A nice start to a new cozy series set in old Hollywood. Evelyn, a script supervisor on the movie Rebecca, finds herself solving the murder of an actor. It's nicely atmospheric and a reminder of how different crime solving was before the technology we have today. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's light and not too complicated-making for a good read on a lazy day.

Fresh off the train from New York, Evelyn Galloway lands her covered job as script supervisor for Hitchcock's Rebecca, and meets one of her heroes, silent movie actor John Cunningham Musgrave. When he's killed the day after and the press becomes smearing him, she knows she's the person that should solve his murder...

The description of the book as a "cozy mystery" is an apt one: there's no real surprises or tension throughout the book, the characters are very black or white, so one knows they should not expect a "good" character to be revealed as one of the suspects, for example. The mystery itself was nice but not particularly elaborate, and the conclusion was quite predictable. The style is also quite plain and tends to overexplain or overexpose all the details, making the dialogues quite unrealistic for the sake of putting all the details out for the reader. All in all, it wasn't a bad read, but quite an entry -level mystery. I liked the setting in 1939 and the real-life characters sprinkled throughout.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of *Be Careful What You Wish For* had me hooked from the start—Old Hollywood glamour, the making of Hitchcock’s *Rebecca,* historical fiction, and a cozy murder mystery all rolled into one? Yes, please! Evelyn Galloway is an engaging protagonist, and the book does a great job immersing you in 1939 Los Angeles, complete with the intrigue and cutthroat nature of the film industry.

The writing captured the time period beautifully, with dialogue and descriptions that felt authentic to the era. The pacing kept the mystery moving, though I occasionally wished for a deeper dive into some of the supporting characters. That said, the twists and turns were enjoyable, and Evelyn’s determination to uncover the truth made her someone I’d happily follow into another case.

This was a fun, light read with a lot of charm. I’d definitely pick up future books in this series to see where Evelyn’s Hollywood adventures take her next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC.

I enjoyed the book. The book itself started out a little slow and was not always easy to get through. The ending, on the other hand, felt a little rushed.

Death Upon a Star is a cozy murder mystery, which takes place during the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie classic, Rebecca in 1939.
Easy to read and entertaining but the ending, even though has a little twist, feels a little rushed.

Overall this was a fun read and I look forward to the next one in the series.

This is my personal and honest review. The book is set to be published on Feb 04, 2025.
Thank you NetGalley, Severn House and Amy Patricia Meade for this digital ARC.

DEATH UPON A STAR is the first book in the brand-new Evelyn Galloway Mysteries by Amy Patricia Meade. Combining glamorous 1939 Hollywood with producer Alfred Hitchcock on the set for the filming of Rebecca, the author sets the stage for the perfect cozy mystery! The plucky protagonist, Evelyn Galloway, is every girl’s dream. She’s independent, ready to go after what she wants, a friend to everyone around her, and smart as a whip, especially when it comes to piecing together clues to solve a murder.

Ms. Meade does an admirable job bringing the time period to life, and it’s obvious she’s done meticulous research. Her strong descriptive skills make you feel like you’re right there… so much so that I felt panicked when Evelyn needed to call for immediate help, but cell phones hadn’t been invented yet. She had to run to find someone or a telephone! It brought to light just how much modern-day conveniences make our lives much easier. The pacing was well-done, and clues were scattered about for a sharp reader to catch. This is a wonderful start to what I hope is a long-running series!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The movie business is leaving New York for Los Angeles, and if Evelyn wants to stay in the business, she must move too. She lands a job as a script supervisor for newcomer Alfred Hitchcock’s new movie, Rebecca, and is thrilled. When one of the first people she meets is later found dead in his home, she doesn’t buy the police’s theory and begins to ask questions of her own.

Although she has written quite a few books before this one, I have never read anything by this author before, so didn’t know what to expect. I needn’t have worried, as I was drawn into the story almost from the very first page. I like Evelyn (pronounced EVE-linn) and the people who seem like they’ll be recurring characters if this turns into a series. There were quite a few famous characters involved, including Evelyn’s boss, Alfred Hitchcock. It will be fun to see who else turns up in future books, again if this turns into a series.

The mystery here was done well, with only a handful of serious suspects to consider. Every time I thought I’d figured it out, something happened to prove me wrong. I started to suspect the actual culprit just before it was revealed in the book, but I never would have guessed the motive.

I hope this book is the first in a series, because I’d love to read more about Evelyn… and about movie-making in the 1940s.

This is a nice story with well developed characters, good storyline and a nice setting (place and time). I enjoyed the writing style.
I received an advance review copy via Netgalley/Severn House and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest review.

Amy Patricia Meade's'Death Upon A Star introduces readers to Evelyn Galloway who quickly wins our undivided attention, landing the coveted position as script supervisor to Alfred Hitchcock for his film 'Rebecca..
It's 1939 in Los Angeles, and there's an immediate air of mystery and suspense as Evelyn is befriended by an actor and finds herself trying to untangle a web of murder and deceit with several people in the frame for a shocking crime.
Lovers of cozy mysteries, film buffs and anyone who likes to pit their wits against a well written puzzle will be right at home here, and will relish the prospect of further adventures with this likeable heroine.
Death Upon A Star is an enjoyable read, moving along at a fair old clip, with no triggers to report and I thoroughly recommend it..

This was just not the book for me I don't think. Much of the language seemed offensive and outdated. I totally get this is meant to take place in 1939, but I also didn't get the 1939 vibe either? I was hoping the action would happen sooner, and a lot of the scenes were of the protagonist at home drinking? The execution seemed to be slightly lacking for the potential the plot had. Just not a fan overall unfortunately.

*Death Upon a Star* takes readers to 1939 Hollywood, where Evelyn Galloway, a script supervisor on Hitchcock’s *Rebecca*, becomes unexpectedly embroiled in a murder investigation after a legendary actor is found dead. As Evelyn recalls passing by the actor’s bungalow the night before, she begins to piece together discrepancies in the media reports and take matters into her own hands to uncover the truth.

Evelyn is a likable and determined protagonist, though her level of involvement in solving the murder felt a bit far-fetched. As a newcomer to Hollywood with no investigative background, it seemed unlikely that she would make so many breakthroughs and uncover key details that professional detectives missed. This element, while central to the plot, made her role in solving the crime feel borderline unbelievable.

The book itself reads more like a cozy mystery than a gritty noir. The atmosphere of old Hollywood is rich, but the stakes never feel quite as high or dangerous as in more intense thrillers. The mystery unfolds at a gentle pace, and the focus is more on the relationships and interactions between characters than on suspenseful action.

One of the bigger drawbacks of *Death Upon a Star* is the lack of depth in the supporting characters and felt more like plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals, which kept me from becoming fully invested in the people around Evelyn.

Overall, while *Death Upon a Star* offers a charming glimpse into Hollywood’s golden age and provides a light, engaging mystery, its cozy, almost whimsical tone and lack of character depth kept it from being as compelling as it could have been.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I had a hard time reading this one. I kept putting it down and trying again. It was just not for me. The style of writing really bothered me and I just could not get past that. I thought the premise of Hollywood at that time would be fascinating but then the suspension of belief that these characters would be this way was too much for me.

I really enjoyed this book and would like to read others if the author writes more. Evelyn gets a job as a script supervisor to Alfred Hitchcock who is filming the movie Rebecca. She meets an actor that she has known about since childhood when her father would take her to his movies. When he invites her to lunch the next day, she is disappointed when he doesn't show up. Finding out later that he was murdered, she puts her common sense to good use to help the police catch the killer. This book gave me an insight into Hollywood in the late thirties and also about how war affected the industry and the people there.

Dnf’d. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me, I’m so sad about it because I really wanted to love it but I found myself just pushing through and i decided that reading shouldn’t be a chore !
“Death upon a star” follows Hollywood script supervisor Evelyn Galloway, who's drawn into a murder investigation after landing her dream job on the set of Hitchcock's Rebecca. 1939, Los Angeles. Evelyn Galloway can't believe her luck! On her first day in LA, she lands her dream job of script supervisor, and on the hottest film in town - Hitchcock's adaptation of Rebecca. But her good fortune quickly changes when a legendary actor cancels their lunch the following day and is found murdered at home. Evelyn realizes she could be a witness to the crime, having passed the bungalow's grounds on her way home the night before.
Who was the man looking upset in a gazebo? And why was movie starlet Madeleine Nabors running wildly away from the scene? When the tabloid reports contradict what Evelyn saw with her own eyes, she soon finds herself pitted against powerful studio bosses and unscrupulous journalists as she races to uncover the truth.
I think my problem was that I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters so I didn’t really care about the outcome but again, there wasn’t anything wrong with the story or the writing, I just believe it wasn’t a good fit!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc to review !

new-series, first-in-series, 1939, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, film-history, film-industry, amateur-sleuth, murder, investigation, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, local-history, actors, suspense, news-media, surveillance, secrets, lies, drugs-issues, Hollywood*****

I didn't check up on the background history this time, but it sounded credible and added to the story very nicely. The characters are well developed, and some seem modeled on historical film personalities. The mystery itself has a lot of credible red herrings, frustrating false conclusions, and some very surprising plot twists. I miss the humor of the author's other series, but this was a very good historical cozy mystery and I am looking forward to more of them!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected reader's proof from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thanks!
Avail Feb 04, 2025 #DeathUponAStar by Amy Patricia Meade #EvelynGalloway mysteriesBk1 #NetGalley @SevernHouse #CozyMystery #HistoricalHollywood #MurderMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. The writing just wasn’t for me but I can see how other people would like it. Unfortunately it just wasn’t something I found myself reaching for after putting it down.

Death Upon a Star is a well written mystery which takes place during the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, Rebecca.

You don’t have to be a classical film buff to enjoy this book, but if you are, you will love it. Evelyn Galloway, newly hired script supervisor by Alfred Hitchcock is looking for a fresh start in Hollywood after arriving from New York. She is intelligent with an eye for detail, and may have witnessed the escape of the murderer of a film star. The mystery is intriguing, with well developed characterizations of Hollywood folk, among others. But, there is also delicious gossip of many of the names from that era, including Gone With the Wind producer, David Selznick.

This was a fun read and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

Rating : 2.5/5
Considering my love for 1920s/1930s Americana and the Golden Age of Hollywood, coupled with the mystery genre, this book should have been perfect for me. Unfortunately, I found it to be somewhat flat and lacking, meaning I struggled to be hooked by the storyline or the characters. The instant hyper-positive connections between characters felt false and unnatural, whilst the level of involvement from Evelyn in a murder investigation just felt downright unbelievable. If you want a lighthearted murder mystery and are able to suspend your disbelief, then this grown-up version of Nancy Drew may be your type of read, however it unfortunately was not mine.

I really love the Golden Age of Hollywood as a setting for novels, and I also really liked that this took a murder mystery turn with it was well.

A gentle cozy crime mystery set in Hollywood around the filming of 'Rebecca', directed by Alfred Hitchcock, in 1939. I love classic films and this immediately appealed to me. I enjoyed how the author wove references to vintage fashion, slang and movie gossip into the story, A very minor criticism is that the ending of the final chapter felt quite abrupt - I was expecting it to carry on a little bit more. The tone and style of the writing is just right for the genre, and I look forward to more books in this series.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.