A second witty, fun, 1970s-set whodunnit in the Lowe and Le Breton mysteries series, featuring two ageing actors attempting to solve a murder after their famous co-star is found dead in a doorway outside the theatre in which they’re performing. Nostalgic cosy crime that’s perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Death & Croissants.
It’s 1971 and, in between filming seasons of Floggit and Leggit, ageing actors Edward Lowe and John Le Breton sign up for a short run of Shakespearean tragedies at the Bolton Playhouse. But, once in Lancashire, they discover they have been invited to join the theatre’s repertory company for two reasons – because the company manager is keen to take advantage of the publicity surrounding their successful BBC comedy series, and because Sir Nathaniel Thompson, the much-lauded star of the show and knight of the realm, has been sacked for drunkenness.
John fears an awkward scene, should Thompson – who he knew during the war – return to reclaim his job, but when the great actor’s body is found, bludgeoned to death in a nearby alleyway, the unlikely crime-solving duo find themselves investigating another fiendish mystery that takes them from the northwest of England to the Netherlands, and which, rather inconveniently, seems to have John’s ex-wife Sally at its heart.
Death at the Playhouses is the second in The Lowe and Le Breton Mysteries series.
Praise for Death at the Dress Rehearsal
“Death at the Dress Rehearsal is certain to find a place in the hearts of cosy crime readers everywhere, with its breezy prose, its witty observations and the often hilarious interplay between its two thespian leads – not to mention the cracking mystery at its heart. Stuart Douglas has just delivered the best cosy crime novel since The Appeal.” George Mann, author of the Newbury & Hobbes series
“It was a joy to be in the company of these Dad's Army Detectives. I read the whole book in one sitting. Hugely enjoyable and lots of fun.” Nev Fountain, author of The Fan Who Knew Too Much
“Glorious and ingenious! What a lovely start to what I hope will be a long-running series!” Paul Magrs, author of Exchange
“Death at the Dress Rehearsal is a real tootsy-pop of a mystery thriller, with an irresistible conceit and enough twists and turns to bamboozle the most conscientious of armchair sleuths. Think you won’t love it? Who do you think you are kidding…?” Steve Cole, author of the Young Bond series
“Holmes and Watson by way of Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier; a wonderfully mismatched duo who you can't help falling in love with.” Amy Walker, Trans-Scribe
“Not many authors can write a book where each character has a unique voice. In most cases the inner monologues are much the same, the authorial voice thinly veiled. But not many authors are Stuart Douglas. Edward Lowe and John Le Breton are two of the most unique and disparate crime solvers you could find. Actors as unalike in their dispositions as their methods.” Elizabeth Lefebvre, Strange & Random Happenstance
Stuart Douglas is an author and editor based in Edinburgh. He runs Obverse Books, and has written four Sherlock Holmes novels for Titan Books. In 2016, he co-created the award winning Black Archive series of books, and has also written and edited novellas and short story anthologies for several publishers.
A second witty, fun, 1970s-set whodunnit in the Lowe and Le Breton mysteries series, featuring two ageing actors attempting to solve a murder after their famous co-star is found dead in a doorway outside the theatre in which they’re performing. Nostalgic cosy crime that’s perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Death & Croissants.
It’s 1971 and, in between filming seasons of Floggit and Leggit, ageing actors Edward Lowe and John Le Breton sign up for a short run of Shakespearean tragedies at the Bolton Playhouse. But, once in Lancashire, they discover they have been invited to join the theatre’s repertory company for two reasons – because the company manager is keen to take advantage of the publicity surrounding their successful BBC comedy series, and because Sir Nathaniel Thompson, the much-lauded star of the show and knight of the realm, has been sacked for drunkenness.
John fears an awkward scene, should Thompson – who he knew during the war – return to reclaim his job, but when the great actor’s body is found, bludgeoned to death in a nearby alleyway, the unlikely crime-solving duo find themselves investigating another fiendish mystery that takes them from the northwest of England to the Netherlands, and which, rather inconveniently, seems to have John’s ex-wife Sally at its heart.
Death at the Playhouses is the second in The Lowe and Le Breton Mysteries series.
Reviews
Praise for Death at the Dress Rehearsal
“Death at the Dress Rehearsal is certain to find a place in the hearts of cosy crime readers everywhere, with its breezy prose, its witty observations and the often hilarious interplay between its two thespian leads – not to mention the cracking mystery at its heart. Stuart Douglas has just delivered the best cosy crime novel since The Appeal.” George Mann, author of the Newbury & Hobbes series
“It was a joy to be in the company of these Dad's Army Detectives. I read the whole book in one sitting. Hugely enjoyable and lots of fun.” Nev Fountain, author of The Fan Who Knew Too Much
“Glorious and ingenious! What a lovely start to what I hope will be a long-running series!” Paul Magrs, author of Exchange
“Death at the Dress Rehearsal is a real tootsy-pop of a mystery thriller, with an irresistible conceit and enough twists and turns to bamboozle the most conscientious of armchair sleuths. Think you won’t love it? Who do you think you are kidding…?” Steve Cole, author of the Young Bond series
“Holmes and Watson by way of Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier; a wonderfully mismatched duo who you can't help falling in love with.” Amy Walker, Trans-Scribe
“Not many authors can write a book where each character has a unique voice. In most cases the inner monologues are much the same, the authorial voice thinly veiled. But not many authors are Stuart Douglas. Edward Lowe and John Le Breton are two of the most unique and disparate crime solvers you could find. Actors as unalike in their dispositions as their methods.” Elizabeth Lefebvre, Strange & Random Happenstance
Author
Stuart Douglas is an author and editor based in Edinburgh. He runs Obverse Books, and has written four Sherlock Holmes novels for Titan Books. In 2016, he co-created the award winning Black Archive series of books, and has also written and edited novellas and short story anthologies for several publishers.
