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!

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.