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.

‘murder in the dressing room’ is as full of heart as it is full of twists and turns. a crime novel that keeps going up until the very end. it’s witty and funny and full to the brim with new and fun characters. the descriptions of people and places make you feel like you are there talking with and seeing them. not to mention, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

also, the amount of criminal minds references made my criminal minds fanatic heart very happy.

Just finished Murder in the Dressing room by drag superstar @hollywstars!

This is a brilliant murder mystery, filled with humour and twists galore. In places there are some serious themes underpinning this entertaining debut, including gender assumptions and biases from the investigating police officer.

Did I mention the twists by the way? The finale of this book is filled with *drama* (would you expect any less from a drag queen?)

Not quite everything is resolved at the end of the book, so I’m looking forward the return of everyone’s new favourite drag sleuth Misty Divine.

The only downside is you’ll have to wait until next year to get your hands on a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This was an easy read, a classic whodunnit with a big twist at the end!

Misty is a strong protagonist, and I really felt like the author sensitively portrayed how much more confident someone can be, how different they can feel etc. when they are in drag. I loved it!

The book definitely touched on some aspects that members of the LGBTQ+ community will be familiar with, but I feel (as an ally) that they were dealt with in a beautiful and, again, sensitive way.

One thing that stopped me from giving the book 5 stars is that I felt that Miles’ character could have developed more. I wanted to see him either being more caught up in the drama or being more involved in the solving of the murder!

I was grabbed by the blurb but then left sadly disappointed. Good idea, poor execution.

The characters and premise were so promising, but the writing was not very good so it took an effort to bother finishing. I need more than queer representation and fabulous costumes! It was very repetitive and needed tighter editing and a lot more polish. I know it was an ARC but it felt like an early draft and came over as trite. I hope the author will hone their craft.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Such a fun read! I read this having seen 'Death Drop' in the West End (a play by Holly Stars) and I was not disappointed. Misty Divine was a great protagonist and the Soho setting was conjured so well. The mystery was well constructed and despite being very fun it touched on important topics in a tactful and empathetic way. I would definitely love to read more Misty Divine mysteries.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Set in the fabulous world of drag, this witty murder mystery follows Joe aka Misty Divine, shy hotel account by day and feisty upcoming drag star by night, on the hunt for her mentor's murderer.
Thanks to its suspense and humourous writing style, this book makes for an ideal summer read that I could easily see adapted for television.

While the premise of this story had me intrigued, I didn’t really feel that it ever captivated my attention enough.
I really liked the characters and the premise, but I don’t think it was executed all that well. It felt a little flat, same-y same-y and repetitive. It started off strong, but I kind of lost interested around halfway through.
The writing felt too amateurish to the point that it was a bit distracting at times, but I think with a little more polishing and more attention to detail this could be a really great story.
I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Holly Stars’ work in the future!

Murder in the Dressing Room is a witty, intriguing, queer murder-mystery, that I for one thoroughly enjoyed.

The story follows Joe/Misty as they/she set out to uncover Lady Lady's murderer despite being a suspect themselves.. And I truly could not have predicted what Misty was going to do next, never mind what was going to happen with the story. The unpredictability, suspense and utter drama of it all made for a fun, fast-paced read.

The writing style was easy and humorous. The characters were entertaining (I was suspicious of almost every single one of them) and I really enjoyed the London backdrop. Although there was a few instances of repetition with the same plot point/event being reiterated to a number of characters, numerous times, I flew through the book. I also cannot stop thinking about walnut pesto pasta with pinenuts.

I really enjoyed this book and didn't work out the murderer until the reveal. I absolutely sped through this book trying to figure out who the killer was and I was completely surprised with them! will be recommending this in my "murder month" book club!