This entertaining mystery set in London introduces Misty Divine, a stage star of the London drag scene. Singing while costumed as a lady over six feet tall, she has become popular with the gay community. MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM brings tragedy and crime into her life.
By day, Joe Brown holds down a job as a hotel accountant, preferring the pronoun they and living with a kind, reliable boyfriend, Miles. By night, Joe spends an hour putting on costume, wig and makeup, and turns into Misty, employed by Lady Lady in her performance theatre, Lady’s Bar in Soho. Tonight, the older drag artiste Lady Lady doesn’t seem herself and snaps at others. Misty then finds her collapsed in her dressing room, and it turns out she was the victim of a poisoned box of chocolates.
Under suspicion along with the other performers and staff, Misty decides to find out who was responsible. A twist is that Lady Lady was wearing a classy dress which is revealed to be a stolen antique. A cat burglar has been active in London’s better addresses, and nobody knows if this has a bearing on the death.
Well, this is certainly an unusual read. I enjoyed following Misty and learning about drag performers and the seedy nightlife side of London. There is no way a tall person in a bright yellow dress, heels and high wig can go unnoticed in the streets, but it never occurs to Misty that she’d do better snooping in her Joe persona. Joe is a quiet guy, with average looks, but Misty feels more confident when in full glamour. This insight shows us that the same person almost has multiple personalities. The sidelights on the dress Lady Lady was wearing, remind us that clothing takes on added value when used in film and worn by stars.
Every now and then I thought about London being the most surveilled city in the world, and sure enough, CCTV evidence is featured. We also see the characters keeping up with social media feeds and sharing gossip avidly, very much part of the internet age. The differing reactions of the public to people in drag are interesting to watch. This appears to be the first book by Holly Stars, but Misty Divine may be making further appearances in a series. MURDER IN THE DRESSING ROOM will make many friends. Unlike some gay romances, physical contact goes no further than a hug or kiss on the cheek, but most of the characters are men in the gay community. I expect a lot of the content applies to any stage performer anywhere, including not being able to make a living from their talent.
A poisoned chocolate. A stolen dress. An elusive catburglar. Drag’s not just dramatic, it’s deadly.
By day, Joe is a hotel accountant, invisibly sitting behind their desk and playing by the rules. By night, donned in sequins, they take to the stage as Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene.
But when Misty’s drag mother, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room beside a poisoned box of chocolates, Misty and her fellow performers become the prime suspects.
Heartbroken by the loss, and frustrated by the clear biases of the police, Misty must solve the crime before the culprit strikes again. Among the drop-dead gorgeous lurks a cutthroat killer, and Misty Divine won't rest until she finds out who it is.
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