Played to Death

It's curtains down for one actor when preparations for a new murder mystery play at the local theatre take a chillingly real twist . . .

The Librarian

Retirement was beckoning until local lawyer Adam Cunningham - aka the Hopewell Players' pantomime dame - requested my professional opinion on the script of their next play that he's been given.

The Lawyer

The script is terrible! And it rips off a number of Golden Age mysteries. With Roly's knowledge of crime fiction, I might be able to get the whole thing cancelled.

The Producer

I couldn't believe it when I learned that my late father had written a play of all things! And now the players will perform his work - until one of them is found dead. . .

The Inspector

A body on the stage of the local playhouse doesn't happen often round here. Was it a pre-rehearsal accident, suicide . . . or is the spotlight about to fall on a murderer?

Told from the point of view of four unreliable narrators, most of whom can't be trusted - The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer and The Inspector - this cunningly inventive novel is a refreshingly fun, subversive take on the crime fiction genre.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 06/02/2026
ISBN: 9781448317684
Pages: 272

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 04/06/2026