A Christmas murder mystery in the theatre. This was an easy read with a clever mystery. I love an old school mystery and this had an Agatha Christie feel to it. I enjoyed the final reveal and it had me fooled until the end.

It's not often I find it hard to finish a book...unfortunately, that happened here. Neither the plot of the characters held my interest. If there's a follow-on, then the author needs to find a hook.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the reading copy.

I read this on a summer break and despite is feeling odd reading about a Christmas mystery on a warm island, it was testament to how good a read it was that I still thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Great characters, great prose, great mystery. A light read but that was everything I wanted.

Daphne persuades her editor to let her cover the opening night of A Christmas Carol in the West End. ‘Scrooge’ dies before curtain up and Daphne is determined to find out why, write up the murder & earn a place writing crime instead of her current agony aunt column.

Set in the 1930s theatreland, just before Christmas, this sounded like the kind of vintage mystery I would love. Unfortunately it was light on festive atmosphere and I found it hard to connect with any of the characters. Perhaps if Daphne returns in future novels I’d become more fond of her, but I think comparisons to Sherlock in the book are a little premature.

My thanks to Random House Publishers and NetGalley for a copy of “ Murder At The Theatre Royale “ for an honest review.
I must confess I did not finish this book..I found the writing style really annoying and too verbose, and I couldn’t connect with the characters.One of my work colleagues was also reading this book at the same time as myself , and she was of the same opinion..

I couldn't tell if this was the first in the series or not because it refers back to previous cases but then seemed like it was the protagonists first time which made it a bit confusing.

However, overall a cosy murder mystery which I enjoyed reading.

Thanks for the arc.

DNF @ 15%

Gets dull really quickly. Or does it start off dull. I dunno, really. All I know is that a mystery should have some kind of hook for one to get into it, and if it reads as drearily as Murder at the Theatre Royale, there's no point going on. Daphne is not a compelling protagonist, and the revival of Golden Age Mysteries has worn off very very quickly. Next!

Murder at the Theatre Royale by Ada Moncrieff

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Vintage and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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...

My Opinion

This is a light, easy book to read but for me it just didn't work well. This is the second book I have read by Ada Moncrieff and both I have struggled with as I don't enjoy the writing style. A great, cosy mystery that gets off to a slow start. This is a relatively short book so it will make for a quick read.

Rating 3/5

Stuck on agony aunt pages, Daphne takes on a step toward promotion out by responding to editor's request to venture into theatrical world .. murder ensues and she investigates as only a journalist can .. a bit across boundaries . Great fun if long winded and lots of set pieces about keeping-a-woman in her place, and tropes of socialite behaviour she'd used on her agony aunt pages .. so that needs ploughing through as reader .. but overall, good fun if slightly mired in over familiar attitudes and problems

A really fun take on the classic golden age mysteries. The theatre setting was atmospheric and the mystery itself felt well crafted and kept me guessing

With her Agony Aunt column boring her to tears, Daphne is thrilled at the opportunity to do a theatre review. When the lead character drops dead right before her eyes Daphne is thrust head first into the investigation.

This was a very entertaining mystery.

Reluctant newspaper agony aunt Daphne King has an opportunity to prove her journalistic metal when the actor playing Scrooge in the new version of A Christmas Carol due to premiere at the Theatre Royale in London is murdered. Well, Daphne is convinced it is murder anyway. While the police initially believe that the man died of a heart attack, as Daphne investigates the cast and crew of the new production, she finds proof that various nefarious deeds are afoot. Then, when a rival of the play’s director is also killed at the theatre, it appears as if those involved in A Christmas Carol are being killed off one by one, although Daphne vows to put an end to the bloodshed.

While not the most Christmassy of Christmas cosies, Murder at the Theatre Royal is certainly atmospheric and filled with an eclectic cast of characters who all seem to have secrets to hide, as is the case with the best of cosy mysteries. Daphne King is a tenacious and likeable amateur sleuth, and there is definitely potential for her investigations to feature in further books. There are clues spread throughout the story to help the reader identify the murderer before Daphne stages her denouement, but doing so is no easy matter.

The story had Sherlock Holmes vibes with a female main character which made the story quite enjoyable. While it is billed as a festive read, I didn't feel that it was overly festive making it a great murder mystery story that can be read at any time of the year.

The chapters aren't very long so you find yourself getting through the story quickly. The plot was fast paced and the characters were likeable.

For fans of cosy crime, this is a must read. There are clunky sentences from time to time, but it is absorbing and great fun. A book to while away a rainy afternoon.

Oh I really enjoyed this. A perfect cosy read for Christmas time, which is when it's set. Daphne King is an agony aunt for a newspaper, desperate to break into something a bit more interesting. An actor dying on stage in front of her, apparently murdered, is a perfect mystery for her to investigate. I would definitely read more by this author.

I really like this book. Particularly enjoyable Christmas read but a good book no matter what the season!
Daphne is desperately trying to break away from the agony aunt role she has been strong armed into by her editor and do some real reporting and an opportunity comes her way which she is determined to make the most of. She needs to prove that she has the skills for crime reporting and the stomach to deal with murder! She does this with aplomb forging new friendships and proving her worth to the police.
There are plenty of twists and turns and a good plot line. Occasionally slightly clunky but mainly an excellent read. Intriguing characters and well packed
I would definitely recommend this book and will read more by this author!

An enjoyable Christmas themed cosy murder mystery. I liked the main character Daphne and sympathised with her struggles to break out of her agony aunt role into crime investigation/reporting. There’s an abundance of colourful characters with their own back stories. All in all, a fun festive read

Daphne is bored by her lowly role at the newspaper of Agony Aunt, Dear Susan and manages to scoop up a theatre review gig when one of her colleagues falls ill. As she's being shown around the theatre and introduced around, the lead character of the play drops dead before her eyes, so Daphne is in just the right place to get the full exposé.

The language used is delightful and varied - there's no being bored by mundane writing in this book.

Wow, what a book. A great mystery and a perfect read during the Christmas season! A main character that I loved wholeheartedly, engaging writing and a mystery that made sense to the reader. Everything was set up super well and the pay off was great!

This was very easy to get into. A very easy read. I love christmas and I love a good murder mystery, so this is like the perfect fit for me. This was a very cosy mystery with a very likable main character. I also liked that it included some humour. The language in this was not the best, but the well performed plot twists and red herrings made up for it. All in all I liked this book.