I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

The curtain rises and murder mystery playwright Bertie Carroll is in the audience of The Palace Pier Theatre in Brighton, for the opening night of one of his plays.

But as an unsuspecting audience watches on, an actress is shot during the play and killed onstage in front of them.

This causes the playwright, normally used to writing about murder mysteries, to turn detective to help solve a real one. Together with his old school friend, Chief Detective Inspector Hugh Chapman, they team up to find out who killed former Hollywood star, Celia Hamilton.

After chatting to the author Jamie West at a book party, I was really looking forward to reading his book and requested it as soon as it came onto Netgalley.

This is a cosy mystery set in the 1930s with lots of quirky, well-crafted, engaging characters. All of the characters have their little secrets, especially Bertie and Hugh. There is a hint of homosexuality there, but it's very understated, due to the era the book is set in. The book is the first in a series, and I am intrigued by how their friendship will develop in the rest of the series.

As a theatre lover, I absolutely loved the atmospheric setting of The Palace Pier Theatre. One of the lost theatres that no longer exists, it was great to hear it described in detail.

The author, Jamie West, works in theatre, and his knowledge comes across in his writing with lots of details about how productions are staged and the day-to-day of theatre life.

I love the investigation by Bertie and Hugh and felt it was very original with a hint of Agatha Christie and lots of red herrings to keep me guessing.

This is a brilliant debut, and I am looking forward to reading more in the series.