This was a good read! I enjoy cosy mysteries, but sometimes find them a little boring and repetitive. This was a fun take on the genre though, and I enjoyed reading it. I found the pace slowed a bit in parts but in the whole a fantastic debut

The unlikely detective is painted for the gods in this campy drag twist on a familiar trope.

When her drag mother, Lady Lady, is murdered drag queen songstress Misty Divine, aka anxious non-binary 30-something Joe, is devastated. Lady Lady was like family! When the police discover she was wearing a gown stolen by notorious local thief the Kensington Catburglar, the investigation takes a turn. It's clear that the lead detective is prioritising the Catburglar, and if he's managed to interview a single queen without misgendering her, well, Misty wasn't around to hear it. Good will is fading, tension is high, someone is following her, and if that wasn't enough, Misty is fast becoming suspect number one. With boyfriend Miles playing her cautious Watson, Misty beats her mug, dons her wig, slips on her stilettos, and serves Sherlock realness to the best of her abilities.

This was a unique take on the unlikely detective trope. Joe / Misty was a relatable central figure, and there was plenty of campy fun and drag references to be enjoyed despite the murder at the heart of the story. Some scenes were very memorable, with a strong visual sense, and Stars has a talent for describing outfits, objects, and settings.

Unfortunately, beyond that, this wasn't an especially well written novel. The language is very simplistic, so much so that the writing style bordered on child-friendly in places, and there was an awful lot of telling, with very little showing. Joe often spoke to themself mentally, which undercut some of their intrigue as a detective figure, and the interviews they conducted, whether as themself or as Misty, were repetitive and predictable. The characters were largely 2D, beyond names, appearances, and professions, we got very little sense of who each character was. I found it difficult, even in scenes when they were all together, to tell apart Moneypenny and Plimberly, who seemed to merge together at points, trading traits. Miles, who as Joe's boyfriend should have been a distinct character, was formless and amorphous, I couldn't understand why they were together, although they verbalised their love for one another often, they seemed to interact very little, and when they did Miles was often critical, or fretting. Some actions were repeated in close quarters, Miles would do the washing up, and then Joe would stand up and do the washing up. Someone would move across the room, and do it again a few lines later. I think this novel has great potential, but maybe needed a little bit more polishing.

Having said all of that, I don't think this is the worst debut I have ever read. It had strong moments, and Stars finished really well. It was also very readable, and genuinely humorous. I think future books in the series would be better, I get the sense that, like the procedural show pilots this draws from, there is great potential in this series, which has been hinted at in this first taste. I hope to get the opportunity to read future books in the series, and see how Misty develops. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc of this title.
I am trying to write this almost half an hour after I finished reading and I am still a little speechless. This was read in one sitting and I now NEED the next book to come out... right the chuff now! This was the perfect blend of mystery, fun, social commentary, sweet relationships, some not so sweet relationships, funny moments, grief, and honestly some moments where I didn't realise I wasn't there watching all this stuff unfold before my eyes. I've never actually been emotionally invested in a mystery the way I was with this.
I always try to end my reviews with who I would think this book would work for... I can't do that here... EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS!!!!!!

I loved the characters in this, really well written and lots of twists and turns but with lots of humour.

By day Joe is a hotel accountant but at night he becomes the confident and vivacious Misty Divine, working the LOndon drag scene with her mentor and friend Lady Lady but when she is found dead, she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. Can she solve the crime?

Oh wow this was such a great twist on the traditional murder mystery story. I loved the drag element and I think this could be such a fun series. I certainly want to read more of Misty's adventures. This is book One setting the scenes and introducing us to everyone. The plot was really clever and i love the final big reveal. I had figured out some of it but not all. I also love their relationship with Miles, it seems healthy and sweet. I hope that continues in future books. The ending was so perfect especially the final hint at further stories. I love Joe and of course Misty, I can't wait for more.

Murder! Cat-burglars! Drag queens! This book has it all. After the shock poisoning of her beloved icon of a drag mother, cabaret queen Misty Divine finds herself at the centre of the hunt for her killer—and for answers surrounding the stolen Judy Garland dress she was wearing at the time…

Despite the gruesome subject matter, this book was the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time. Written with the quick wit, snarky observations, and showbiz anecdotes that could only belong to a drag queen, it was intensely readable and I found myself flying through the pages whenever I had a spare minute. And still, the humour never detracted from the cleverly woven mystery. The twists just kept on coming, and I’m a little embarrassed to say that I thought I had the whole thing figured out at the 40% mark only to be left with egg on my face in the final pages. Things moved very quickly towards the end, so I was pleased when the epilogue let us know there were plenty more Misty Divine mysteries to come (and hopefully to prove my suspect is not innocent after all—I’m onto you!). One of my favourite aspects of the book was the distinction between bold, brassy Misty and her daytime self, enby accountant Joe; and all the places where the two overlap, with a lot to learn from each other. Alongside a cast of outrageously zany side characters, there truly was never a dull moment—or outfit—with Misty Divine.

I was immediately intrigued by the concept of a drag queen turned detective—combining cozy mysteries with the flair of Drag Race felt like the perfect match. The characters were fantastic, and the contrast between Misty and Joe was captured really well. I would have loved a bit more detail in the descriptions of the outfits, but I thoroughly enjoyed the clever red herrings that kept me guessing right until the end.

While I found the beginning a bit repetitive and had some trouble fully engaging at first, the story grew on me as it progressed. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next mystery Misty gets caught up in!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Joe, a 9-5 office worker by day, but by night an up and coming drag queen, Misty Devine takes over.
When Misty’s drag mentor is mysteriously killed in her dressing room, Misty and the fellow performers become suspects.
When the police don’t seem to be prioritising the case and Misty is dealing with the heartbreak of losing her drag mother, she decides to start investigating.


I really enjoyed this fun murder mystery. I liked seeing the difference between Joe and Misty, and how empowered Joe feels as Misty and she becomes unstoppable. I enjoyed having an insight into the drag scene. There were lots of twists, humour and charm!

A great debut novel and I am looking forwards to reading the next one!

Drag queens and murder mystery is such a great combination, I was hooked right away and there were so many funny moments, fantastic read overall.

This book was a fast Paced cosy mystery,
This book kept me entertained through as I never knew what twist or turn I'd see coming next


I Love how the book was written and I find the front cover is fun and definitely something I'd buy to have on my book shelf

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you to the UK publishers and Netgalley for an Advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a whale of a time with this book!

Anyone who likes drag or queer culture absolutely must read this book. Had me giggling so many times.

It serves cosy mystery with a good dash of humour. Not a dark and gritty thriller by any means, but it was exactly what I wanted.

Love that it looks like there will be more to hear from Misty Divine as well!

I enjoyed this book for the most part, the concept was great, the plot was well thought out but I did struggle. Which is a shame because drag queen turned detective was an enticing prospect.
The good - the characters were fabulous, a great variety of personalities and Misty/Joe had great potential, they just didn't feel fully rendered. The descriptions of the outfits were great. And I enjoyed all the red herrings in the plot, it was nicely devised.
The bad - the writing was clunky and repetitive, it just didn't work for me. Especially at the beginning, I nearly dnf'd the whole thing because I found myself getting irritated.
I felt like this could have been a fantastic book, but it just missed the mark. That is just my personal opinion.

This was simply wonderful. If you like the sound of a magical mixture of drag queens/kings, a sprinkle of Judy Garland, a measure of poison and an unhealthy amount of stalking then this is for you.It felt like nothing I’ve ever read before and I warned to Misty completely! I can’t wait for more!

Murder in the Dressing Room is a diverse, dark humoured tale of a professional drag queen turned amateur detective following the murder of her drag mother. The book had me guessing to the end and I couldn't put it down. Murder in the dressing room has a cast to root for and would be pefect for fans of Drag, Drag Race or who just like a well-written crime caper. Loved it.

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.