This was a good next book in the series. I dislike the paranormal element which seems a bit out of kilter and too convenient for solving murderers but appreciate some might like it. Characters are likeable.

I really enjoyed this story. I felt I knew the characters and was part of the story. The characters were excellent and the logical progression of the story was great. I lovedv the conclusion.

The Body Under the Stage is the third book in the Georgina Drake paranormal cozy mystery series by Kate Hardy. Released 18th June 2024 by Storm Publishing, it's 238 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also available in KU. There's a 4th book due out from the same publisher in 4th quarter 2024.

This is a well written and engaging cozy with a very strong parallel paranormal plotline alongside the main murder mystery. Georgina, a widow, has moved to rural Norfolk after the death of her husband in the hope of finding a new footing. She's a photographer, and winds up drawn into another investigation when an actor is murdered during a dress rehearsal for a production of Macbeth for which she's taking publicity still photos.

The paranormal / ghost aspect is very odd and not entirely well meshed (Georgina suddenly starts being able to hear and interact with a ghost after getting her hearing aids changed out for a new type). Readers should be in the mood for some whimsy with their cozy murder mystery to get full enjoyment out of this one.

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 6 hours 19 minutes and is capably narrated by Tamsin Kennard. She has a clear, well modulated alto voice which is unobtrusive and easy to understand. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars (with the codicil that there's an odd dichotomy between the overarching parallel storylines which isn't really resolved in this volume). The volume's mystery plot, denouement, and resolution is self-contained and it works well enough as a standalone, with the codicil that the paranormal ghost-in-the-hearing-aids parallel plot is continued over from the earlier books.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Stage Side Death..
The third in the Georgina Drake series of mysteries and a gruesome stage side death causes mayhem and, furthermore, some serious problems for Georgie. So much so that she is compelled to investigate further. Another entertaining and enjoyable mystery with a well drawn and credible cast populating an engaging plot with a well written narrative.

Normally I would associate Kate Hardy's name with romance, but this book proves how versatile and talented this author is.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first reading of the Georgina Drake series, and in fact was my first book by Kate Hardy! However, it won't be my last!
I really enjoyed this book, the story was great and pretty fast paced, with no boring bits.
I loved that it combined a historical murder with a current one, and that the two stories had similarities.
A great read, especially for those who love history.

This was a great cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it. I love these types of books as they are an easy read and usually quite a surprising reveal. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest r3view.

I love a good Kate Hardy book! I got introduced to her through the first Georgie Drake book and haven't looked back since.
The books are such a mix of detective, cosy and the paranormal with a great community feel and some real head scratchers of stories.
I love the way that there is always a fresh murder and a cold case in each book, often at the same scene. This book involves my passion of theatre and includes quite a bit of Doris' story as well.
I loved reading about the history of other nations in London during the war and found Fred's story both fascinating and extremely sad.
All in all, a smash! I can't wait for the next installment!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review has been added to Storygraph and Goodreads and will be added to Amazon as well.

A well paced, multi story who done it.

Georgina has a habit of finding herself in the wrong place at the right time and with the help of her trusty dog, Bert, sets off to solves two mysteries.

An engaging story that wraps up well!

The Body Under the Stage by Kate Hardy is the third book in the excellent Georgina Drake Mystery series and just like the other two books within this series I loved it and was hooked from the very first few pages till the end. It was full of excellent twists and turns throughout that will have you turning the pages of your kindle/book quickly and hard to put it down. Before I knew it the sun was waking up. I was so glad I did not have work the next day!!!
Georgina is such a great character and looking forward to what happens next.

I highly recommend this series. It will not disappoint.

Big Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review "The Body Under The Stage"

Georgina travels to London and Theatreland to take publicity shots for the theatre company where her daughter is working. They are performing 'Macbeth', and the legendary curse has already taken its toll. When an obnoxious cast member dies, Georgina's daughter is among the suspects and a dark web of betrayal and blackmail is uncovered, as well as a body under the stage from the 1940s. I like the believable characters and relationship dynamics that make you invest in them. The mystery is cleverly plotted, and the theatre setting adds drama and vivacity. It's an engaging mystery with one of my favourite amateur sleuths and her ghostly partner.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Body Under the Stage is a good read.

I didn't pay attention to notice this was book 3 in a series that said I can be read as a standalone but probably best to read the first two books first although I really didn't notice lol.. I did enjoy this read. It included real life elements like how Covid effected businesses, and prices. There is a bit of fictional history that really added to the storyline. I think this series is worth the read if you enjoy books with historical fiction, real life events, and mystery. I think the author did a good job bringing the story together while keeping it interesting.

Not bad, though I preferred the first book in this series. In this book, I found Georgina irritating because she became too involved with the investigation(s) , rather than leaving quite serious matters to the police. However the crimes were quite well thought out and the book was interesting and well written enough to keep me reading to the end .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This story had murder and mystery it also did a good job of giving you a story that had so much to it with many layers. There were several suspects and it’s all surrounding a theatre. So the guest get a murder and a show!

Georgina Drake is in the same stratosphere as an Agatha Christie character, or the story would be home on Midsomer Murders, well written, entertaining, and you can't wait until the next episode! This is my first Georgina Drake story, but it won't be my last. I highly recommend it. Thank you #Netgalley #StormPublishing
carolintallahassee

The Plot
Georgina Drake is a photographer for a production of Macbeth in London. When a cast member is murdered, Georgia’s daughter (also in the cast) is suspected… time for Georgina to investigate.
My thoughts
In this book, we got three stories in one. They all had a very good premise and ideas, but I felt as if there was just too much stuffed into the story. The endings of each strand of the narrative were also tied up a little too quickly for my liking. I was waiting for there to be a connection between stories, but this was missing.
However, I did like the fact that this story had a supernatural element with the inclusion of Doris’s ghost. I definitely want to see more of Doris in the next book. I have to say that the historical details around WWII were very well researched.. Overall, this story or stories held much promise, and the plots of each had obviously been given much thought. It was just too much in one book, which meant story and character depth were skimmed over.
As always, these are only my opinions, I leave you to make up your own mind.

I do love this series of cosy mysteries with a sprinkling of supernatural moments. It was wonderful to be back with Georgina and Doris , this time in London as she helps with her daughter’s theatre group who are acting in the famous Shakespeare play that cannot be named!
Like the play that they are acting there is an abundance of bad things going on! And a murder occurs on stage with a selection of people who had a motive……
Also a historical murder is also discovered and this adds a further layer of mystery to what happened many years ago the theatre.
Such brilliant characters and a very well researched backstory had me invested throughout.
I also loved catching up with Doris and getting a resolution to her own murder mystery.
Loved the Shakespeare embellishments too, it set the scenes up perfectly!
A wonderful engaging and entertaining story.

Another excellent book from Kate Hardy. I love how Georgina and Colin are developing as characters. Georgina is getting very adept at finding bodies along with her dog Bertie. Although the setting is very different to that of the 2 previous books, she is soon able to put clues together, along with the help of Doris her friendly ghost and provide Colin and the localmpolice with information.
A good read. I look forward to reading more of her activities.

Georgina Drake is taking promo photos of a dress rehearsal of Macbeth at the restored Regency theatre and her daughter Bea’s first starring role. But the drama becomes distressingly real when one of the actors, Neil Faulkner, is found stabbed to death & then Georgie’s spaniel Bert is interested in the corner of the room. Doris tells Georgie that there’s a body there. So Georgie finds herself once again in the middle of murder investigations plus she’s still trying to find out what happened to Doris half a century ago.
The third outing for Georgie & a very well written cosy mystery. I love Georgie who is sympathetic & has a way of drawing people out, maybe cake helps too. She is ably aided by Doris the eighteen year old ghost who helps her with the skeleton under the floorboards. I also love how Georgie & Colin’s fledgling romance is progressing. I found the modern day case intriguing & there were twists & turns but it was the two past murders which I found to be quite emotional & I’m glad the mystery surrounding Doris was solved & Fred’s family had closure.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

The Body Under the Stage is Kate Hardy's third book in her Georgiana Drake Mystery series. I was hooked on Georgiana when I read The Body in the Ice House. When I finished it I was already looking forward to the next book, and The Body Under the Stage didn't disappoint. Kate Hardy undertakes a unique perspective in this series, writing a current mystery and a mystery that took place many years ago; its intriquing having two storylines taking place simultaneously. Georgiana Drake is a 57 year old widow, mother of 2 adult children , Bea and Will, a professional photographer and an amateur sleuth as a result of discovering dead bodies at her photo gigs. There is a paranormal element to the series; while I'm not usually a fan of the paranormal it's perfect in this series. Georgie is assisted by a lovely ghost named Doris, who died in Georgie's house when she was 17 years old and pregnant. Someone pushed Doris down the stairs, and together Doris and Georgie are determined to discover the culprit and hold him/her responsible. In The Body Under the Stage, Georgie and Doris travel to London to take photos of the actors in a production of Macbeth; Bea is starring as Lady Macbeth. Macbeth has a history of being a cursed play and when an actor is found dead, and then to top it off Georgiana's dog, Bert finds a skeleton, that appears to date back to the late 1930s early 40s., everyone's concerned that the longstanding rumor just might be a fact. The Body Under the Stage is a very satisfying read, well crafted with believable characters- a very captivating book. Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Karen Hardy for the privilege of reading this ARC; the review reflects my honest opinion 3.5 stars.