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!

Gifted - I was approved to read an ARC of Murder in the Dressing Room on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in the Dressing Room is a witty, queer, fast paced mystery that is extremely accessible to read. This is a book you easily read in one sitting if you are in the mood for a thrilling mystery. Misty Devine sets out to find the killer of her drag mentor Lady Lady and the story has many exciting twists and turns. This book is easily digestible and touches upon important LGBTQIA+ topics and struggles which you can tell came from such a genuine place from author Holly Stars. The language is simple, campy, and fun with lots of pop culture references. The biggest strength of this book is in our main character Misty Devine. Misty is incredibly endearing, headstrong, charismatic, and really carries the story.

While the book had a compelling premise and well written characters, I found that the narrative became repetitive at times, with certain themes and plot points being reiterated more often than necessary. This redundancy occasionally detracted from the pacing and overall enjoyment of the story. Further, there was a lot of unnecessary detail that did not add anything to the story.

Despite these flaws, I would definitely recommend to murder mystery lovers.

Misty Divine: Drag Queen Detective is a sparkling whodunit that seamlessly blends wit, queer representation, and a healthy dose of London charm. With razor-sharp dialogue and a plot that twists like a boa's feather, this book is a delightful escape. The author's clever nods to classic crime dramas add an extra layer of fun for fans of the genre.

I really enjoyed this book and all of the colourful characters. I love how Joe relies on Misty when they need some confidence. I also warmed to Miles and Joe's relationship, the trust and support that they give one another.

Misty is an amazing character, determined to get to the bottom of Lady Lady’s murder, even when things were getting too close to home. I love how we get to meet each character as they become a suspect in Misty’s investigation. How she doesn’t want to suspect any of her friends but she knows one of them is a murderer.

I enjoyed the plot, it was full of twists and turns and ups and downs for Joe and Misty. It seemed that when things were good they then got beaten down by something else but Misty was the one to pull them through. I liked how involved the story got into the seedy underground of criminals in London with Auntie Susan and her dodgy pub in Bethnal Green. The backstory of her career with Lady Lady and their big falling out was amazing, lots of references to 90s TV. I was hooked on finding out who the killer was. The ending was full of revelations. I look forward to reading more about Misty Divine’s antics in the future.

Thank you NetGalley, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for sending the ARC for review, all opinions are my own.

A witty, queer murder mystery that was a pleasure to read.

Beautifully written, you feel as if you’re right next to Misty Divine, drag queen and Sherlock Holmes wannabe, throughout her sleuthing across London. The book touches on relevant topics for the LGBT+ community without feeling forced.

I have to admit I struggled to get into this at first but once the mystery started unfolding, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting.

As a long time Criminal Minds fan, bonus point for the references, and as somebody who’s spent many nights out in Soho, Lady Lady’s it’s definitely somewhere I would love to go!

I really enjoyed this book and didn't work out the murderer until the reveal. It was a bit of a slow start (despite a death in the first few pages), but I really got into it and the last 20% of the book was a whirlwind of action.

It pulled lots of elements from drag that I found entertaining (you had my heart at condragulations) and opened up some really good questions and thoughts around gender identity, which I was not expecting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was fun and well paced. There were times where it was really funny as well, very bristish humour which is always great in my opinion. The writing was good, although I did notice a couple typos throughout the book.

This was my first book reading from a non-binary persons point of view, and while it made me think about the way non-binary people are treated, the core of the book wasn’t changed and it was easy to adapt to. I did like the contrast between Joe and Misty, how they feel confident as Misty in drag. And miles was one of the best book boyfriends I have read this year, his unwavering support of Joe and his commitment to seeing him safe was really something.

The whodunnit part of the book was going in the direction that I expected until that final twist at the end which I didn’t see coming but on reflection should have. The amount of clues that were dotted throughout the book made it clear who it wS once you knew!

Overall a really enjoyable read, a perfect palate cleanser after a tough book and really fun. I will be looking forward to the second book!

a queer- murder mystery. misty finds drag queen lady lady poisoned in her dressing room and vouches to solve the mystery herself.

this book is a witty, yet gripping take on murder novels and is perfect for fans of drag queens.

it’s an easily digestible read, yet touches on topics that are very relevant to LGBT+ audiences, whilst mixing in campy modern references throughout the story.

overall, the book is a fun, camp take on murder mysteries and i would, personally, enjoy seeing misty solve other mysteries.

Set mainly on Old Compton Street in Soho London, Murder dishes the behind the scenes of a drag bar in a historic area of town. Holly Stars writes compellingly about Misty, the talented drag queen, and Joe, the bloke who has a nice life with an amazingly great husband when not being Misty. Joe’s boring job and Misty’s closeness with the owner of the club leads them to dig in when Lady Lady is murdered. Oh and of course Misty is a suspect. Entertaining and strong on character, though the mystery’s plot is baroque, involving Judy Garland gowns and cat burglars and poisoned chocolates.

First ARC i have recieved to review so I have to thank you for that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I was utterly suprised with who the killer was and it was full of twists and turns especially at the end. It was good to get the perspective of Joe and Misty. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series. The characters were all really enjoyable and likeable.

Holly Stars once hand fed me a Party Ring at a drag show and I feel like that’s the perfect introduction to this book.

The only person that could create a book like this is the kind of person that would feed biscuits to a stranger at ungodly hours of the night. From the very first page Holly paints such a vivid picture of Misty Divine and the whole host of characters that decorate the pages of Murder in the Dressing Room that even the seediest of drags in this are given such a rich and lively characterisation that you can’t help but fall in love with them.

It’s rare that a mystery book keeps me going to the very last page but the tension just doesn’t let up in this. While it does still have its peaks and valleys, Misty always uncovers a new crumb of evidence or mystery that just forces you to keep reading. Twists and turns are aplenty in this which truly kept me guessing until the very last moment (also perfectly setting up a future release in the Misty Divine saga).


Going into the book I was preemptive, expecting the entire thing to be all glitz and glam and camp drag murders. And while that is definitely true for a lot of the book, there is so much tenderness to be found. Delving into the intricacies of gender identity, familial trauma, and, surprisingly, capitalism, a large theme underpinning the entire book of finding one’s strength in their own identity and using drag as a shield from the dangerous and scary world we can find ourselves in was a very pleasant surprise, Holly has crafted such a unique lead character that I simply cannot wait to spend more time with Misty and the patrons of Lady’s Bar.

AD/Gifted - I was approved to read an ARC of Murder in the Dressing Room on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My fed flag is also believing I could solve crime because of the amount of CSI I’ve watched 😂

Murder in the Dressing Room follows Misty Divine as she investigates the murder of her mentor and drag mother Lady Lady, after the police make it clear that the murder is not their main priority.

As Misty pieces together how Lady Lady, a stolen dress once worn by Judy Garland and a box of poisonous chocolates are all linked, we’re taken on a journey around the London drag scene, meeting some pretty suspicious characters along the way…

I had so much fun reading this book! I love a good murder mystery and have never come across a book before that combines this with the drag queens and kings, so thought this could be a really interesting combo. It definitely did not disappoint!

I have so much love for Misty! She had some really funny and endearing moments throughout the book, and the one liners were top tier!

The story kept me guessing who the murderer was until the very end, which for me is a positive sign for a good whodunnit story. If I can’t guess or keep changing my mind throughout the story then the author has done a good job in my opinion. The reveal was exactly the level of drama I would expect in a drag club as well 🤣

You follow Misty Divine on her incredible journey as she tries to uncover the suspicious circumstances around the poisonous murder of her drag mentor and friend, Lady Lady.

I loved this book from start to finish. All of the characters are beautifully developed and you can really picture them all together. There were delicious twists and turns, as you’d expect in a mystery but I can say I certainly didn’t expect some of them!

I really enjoyed seeing the duality of a drag queen, and how powerful she felt when in drag, compared to out of it. Misty is an incredible protagonist and all around bad b*tch.

This is a quick read, mainly because it’s so hard to put down. Holly Stars writing is very easy to read and had me gripping the edge of my seat at times!

Overall, a lovely story with an incredible protagonist, and a few amazing side characters too. Everything you could want in a mystery thriller, just with a bit more sparkle!

I am aware of Holly Stars and her other work which is what primarily drew me to her first novel, Murder in the Dressing Room.

Crime fiction / Murder Mysteries are not typical genres that I would usually read however this was a really enjoyable and fun quick read. The plot is fun and easy to follow without being simplistic or obvious and there are plenty of unexpected twist and turns right to the end.

Holly creates a vivd world inhabited with easy to visualise characters and the the main character of Misty / Joe is extremely likeable. Some of the secondary characters show glimmers of being really interesting and I am hoping we get to know more about them, and Misty, in more depth as the series progresses.

Follow drag queen turned amateur sleuth Misty Divine, as she investigates the poisoning of her drag mother mentor, Lady Lady.

Drag queen by night, Misty Divine is flamboyant, flaming, and fabulous. However, in the cold light of day and de-dragged, the monotony of Joe's dead-end job is crushing their soul.

With their mentors murder, Joe wants to investigate but lacks the confidence to do so. By the power of drag, Misty has no such problem and immediately starts to wade through the drama and secrets in her fabulously fantastic high heels.

The twists will keep you guessing the identity of the murderer, but the journey is anything but simple.

This is a great caper full of very real vibrant characters. Along the way, you'll experience the dichotomy of life in drag, want to punch the police inspector for his constant misgendering, feel sadness for the loss of friends, and fall in love with the drag kings and queens of Soho.

Come for the adventure, stay for the glitter!

*I received a free copy of this book from Penguin Random House via NetGalley, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.*

This book 😍!! I absolutely adored this book, what's not to love about Drag Queens/King's, Amateur sluthes and Murder mystery. I recieved an ARC copy of this book but will 100% being buying a copy on release date to add to my bookshelf. It is such a quick easy read, I binged it in a day. I will now be recommending this to everyone, especially if you like Vera Wongs unsolicited advise for murders.