales out and Simon Brett plays a blinder: I was there, I had uncovered the culprit just ahead of our hero, Charles Paris. The only problem was, one deft, but entirely reasonable, side step in the plot, and I am left trailing in the detective's wake.

This book is something of a slow burner. It is well into the pages before a crime is committed and approaching the end ere we are treated to confirmation that the obvious solution, agreed by all, is incorrect. This might have lead to a boring book: whisper it quietly, but when this approach is used by the Queen of the Whodunit show more (Dame Agatha), the early pages become something of a trial. Brett keeps our interest with an insiders knowledge of the setting up of a play, from writing to production on the West End. He also intrigues us with a side plot of a crooked producer which is so plausible, that I bet it comes from real life.

The murder plot is entirely implausible, but our author creates a world in which it not only seems possible, but inevitable. A thoroughly entertaining read: I can't wait for a few years to pass so that I will have forgotten the solution and allow me to be fooled again. show less

A debut play by a history-teacher-turned-playwright may not sound like a vehicle for success, but The Hooded Owl did so well in its run in Taunton that it earned a transfer to the West End. Charles Paris, playing the second-most-important male character, seems set for stardom. But then he and the male lead are replaced with TV stars to boost the West End run’s chances of success. Charles stays on as understudy to his original part, but the original lead actor is less happy about his demotion. The stage is set for murder…

This mystery was exactly what I needed at this time. I like mysteries set in the theatre, and this series delivers the goods in terms of atmosphere. Having read only one other book in this series previously (What show more Bloody Man is That?, about a production of the Scottish play), I enjoyed the glimpse into Charles’s family life as well and did not feel lost in spite of my unfamiliarity with previous installments. So this series works for those who like to read out of order, like I do.

This is a fun, light read if you like mysteries set in the theatre. It may not be Ngaio Marsh, but it does the job. show less

This is an excellent backstager, marred only by a murder mystery. I was thoroughly enjoying the characters and situation, and for more than half the book there was a lot to enjoy. Then the murder happened (I suppose it was inevitable--I knew going in it was a mystery, I'd asked at the mystery bookshop for a good mystery to read) and I had to divide my focus between the fascinating story of life on-and-off the stage, and the less fascinating story of the whodunnit. Not-really-a-spoiler-alert: the reveal's not all that thrilling or satisfying or believable.

But I enjoyed all the rest of it so much that I'll seek out more by the author--if the rest of his books are just as good but with better mysteries, then I've found a new fave. For the show more non-mystery bits, 4 stars--for the mystery, 2 stars--hence, 3 stars overall. show less

I loved the theatre workings and characters. The main character Charles Paris is perfectly and even charmingly fallible. But the psychology of the murderer was so unconvincing that it drug the whole thing down.

In this series it is sometimes difficult to suss out the reason for the title. This one is clear. Good news for Charles as he gets his chance at the lead role in The West End. And he performs without drinking!

NOTES TO SELF:

series rec by CPi
don't need to read in order
fine break from string of more serious reads
mystery didn't happen until ~60% in