Book Description

Meet Charles Paris: a washed-up actor with a taste for wine, women . . . and solving crimes! A binge-worthy cozy mystery series from the original king of British cozy crime, internationally best-selling, award-winning author Simon Brett, OBE. For fans of Richard Osman - but with added bite! "Like a little malice in your mysteries? Some cynicism in your cosies? Simon Brett is happy to oblige" THE NEW YORK TIMES "Few crime writers are as enchantingly gifted" THE SUNDAY TIMES "One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Perfect entertainment" THE GUARDIAN "A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans" P.D. JAMES "Murder most enjoyable" COLIN DEXTER _______________________ A middle-aged actor - and sometimes sleuth - in a classic Christmas pantomime! One star under fire . . . Two not-to-be-messed-with women . . . And THE CINDERELLA KILLER! 'Tis the season to be jolly for Charles Paris, who has a minor part in the Empire Theatre Eastbourne's Christmas production of Cinderella. But Charles' festive cheer is soon under threat when he discovers that the star turn, US actor Kenny Polizzi, knows nothing about the art of the traditional British pantomime - he's just happy to have fled to England. What is Kenny running from? The unexpected appearance of not only his obsessed stalker, Gloria van der Groot, but also his estranged wife leaves Kenny rattled - and when Charles finds Kenny dead under Eastbourne Pier, he's drawn into the star's complicated personal life. Determined to find the killer and prove his own innocence, is Charles in danger of a metaphorical custard pie in his face - or something much worse? Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, M.C. Beaton and Faith Martin will love this hilarious cozy traditional mystery series featuring one of the funniest antiheroes in crime fiction. Written over a fifty-year-period, it perfectly captures life and contemporary attitudes in 1970s London - and beyond! READERS ADORE CHARLES PARIS: "A marvelous mix of theater, stagecraft, jostling egos, and killer wit" Booklist Starred Review "Masterful . . . The backstage scenes crackle with authenticity and wit" Publishers Weekly "The intrigue happens on and off the stage" Library Journal "Highly recommended to anybody who has not experienced the charm of this series" Tim, 5* Amazon review "A great read which had me laughing out loud in places - this book and others in the series are a perfect holiday read" Paul, 5* Amazon review "Another great Charles Paris tale. The theatre life is so real in these stories. I absolutely love them" Nell, 5* Amazon review "Loved it! Light, entertaining , good characters , fun" Jane 5* Goodreads review "Simon Brett is an entertaining mystery writer, not relying solely on the whodunnit aspect but bringing a whiff of modern Britain in dialect and attitudes, some of which are downright hilarious" Sarah, 5* Goodreads review THE CHARLES PARIS MYSTERIES, IN ORDER: 1. Cast in Order of Disappearance 2. So Much Blood 3. Star Trap 4. An Amateur Corpse 5. A Comedian Dies 6. The Dead Side of the Mike 7. Situation Tragedy 8. Murder Unprompted 9. Murder in the Title 10. Not Dead, Only Resting 11. Dead Giveaway 12. What Bloody Man is That 13. A Series of Murders 14. Corporate Bodies 15. A Reconstructed Corpse 16. Sicken and So Die 17. Dead Room Farce 18. A Decent Interval 19. The Cinderella Killer 20. A Deadly Habit 15. A Reconstructed Corpse 16. Sicken and So Die 17. Dead Room Farce 18. A Decent Interval 19. The Cinderella Killer 20. A Deadly Habit