This is the sixteenth outing for Charles Paris, Simon Brett's immensely likeable yet singularly unsuccessful actor who has developed a facility for unravelling the murders that seem to dog him wherever he might go.

Throughout the previous tales we have become familiar with his drinking, and occasional philandering, from which he emerges as a man almost wholly lacking in any vestige of willpower. As this volume opens Charles is enjoying a period of relative success. Not only has he been given a part in a touring production of a new farce, but he has also landed some additional work as a reader for the burgeoning audio-book market. Admittedly his part in the play is relatively minor, and he is disdainful of the play itself, but it is work and will both help to stave off some of the more enterprising of his creditors, and serve to bolster his all-too-fragile self-confidence.

Similarly, the book that he is recording (a formulaic romance story with characters that are barely even two-dimensional and an utterly anodyne plot) might not ever be rated as great literature, and is not something that he would ever have dreamt of reading of his own volition. It does, however, yield a modest fee, and Charles is additionally buoyed up by the fact that, having arranged the work himself, he will not have to pay a cut to his agent. Consequently, his outlook is rosier than it has been for a long time, and Charles even begins to consider attempting (another) rapprochement with Frances, his estranged wife.

Needless to say, shortly into the work an untimely death occurs, and Charles sets to unravelling the truth behind it. In this case it is Mark Lear, a former BBC sound engineer with whom Charles had worked in ‘the good old days’ when they were both younger and the BBC had plenty of cash. Mark is found dead in the small independent recording studio that he and his partner Lisa were running, and where Charles had been doing his book recording.

Simon Brett is a master of understated comedy. He has obviously worked in many aspects of the theatre and the sphere of television "light entertainment" and he exposes the pomposity and hypocrisy that is rife throughout the theatrical world. However, his light touch and the humour sprinkled throughout the book never detract from the integrity of the plot which is well thought out and very plausible.

Another strong theatrical whodunnit! ( )

This series of comedy whodunnits have taken on a darker tone as they progress. Charles Paris started out as a funny failed actor with a drink problem and a propensity to damage his marriage with foolish dalliances. As we reach the later part of his career, he has become a sad creature.

One could say, with justification, that he deserves his fate and that it is a realistic reading as to where this character would, almost inevitably, end up. The point is, I've grown to like the old rogue and I'd like to see him turn things around.

The crime, and solution to same, are well up to standard and so, on the whole, I enjoyed this book and will finish the series. ( )

Charles Paris is at it again. This time he is starring in the satire theater production, Not On Your Wife! and on the side he is recording books with old friend and former BBS producer, Mark Lear. Things get a little hairy when Charles's drinking spins out of control and he finds himself "pants-down" with two different women. To make matters worse, old pal Mark is discovered apparently murdered and Charles really can't remember who said what the last time they were together. Did Charles do something in a drunken stupor? Everyone seems to think so. Charles needs to clear his name before the police think of him as a viable suspect, too. ( )

90. [Dead Room Farce] by [[Simon Brett]].

This is the sixteenth outing for Charles Paris, Simon Brett's immensely likeable yet singularly unsuccessful actor who has developed a facility for unravelling the murders that seem to dog him wherever he might go. Throughout the previous tales we have become familiar with his drinking, and occasional philandering, from which he emrges as a man almost wholly lacking in any vestige of willpower.

As this volume opens Charles is enjoying a period of relative success. Not only has he been given a part in a touring production of a new farce, but he has also landed some additional work as a reader for the burgeoning audio-book market. Admittedly his part in the play is relatively minor, and he is disdainful of the play itself, but it is work and will help to stave off some of the more enterprising of his creditors, and help to bolster his all-too-fragile self-confidence. Similarly, the book that he is recording (a formulaic romance story with tow-dimensional characters and an utterly anodyne plot) might not ever be rated as great literature, and is not something that he would ever have dreamt of reading of his own volition, but it yield a fee, and Charles is buoyed up by the fact that, having arranged the work himself, he will not have to pay a cut to his agent. Things are better than they have been for quite some time, and Charles even begins to consider attempting (another) rapprochement with Frances, his estranged wife.

Needless to say, shortly into the work an untimely death occurs, and Charles sets to unravelling the truth behind it. In this case it is Mark Lear, a former BBC sound engineer with whom Charles had worked in "the good old days" when they were both younger and the BBC had plenty of cash. He is found dead in the small independent recording studio that he and his partner Lisa were running, and where Charles had been doing his book recording.

Simon Brett is a master of understated comedy. He has obviously worked in many aspects of the theatre and the sphere of television "light entertainment" and he exposes the pomposity and hypocrisy that is rife throughout the theatrical world. However, his light touch and the humour sprinkled throughout the book never detract from the integrity of the plot which is well thought out and very plausible.

Another strong theatrical whodunnit!

This is the sixteenth outing for Charles Paris, Simon Brett's immensely likeable yet singularly unsuccessful actor who has developed a facility for unravelling the murders that seem to dog him wherever he might go. Throughout the previous tales we have become familiar with his drinking, and occasional philandering, from which he emrges as a man almost wholly lacking in any vestige of willpower.

As this volume opens Charles is enjoying a period of relative success. Not only has he been given a part in a touring production of a new farce, but he has also landed some additional work as a reader for the burgeoning audio-book market. Admittedly his part in the play is relatively minor, and he is disdainful of the play itself, but it is work and will help to stave off some of the more enterprising of his creditors, and help to bolster his all-too-fragile self-confidence. Similarly, the book that he is recording (a formulaic romance story with tow-dimensional characters and an utterly anodyne plot) might not ever be rated as great literature, and is not something that he would ever have dreamt of reading of his own volition, but it yield a fee, and Charles is buoyed up by the fact that, having arranged the work himself, he will not have to pay a cut to his agent. Things are better than they have been for quite some time, and Charles even begins to consider attempting (another) rapprochement with Frances, his estranged wife.

Needless to say, shortly into the work an untimely death occurs, and Charles sets to unravelling the truth behind it. In this case it is Mark Lear, a former BBC sound engineer with whom Charles had worked in "the good old days" when they were both younger and the BBC had plenty of cash. He is found dead in the small independent recording studio that he and his partner Lisa were running, and where Charles had been doing his book recording.

Simon Brett is a master of understated comedy. He has obviously worked in many aspects of the theatre and the sphere of television "light entertainment" and he exposes the pomposity and hypocrisy that is rife throughout the theatrical world. However, his light touch and the humour sprinkled throughout the book never detract from the integrity of the plot which is well thought out and very plausible.

Another strong theatrical whodunnit! ( )