This was such a great murder mystery with a style of drama. I absolutely adored it. I loved the characters. I thought the story was told well and had lots of twist and turns to keep me interested throughout.

I loved this murder mystery. It was funny and witty. I couldn’t put it down as I followed along with the queens. I found it an entertaining book to read. I love the drag theme too as I love drag race so found this a great book to read .

This was a really fun murder mystery especially for readers getting into this genre. It was a gentle kind of suspenseful, very light-hearted but still intriguing enough to want to keep going until the very end!

I think I would describe this book as an easy, entry level murder mystery. It had a good plot and good potential, but it felt a bit like there was something missing. I feel it needed a bit more characterisation, as I didn't quite connect with any of the characters in the book. There was a lot of different characters within this book, but it never got confusing about who was who, which can often be the case!

The story flowed well and was easy to follow along. I felt the writing style wasn't quite suspenseful and tense as I like murder mysteries to be. I think this is a good murder mystery book for someone who perhaps wants to start getting into them, and doesn't want to read something gory or scary. This wasn't a tense, gripping type of mystery, but more like a murder mystery dinner party!

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

I absolutely adored this book, such a great murder mystery with enough twists and turns throughout to keep you going. I was convinced I had clocked the killer but the last 10% of this book was such an experience.

I think this is the first time I'll ever call a murder mystery fun, but it really was a great read and now I want more Misty!

I will make a IG and Tiktok post about this soon!

This is a story about Misty Divine, a drag queen/performer, whose drag mentor is found murdered in her dressing room. It follows Misty in the week and a half after the murder, where she investigates the murder and tries to figure out who killed her beloved drag mentor and drag mother, Lady Lady, and why.

As someone who doesn't know very much at all about drag, this is a very insightful story in terms of understanding what it's like to be someone who does drag, the identity one has in and out of drag, and a couple of other things pertaining to similar topics.

Starting off, the writing style wasn't my favourite, but it was mostly simple, making it easy to read. 

The pace felt a bit inconsistent to me, and the story seemed to drag on a bit around the middle. This did put me off from reading this and other books for a couple of days. However, once I picked it back up again around the 60% mark, I finished it one sitting. The pace definitely seemed to pick back up again, and although there were lots of shocking and tense moments, it did feel quite slow up until the very end, when everything came crashing and the missing pieces were revealed and solved, and the chaos and emotions during this ending definitely increased my enjoyment of the book. 

It did keep me on edge during that last 40% and throughout the entire story nonetheless, making me question every character Misty was and wasn't suspicious of, even making me wonder if Misty herself was an unreliable narrator and could have committed the murder for whatever reason.

As I mentioned in the beginning, it did help me peer into what drag was like and how those who perform drag can be treated in numerous ways, which was sprinkled throughout the book.

To conclude, I'm not exactly sure how to feel about this book. It was alright and wasn't too bad; the pace and the writing style just weren't my thing.

Give it a try if the synposis interests you, though, as it could be perfect for you, especially if the idea of performing drag and/or the drag community interests you.

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars is a witty and entertaining murder mystery that combines the glamour of the theater world with sharp humor and suspense. Stars creates an intriguing backdrop filled with eccentric characters, all tied to the high-stakes drama behind the scenes of a theatrical production. The story expertly balances comedy and mystery, keeping readers both laughing and guessing as secrets unfold and tensions rise. With its fast-paced plot, clever dialogue, and a murder that leads to plenty of twists and surprises, Murder in the Dressing Room is a delightful whodunit perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and theatrical intrigue.

Murder in the dressing room is a fabulous debut by Comedian and Drag artist Holly Stars. I confess I never heard of her and do not watch shows like Drag race UK. But I was enthralled by this book.
Joe is a reserved hotel account, who just wants the quite life. But by night he is Misty Divine. An upcoming drag artist in The London scene. When he visits his Mentor Lady Lady in her dressing room just before a show. She finds her dead, Dead! She was poisoned.
The Police arrive to discover the body, but they were more concerned about the dress she was wearing than Lady lady’s life. So, Misty Divine takes it on herself to find out who wanted Lady Lady dead.
The is a fabulous cosy murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and lots of humour in it too, this had lots of great characters and like how the story differentiated between the drag artist and the real person inside. The person underneath all that Glitz and Glamour have real feelings too.
This is a great debut from this author, and I will look forward to more from them. 5 stars from me.

Murder In The Dressing Room is a sparkling mystery where drag queens aren’t just dramatic – they’re deadly. By day, Joe is a reserved hotel accountant, hiding behind their desk and living a quiet life. By night, they transform into Misty Divine, an up-and-coming star of London’s vibrant drag scene. But when Misty’s beloved mentor, Lady Lady, is found murdered in her dressing room, the glamour turns to horror. Misty, along with her fellow performers, becomes a prime suspect.

Heartbroken and frustrated by the lack of progress from the police, Joe is determined to find the truth. Though they may just be a hotel accountant by day, this is a case for Misty Divine by night. As Misty dives into the world of sleuthing across London, the book cleverly weaves the glamour of the drag scene with the sharp tension of a murder investigation.

With a fabulous protagonist, an intriguing cast of side characters, and plenty of sparkle, Murder In The Dressing Room is everything you could want in a mystery thriller – just with a bit more glitter!

Holly Stars’ writing is both engaging and immersive, making you feel as though you're right alongside Misty Divine as she navigates the glittering, gritty world of drag and danger. The book touches on important themes within the LGBT+ community without ever feeling heavy-handed, adding depth to the mystery. The plot unfolds with twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat, and Stars' accessible writing style makes this a quick, unputdownable read.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

This was such a fun ride!
There were plenty of great twists and turns, as you would expect from a murder mystery but it had so much heart and humour too.
And the tougher subjects were handled sensitively.
I also really appreciated that the protagonist was non-binary - this was actually the first book I've read where I've seen that kind of representation.
If you're looking for a unique twist to the usual whodunnit, I would definitely recommend picking this up.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The dual perspective of the main character was a little confusing to start with but as soon as it was explained that Joe was non-binary it made sense! The plot twist was so unexpected! A great book which covers a variety of topics such as homophobia!

Who committed the murder in the dressing room?? The plot was good and kept me guessing but the varied use of pronouns, did occasionally, confuse both the narrative and the plotline and overall didn’t make it an enjoyable read. Thank you Net Galley and the author for an ARC.

I love an amateur sleuth, we all do as evidenced by the success of Finlay Donovan is killin' it. Suffice it to say I came expecting to have a good time.That was not the case. Somehow we found a way to make a story about drag queens boring.

I had zero laughs, the middle part was meandering and made the whole thing drag, the MC felt surface level, the plot was okay and there was no emotion.

I really wish this would have worked out because so many people would get behind this but there's nothing to point to and say if this gets done better then I'm willing to give the sequal a shot. It's a one and done situation for me because there is not depth. Not a single element was done in a way that makes me even mildly interested in another installment.

After the initial discovery of our victim, I spent the next 100 pages searching high and low for the tension? Where were the personal stakes? The pacing is slow. We spend so much of the middle just going around in a painfully obvious way because nothing else was keeping me invested. I still have no idea who Misty is and considering I spent this whole book in her head it was a missed opportunity. If she's going to carry the story, then it's imperative that I know who the MC is.

If this is really going to be a series then some major work needs to be done. Develop the characters, fix the pacing, add some humour by embracing the amateur in amateur sleuth, add tension and we just might have something on our hands. As is stands I've decided to be generous with my rating and round it up.

CW: misgendering, homophobia

A thrilling drag queen murder mystery story, Murder in the Dressing Room is the début novel from Holly Stars; a UK comedian, drag performer and writer of the West End comedy hit show, Death Drop.

The novel centres on drag queen, Misty Divine; during the day, Joe is a less-than-confident hotel accountant but by night when they take to the stage as Misty Divine she becomes a sparkling drag queen and an up-and-coming star in London’s drag scene. When Misty’s mentor and drag mother, Lady Lady is murdered in her dressing room, however, Misty soon finds herself at the centre of a criminal investigation. She and her fellow drag king and queen performers – as well as other staff at the Lady’s Bar venue – quickly become the prime suspects in the murder.

Confused, heartbroken, grieving and frustrated at the inaction of the police – who seem to be more caught up in the Kensington Cat Burglar than on catching Lady Lady’s murderer – Misty Divine becomes determined to investigate the case herself and solve it once and for all. Will her sleuthing, however, put her, their partner Miles, and even their friends in danger though?

A fast-paced, page-turning mystery novel, Murder in the Dressing Room opens almost immediately with the murder and picks up increasingly captivating speed with each new revelation. While woven into the narrative, the author also explores some important topics within the LGBTQ+ and drag scene including: homophobia, the protests against drag queen story hour, the undervaluing of drag kings, the loss of queer venues, non-binary identities, gay love and relationships, and of course, friendships and family within the community.

With the larger-than-life, dragged-up amateur investigator heroine, Misty Divine at the helm, Murder in the Dressing Room pulls readers into a seedy underworld of secrets, thievery, murder, and crime juxtaposed against the glitzy glamour of drag. Clever, camp and everything you could want from a drag queen murder mystery, Holly Stars’ Murder in the Dressing Room is a gripping tale full of more twists and turns than a heavily-curled wig.

Espionage and eyelashes go hand-in-hand in this novel which would make for a fun series adaptation. What’s more, the novel’s ending leaves Misty with a potential further mystery to solve, so perhaps, we haven’t seen the last of her just yet….

I LOVED IT.
The dual perspective of the main character was a little confusing to start with but as soon as it was explained that Joe was non-binary I understood it perfectly. The plot twist was so unexpected I gasped. I enjoyed trying to work out who would have had a reason to kill Lady Lady, and the reason why she had that dress.

My only criticism is the way that conversation is formatted, sometimes one person is saying something, and the other immediately responds, but both sentences are on the same line and so it can read as one sentence unless you re-read it. I was taught growing up that a new line of speech meant a new line each time, so that t's easily readable and the characters aren't being mixed up. I think that would help greatly with this book, it's such a good storyline but I was finding in a couple places I needed to re-read sentences to understand who was saying what. Aside from that, it was a great read and I binge read the whole book in about 4 hours !

Murder in the Dressing Room feels like a love letter to the queer community mixed with a true crime podcast.
Misty / Joe makes a wonderful central protagonist. I think despite how you identify, everyone can sympathise with the feeling of putting on a persona to feel more confident. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this character who felt so relatable.
The references to queer culture and London brought a layer of nostalgia and warmth that made things seem familiar and comforting. I did struggle with the speed at which the plot unfolded to start with. Everything felt quite slow to get going but the last 20% of the book really ramped up and had me gripped.
I can't wait to read what Misty gets up to next!

Thank you @NetGalley, @BloomsburyPublishing, and the author for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Title: Murder in the Dressing Room
Author: Holly Stars (Debut)
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Whodunnit
Pages/Reading time: 384 pages / Around 5 hours
Publication date: 14.01.25
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Plot: 📚📚📚📚 (4/5)

Oh my god. Where do I start?

I LOOOOVE a murder mystery. If The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman were queer and full of drag queens, it would be this book! And god knows how much I love The Thursday Murder Club series. It’s a big statement!! Murder in the Dressing Room, shantay you stay!!! I’m looking forward to the publication date so I can buy myself a physical copy. I’m also a big fan of an ending that leaves room for a sequel!

Characters: 🤎🤎🤎

I loved that the main character is non-binary. I’ve never read a book where the main character was, especially when the narration was from their POV but with an external narrator—it was refreshing. Joe/Misty’s character was absolutely brilliant—I loved their “double life.” Joe by day, a shy hotel accountant who keeps their head down and lives a regular life with their partner Miles; Misty Devine by night, a gorgeous Drag Queen who performs at the well-known Lady Lady’s bar. The book starts off with Lady Lady (the owner of the club)’s murder and Misty/Joe becoming a Sherlock Holmes in drag (absolutely love the idea if you ask me!!).

The book touches on many LGBTQIA+ themes without feeling forced at all—from being misgendered to misunderstood, and other important topics on acceptance, being marginalized, and finding your chosen family. One of my favorite quotes was, “In a sea of rainbows that warmed Joe’s heart, Joe felt they could be fully themselves here, no holds barred.” This was a relatable feeling, of finding a place where you belong. I couldn’t help but think of Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan

A thrilling murder mystery with twists and turns at every corner. I really loved the characters and the way that the author touched on Joe’s identity struggles particularly with the police whilst still focusing on the plot. Really hope there is another book coming! Misty is a wonderful detective.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was such a unique story about queer lives and the power of drag and friendship.

This follows the story of Misty trying to solve the poisoning of her drag mother Lady Lady.

Full of twists and turns, it had me laughing but so intrigued.

"Murder in the Dressing Room" has many twists and turns. A detective story that builds till the very end. It's clever, humorous, and bursting to the seams with interesting new characters. You can almost hear and see the people and locations described, as if you are already there. Additionally, I must point out how stunning the cover is.

Thank You to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.