BOOK REVIEW: The Strangling on the Stage, by Simon Brett (The Fethering Mysteries)

There's no doubt in my mind that Simon Brett is a very talented mystery writer. He's responsible for one of my favourite mystery novels of all time, The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor. He's also a very prolific writer and, in my opinion, not always consistent. This book, for instance, is definitely not one of my favourites.

It started out with some great elements. It's set in the world of amateur theatre ("SADOS" not "am-drams"), which is always fun. It reminded me of "The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies," by Laura Levine, or the movie Hot Fuzz in that respect. 

Of course it's strange to read a Simon Brett mystery about the theatre without having Charles Paris show up, but I suppose Paris is an amateur detective but a professional actor so he wouldn't be anywhere near the am-drams (sorry, SADOS). But it's a good setting, flush with drama, histrionics and things not being as they appear.

Which brings us to the murder, the so-called 'strangling on the stage.' It seems straight forward enough. A prop Velcro noose is replaced with a real one and an actor is hanged while reahearsing a gallows scene. So who switched the ropes? Seems simple enough but it felt like 150 pages are devoted to nothing else but this question. I really could have used a few subplots to keep the interest up.

And if I never read the words "drinkie things" again in my life, it'll be too soon. It's what the SADOS members call their after theatre cocktails and according to my e-reader the phrase appears over thirty times in the book. I don't believe that. I'm sure it was more like 200 times. And we don't actually get to see much "drinkie"-ing!

The whole book could have taken a cue from that old Elvis song, "A Little Less Conversation (A Little More Action)". And no "drinkie things"!

BOOK DETAILS:
The Strangling on the Stage
A Fethering Mystery
by Simon Brett
Publisher: Creme de la Crime
Publication Date: February 1, 2014
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Source: NetGalley


MENTIONED IN THIS REVIEW:

Gingerbread Cookie
Murder
(my review)

The Christmas Crimes
at Puzzel Manor
(my review)

Hot Fuzz

A Little Less Conversation

BOOK REVIEW: The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor, by Simon Brett

The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor

Author: Simon Brett

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Publication Date: October 15, 1992

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Source: I borrowed this from my local library years ago. Now that I think about it, I should probably buy myself a copy.

I read this ages ago (probably 10 years or more) and I can't remember if I ever wrote a review, even in the form of notes to myself about the book. Nonetheless, I do remember that it is one of my favourite mystery books of all time ever. Full stop. It contains puzzles throughout the book, usually at the end or beginning of each chapter and, although you can just keep reading to see how the protagonists solve the puzzles, the plot of the whodunnit advances better if you solve the mysteries yourself as you go. And unlike the Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall, it's not just crosswords or Sudoku. It's clever logic problems and other brain teasers that are left by the killer for the sleuths--and the reader--to find and solve. I LOVE LOVE LOVED it so much that I sincerely wished it was not only one in a series but one in a genre of mystery novels.