It's Christmas at London's Theatre Royale and journalist Daphne King is determined to solve an extraordinary mystery... December 1935. Director Chester Harrison's production of A Christmas Carol has had a troubled run on its tour of regional theatres. With tensions amongst the cast running high, the company reach their final stop - London's Theatre Royale - a few days before Christmas. Catastrophe, however, strikes on opening night: 'Scrooge' dies on stage, seemingly due to a heart attack. But the show must go on. Until, that is, an old rival of Chester's is murdered in a dressing room. Are those associated with the production being picked off one by one? Journalist Daphne King is determined to reveal the truth... Readers love Ada Moncrieff's Christmas mysteries: 'Brilliant...full of twists and turns' 'A modern rival to Agatha Christie' 'A new festive favourite'

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Half-way through the matinee at the Theatre Royal, North London, the audience gasp in horror when Hamlet drags the corpse of Polonius on to the stage from behind a curtain. For the head of renowned actor Sir Roger Nutley is lolling at a bizarre angle that can only mean he has REALLY been killed. Two years ago, a jury had failed to convict Sir Roger of alleged sex crimes against young women in the past. Is his murder linked to the trial, or does the motive lie somewhere else? Detective Chief Inspector Keith Warren and Detective Sergeant Philippa Myers learn that the superstar's life had other secret, dark sides, including friendship with a drugs baron and an addiction to expensive prostitutes. WHAT READERS SAY: "Best book that I've read in a long while." "A brilliant read, well researched, with great characters." "Good buildup throughout, unexpected twist at the end." "Very gripping & entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it." "It's written at a cracking pace, with great attention to detail." "A good mystery, interesting setting, detailed characters." "Holmes, Dalgliesh and Poirot all rolled into one. A very refreshing cast."

At the dawn of the Restoration Period, Suzanne Thornton hopes to find a second life in the theater. But instead, on opening night, she finds a dead body on stage… The triumphant return of King Charles II in 1660 is occasion for much celebration in London. The Merry Monarch’s unquenchable thirst for entertainment creates opportunities for everyone from tavern keepers to brothel owners to actors. One of these is Suzanne Thornton. No longer a kept woman since her man has fled, she sees an opportunity to reopen a theater and stage the classics—Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the like. And now, thanks to Royal decree, Juliet can be played by a woman. Suzanne secures financing from an old lover, assembles a troupe, and restores the venue—none other than the historic Globe Theater. Tragically, during the opening night performance, a dead body lands on the stage. After the curtain comes down, Suzanne finds herself a suspect. But she also finds that murder is good for business—the next night’s performance is sold out. Wishing to live to enjoy her success, Suzanne undertakes her own investigation to find a killer who may try to close her down for good…

The Perfect Murder is a suspenseful and gripping novella from Peter James, the bestselling author of the phenomenally successful Roy Grace series. How do you commit the perfect murder? Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years. Victor secretly loathes Joan more and more each day. Joan is bored by Victor, and his snoring drives her mad. Their marriage has reached a crisis point. Victor decides there is only one way to get Joan out of his life for ever, but he's about to get a nasty surprise. As it turns out, Victor's not the only one with murder in mind . . .

Officer Marcus Moscowicz is a small town policeman with dreams of making it to detective. One fateful night, shots ring out at the surprise birthday party of Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney and the writer is killed…fatally. With the nearest detective an hour away, Marcus jumps at the chance to prove his sleuthing skills—with the help of his silent partner, Lou. But whodunit? Did Dahlia Whitney, Arthur's scene-stealing wife, give him a big finish? Is Barrette Lewis, the prima ballerina, the prime suspect? Did Dr. Griff, the overly-friendly psychiatrist, make a frenemy? Marcus has only a short amount of time to find the killer and make his name before the real detective arrives… and the ice cream melts!

"A richly entertaining account of tragic theatre accidents and murders most foul. If theatre walls could talk, what secrets would they reveal? Chris Wood provides fascinating answers with tales of brawling ushers, murderously jealous husbands, stampeding crowds and infant tragedies. A meticulously researched and vivid collection of lives lost in the palaces of dreams. A must-read for all lovers of the theatre, providing shocks and gasps of horror when real life proves to be more dramatic than any play on stage." - Hugh Bonneville "Immaculately researched and beautifully macabre. This is a real treat for anyone who is either a fan of the theatre or of untimely deaths. I loved it!" - Peter James Britain’s theatrical wonderland has been a cornerstone of culture for centuries, delighting and thrilling audiences with an assemblage of exhilarating spectacles. Beyond the trodden boards, and tucked neatly behind the curtain however, lies a catalogue of real life destruction and grisly murder that our greatest tragedians would surely be proud to have presided over. Tread the bloodied boards of Britain’s theaters and witness the deathly dramas that have played out so dramatically within them. Death in the Theatre collects an astonishing selection of startling tragedies from Britain’s throng of theaters. There is something especially staggering when the player exits life on their adorned stage, and yet, with this by no means an infrequent occurrence, death has made many a fearful cameo appearance – stalking the stalls and grimly reaping the galleries in its macabre and relentless fashion. In 1910 a strange midnight tragedy was enacted in a London theater, where the brutal murder of an elderly stage carpenter prompted huge excitement among the theater-going world and indeed wider public. How did a children’s magic show descend into such unspeakable horror that would leave 183 youngsters dead in a Sunderland theater, their tiny bodies brutally laid out in the dress circle for the bleakest of identity parades? Learn of outrageous tragedy such as the young man mauled to death by a lion in a Gloucester theater, and the unfortunate victim killed in the Dumfries Theatre Royal – quite literally – by the limelight.

A collection of three radio plays including a Poirot story for live performance comprising Personal Call, Yellow Iris, Butter in a Lordly Dish.