Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and narrative voice of this story. I also loved the way the author adeptly handled pronouns for all states of all characters! Misty was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed her realistic perspective of London with added mystery and a bit of whimsy! We definitely need more books about enby drag queens.

Lady Lady is dead, and only Misty Divine is up for the challenge of solving her murder!

This was a fun read with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some hilarious one-liners

I really liked the contrast between shy and sensitive Joe Brown and sassy, bold Misty. It was almost like a Clark Kent/superman-esque vibe where once the drag was on, they became a completely different person, and the lovely Miles as their Lois Lane.

Throughout the story, everyone is a suspect. Though for me, the pacing was somewhat slow and didn't leave me desperate to keep reading with a need to know more.

Alas, this book was still an enjoyable read, and I hadn't a clue who the actual murderer was right until the end.

The own voices really lends itself to the characters in this story with lots of very well fleshed out characters. ( I especially loved Tess and her collection of gnomes and Disney figurines)

I look forward to Misty's next adventure!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

I absolutely love Misty Devine and what a cast of characters! This was just a fun camp cosy mystery and I absolutely loved it. No thoughts head empty. So. Much. Fun.

'Drag's not just dramatic, it's deadly'.

This book is exactly what it promised to be. Poisoning, glamour, stolen dresses, and a lot of drag!

Joe, by day, is a hotel accountant and by night they transform in Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene!

Misty's drag mother is murdered in her own dressing room. Following Lady-Lady's death, Misty is thrown into an adventure of amatur sleuthing, lies, police biases and danger!

This is a fun, inclusive murder mystery, unlike anything else I've read!

I loved reading from Misty/Joe's pov, they provide a unique perspective that I haven't experienced much of in literature! They had a beautiful character development, gaining confidence and kicking ass throughout the story.

The setting and concept was so glamorous, full of secrets, massive personalities and immersive shows!

I struggled a little bit with the writing, though that could change when the final copy is published!

Definitely pick this one up for a fun and inclusive murder mystery!

Published: February 6th

Thank you netgalley for the proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion

By day, Joe is a shy hotel accountant and by night she is Misty Divine, an upcoming star on the drag scene. Misty Divine finds Lady Lady, a much loved drag queen and the co-owner of a drag bar poisoned. Misty is frustrated with the police as they seem to care more about the dress Lady Lady was wearing as opposed to actually finding her killer. Misty decides to take matters into her own hands to try and solve the case.

I am a massive fan of drag and this is the cosy mystery I have been waiting for! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and thought it was an absolutely brilliant debut!

It was light and easy to read yet the plot had a good amount of complexity to it. The main plot and the side plot of the dress work well together in the story. I loved the characters and I learnt a little about drag kings!

I read this book physically but I am tempted to do a re read through audio as Holly Stars narrates it!

It’s set up in a way that I need book 2 now! I wouldn’t say it’s a cliffhanger per se but there is an air of unfinished business to the story.

Drag Queen Misty happens upon the body of her mentor who has been poisoned and makes it her mission to find the culprit. We meet the rest of her friends and fellow drag queen and kings whilst they deal with the fall out.

A great premise for a novel, I went into this quite excited. I loved being introduced to all the different characters and the pacing was good. I felt like we could have learnt more about the main characters or even. Some of plot was repetitive and I did find myself skimming but overall a cosy read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Recommended for: Fans of cosy mysteries with a twist, drag culture, and a dash of glamour.

Holly Stars’ Murder in the Dressing Room introduces a fresh amateur sleuth in Misty Divine, a drag queen with a sharp wit and a strong sense of justice. By day, Joe is a shy hotel accountant, but by night, they transform into the glamorous Misty Divine, a rising star on the London drag scene. When Misty’s mentor, the legendary Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room, Misty is drawn into a mystery that’s as glitzy as it is suspenseful.

While the premise is promising, the execution falls a little flat. Misty’s investigation follows a rather formulaic path, relying heavily on logical deductions rather than any particularly creative or compelling sleuthing. This made the investigation feel more like a checklist than an intriguing mystery, and I found myself wishing for a more dynamic or unpredictable approach to the case.

The characters are vibrant, especially the drag queens, who are described in rich detail, making it easy to visualise their larger-than-life personalities. However, I was disappointed by the lack of description of some of the other characters, particularly Miles and the drag kings. They felt a little underdeveloped, which left me wanting more depth and insight into their personalities and motivations.

I also felt that the drag humour, which could have been a standout feature, was somewhat restrained. While there were some witty lines, I couldn’t help but wonder if the humour had been toned down for a broader, mainstream audience. There’s definitely room for more of the sharp, irreverent humour that’s synonymous with drag culture, and I think this could have added a lot more flair to the narrative.

That said, the novel does shine in its sense of place. The interiors, especially the drag club where much of the action takes place, are evocatively described, creating a vivid atmosphere that adds a lot to the story. The world of drag is beautifully captured, with plenty of heart and humour, and it’s clear that Stars has a deep appreciation for the culture.

Ultimately, Murder in the Dressing Room is an enjoyable debut, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights I was hoping for. The mystery itself is solid, but the investigation could have been more engaging, and the character development of some key figures left me wanting more. Still, it’s a fun read for fans of cosy mysteries with a touch of glamour, and I’ll be curious to see how Misty Divine evolves in future instalments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Holly Stars for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this but I think I would’ve enjoyed it even more if I felt like it wasn’t trying to cater for the masses. In trying to establish fundamental parts of queer culture for those who aren’t a part of it, I feel like it lost its confidence of voice. I did enjoy seeing drag culture and murder mystery intermingled, but I think if it had a bit more of a “show not tell” approach then I think it could’ve been an absolute showstopper. Though any introduction is a good introduction for those who need more exposure to queerness in their books, so I do want to give credit where credit is due. It was a really easy read that had a fine balance of keeping me interested whilst being a relaxing read.

A wonderful book from a new author, hopefully the first in a series. I thought it was a great start, I look forward to more!

Misty Devine is a drag queen, and when she discovers her drag mother Lady Lady dead, she resolves to find her murderer. Can Misty and her boyfriend Miles find The killer before they strike again?

The book is full of vibrant characters, and fabulously described settings. There are lots of characters to meet, but all are introduced in the perfect way and I hope to see most of them in the next book. It's a well written, easy to read mystery, I didn't figure out whodunit until Misty herself twigged! I really liked how the book covered the "behind the scenes" of drag, and wasn't all glossy and covered up.

The writing was light and engaging. As I mentioned above, my interest never waivered and I was keen to keep on reading to find out who did it! The description was light and mainly focused on the characters actions, but what was there was good and gave the story a good grounding.

The chapters were fairly long, but I didn't particularly notice as I was enjoying the story. There was a good flow between the chapters, which made it easy to read for long periods of time. There was a good pace to the book with lots of different things cropping up to keep you motivated to carry on reading. There were some tense moments and I was worried for the main character a few times!

Some of the chapters had days as titles so the story was kept grounded and you could visualise how long everything was taking. I enjoyed the Epilogue at the end to finish it off and to potentially leave it open for more to come!

The characters were excellent. I didn't know much about the drag world so it was interesting to read about. It was particularly interesting to read from a drag queen's point of view and how they felt about being in certain situations. It was also interesting to see how other characters outside of the drag world treated them.

Lastly the settings. I enjoyed being introduced to the drag world. It was mainly a character led story, but the settings did play a small part and added an extra layer to the story.

Overall an enjoyable story and I would happily read more about Misty Divine.

NOTE My Blog post will be up tomorrow, 20 December

Another brilliant debut author, whose journey I am excited to follow.

‘Murder in the Dressing Room’ is perfect for anyone; who like me loves the art of drag and a good murder mystery.

“By day, Joe is a hotel accountant, invisibly sitting behind their desk and playing by the rules. By night, donned in sequins, they take to the stage as Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene.”

*Spoiler alert* Misty’s beloved drag mother and mentor Lady Lady is found dead in her dressing room and Misty makes it her duty to honour her mentor by finding her killer. Holly Stars takes us on a real journey through the drag scene, we are introduced to Drag Kings and Drag Queens with huge personalities and equally big motives. This is a whodunnit with a difference and a twist I didn’t see coming.

Stars has done a great job of writing a debut that balances comedy, murder mystery and the realities that the LGBTQ+ community face.

This is a book with real heart and I cannot wait to see what Misty Divine gets up to next.

Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House. NetGalley and Holly Stars for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Joe is a shy accountant working in a hotel, doing everything that he should but Joe is also Misty Divine, a drag queen in London, being guided by Lady Lady, his drag mother and owner of the most popular drag nightclub in town. When Lady Lady is found dead in her dressing room all eyes are turned toward Misty and the other performers are the prime suspects as they are the only ones that had access to her room.
Misty finds herself grieving of course for Lady Lady, but is also frustrated by the attitude of one of the Police Officers on the case. A transphobic officer who simply doesn't understand the world of the drag kings and queens and isn't interested in trying either.
Misty (and occasionally Joe) is determined to investigate the murder and discover which of his friends killed Lady Lady.

The other characters are so well defined. There are twists, turns, red herrings, glitz and glamour and I loved every minute of it.

On top of all that, I guessed whodunit too

Drag Race meets Only Murders. Following Misty on her quest to discover the murderer of her drag mother Lady, Lady, this book was just delicious. Bringing together beautiful friendships, suspicion and whole lot of realness. The depiction of the lack of trust of the police was especially poignant.

The descriptions of Misty's confidence in and out of drag was also enlightening and ran throughout the book, the growing confidence and character development was great.

I'm very glad that there was a second twist, which surprised me more than the first. From now on, I want all of my crime thrillers to be led by Misty.

This has a great sense of voice and character development, as well as a solid mystery at its core. It just lacked that intangible thing that pushes a book to the next level for me.

Misty Divine is here to steal the show—and solve a murder! This fabulous cozy mystery introduces us to Joe, a mild-mannered hotel accountant by day, and Misty Divine, a glamorous and confident drag queen by night. When Misty’s beloved mentor, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room, Misty refuses to sit back and let the police fumble the investigation. With a stolen dress, a growing list of suspects, and secrets lurking backstage, Misty is determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.

This was a classic whodunnit with a big twist at the end that had me guessing right until the final page. Misty is a strong, dynamic protagonist, and I loved how the story sensitively portrayed the confidence and empowerment that can come from stepping into a drag persona. The author beautifully explored the challenges and triumphs familiar to the LGBTQ+ community, all while keeping the story full of humor, heart, and dazzling flair.

Switching pronouns between Joe’s nonbinary identity (they/them) and Misty’s drag persona (she/her) was a unique narrative touch that worked perfectly and added depth to their character. It also highlighted the contrast between the person behind the glitz and glamour and the feelings, vulnerabilities, and strength that make them whole.

With an engaging cast of characters, sharp humor, and plenty of twists and turns, this is a fantastic debut that I’ll be recommending to all cozy mystery fans. I can’t wait for the next Misty Divine instalment

From the first lines of this book I knew I was going to enjoy it.
“Dead. There was no doubt about it: Lady Lady was dead. She was dead and her wig had fallen off.”

Joe is a mild and timid hotel accountant but by night Joe is Misty Devine, a glamorous and confident drag queen. When her mentor Lady Lady is found dead in her dressing room in a stolen dress Misty takes upon herself to find out who could have killed her.

This is a fantastic cozy murder mystery that kept me guessing right to the very end. Joe is non binary and uses the pronouns they/them but when in the Misty persona is she/her. Having never read a book with changing pronouns it took me a while to get used to but it worked perfectly.

I’m looking forward to the next Misty Divine instalment.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for provided me with a free review copy of this book.

Misty \devine is a London based drag artist, working in the best drag club in Soho - Lady's - Lady Lady famous TV drag Queen is Misty's mentor, she set up the club after falling out with her TV partner Auntie Susan and no promotes established and upcoming Drag artists.

But now she is dead, murdered, poisoned to be precise and MIsty is the one who finds her and therefore is the police's number one suspect, however the police are more interested in the dress that Lady was wearing when she was murderd, it was stolen from a local vintage shop and was previously owned by Judy Garland. Misty upset that the police don't seem interested decides to investigate herself and the killer is closer to home than she suspects.

I love a good cosy mystery and this one was right up my alley, the characters a brilliantly written and very human and therefore believble.

Misty/Joe as wonderfully created character and the author shows respect to non-binary people by using the promouns of they/them when refering to Joe but she/her when referring to Misty, this is fantastic though did take a while to get used to but once you have read a little bit it becomes second nature.

The plot is clever and the author knows their stuff, I am terrible picking holes and one of the things that struck me was how tall was Lady Lady (I had to go back and re-read that part) because she was wearing Judt Garland's dress. Judy Garland was only 4ft 11 and I did wonder if Judy's dress would have been long enough for her, on checking Lady is about 5ft tall so Judy's dress would have been fine on her. This made me ridiculously happy for some reason.

There is bribary and blackmail, bumbling cops and gangsters, this story has everything a cosy mytery should have and I really hope there will be more Misty Devine mysteries in future.

4 Stars

Loved and enjoyed this book so much. I was thinking of who Lady Lady could be IRL. Maybe La Voix or Lavinia Co-Op? Regardless, for those of us who are part of or super fans of the drag scene (particularly in the UK), this was such a fun murder mystery. I loved getting to know Misty Divine as she grew in her confidence and sleuthing skills. Would love for this to be a series!

Murder In The Dressing Room by Holly Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House in return for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book from the beginning right to the end, full of twists and turns that I didn’t see some coming! It was giving vibes of Only Murders In The Building but make it drag and it was soo good!! I did not see the ending coming at all - when I thought I did, I had a sweep of a twist that hit me like a truck!

I really loved the character of Joe/Misty with the “double life” it was really eye opening to see the life of a drag queen in and out of drag. Joe day by day is a shy hotel accountant who keeps their head down and lives a regular life with their partner Miles. By night, they become Misty Devine, a gorgeous drag queen who performs at the Lady Lady’s Bar. With being in drag, they feel fierce, strong, bold; all the things that Joe doesn’t feel about themselves. This book touches on many LGBTQIA+ themes without being forced upon - which was well done - from being misunderstood to being misgendered.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend everyone to get their hands on this book when it releases in February next year!

Its central mystery is a little underdeveloped, and lead Joe/Misty needs further character development to really stand out, but there's a warmth and charm to the queer chosen family at the heart of things that really helps things along and makes the bar gang alone worth picking the book up for.