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Charles Paris #18
A Decent Interval
After a long period of ‘resting’, life is looking up for Charles Paris, who has been cast as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father and First Gravedigger in a new production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are fraught. Ophelia is played by Katrina Selsey, who won the role through a television talent show. Hamlet himself is also played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root – and the two young stars have rather different views of celebrity and the theatre than the more experienced members of the cast.
But when the company reach the first staging post of their tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery.
But when the company reach the first staging post of their tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
40 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Simon Brett
330 books541 followersSimon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
June 13, 2023
The Charles Paris series of books by Simon Brett are a joy to read, feel-good lightweight novels for when you need a bit of cheering up. Several of them have been dramatised for radio by Jeremy Front, and A Decent Interval at number 18 is quite a late one in the series. Simon Brett had a hiatus from writing this particular series, concentrating on his other works such as the “Fethering” series. In fact this book was published as recently as 2013, whereas the series started in 1975, and the previous novel had been published in 1997.
This gap in the career of our favourite slightly disreputable amateur sleuth Charles Paris, is explained away as a long period of “resting”. He is relieved when he is cast as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father and First Gravedigger (a double role) in a new touring production of “Hamlet”. Life seems to be looking up for Charles Paris. But rehearsals are tense and fraught. The cast do not get on, either with each other, or with the director. The lead role of Hamlet is played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root, and the part of Ophelia has been allocated to Katrina Selsey, who has won instant fame through a television talent show. Their opinions on their celebrity status, and the place of the theatre as a tool to their rising stardom, differ quite a lot from the views of the director and the regular actors, and provide much of the hilarity in this dramatisation.
The scene is set for simmering resentment, and sure enough a near-fatal accident to do with the set ensues, followed by not just one but two suspicious deaths. Could they both be accidents, or do we yet again have a murderer at large in the very theatre where Charles Paris has had his latest break? Red herrings abound and almost everyone has a motive for murder. It is up to Charles Paris once again, to play the role of detective, and investigate the mystery, and possibly track down a real killer.
All the dramatisations are enjoyable, but in a different way from the printed word. This one, A Decent Interval incorporates a lot of rock and folk-rock music from an earlier time (the late 1960s), yet the setting is contemporary. For instance there are several references to Twitter, which is probably Jeremy Front and not Simon Brett. In this sense, the adaptation is anachronistic, but I personally find this acceptable, and that it adds to my enjoyment if it is done well, as it is here. In the same way I accept that historical films use modern English, or adaptations of books in other languages are often translated into English. Specifically, one feels here that this is the music the main character would be listening to, so it is in keeping. Since it is set in the present day, Twitter would also be very much on his radar, and true to his curmudgeonly nature, much disliked.
The character of Charles Paris, the familiar world-weary, hopeless, louche whom we all feel exasperation and affection for in equal measure, is played superbly by Bill Nighy. His performance is a definite attraction in these dramatisations, as is the music, for those of a similar age to the protagonist. Suzanne Burden plays his long-suffering wife, Frances, with whom he has an on-off relationship.
Think not so much cosy, but candyfloss mystery, and you have it about right. There are no complicated crimes here. You may even judge them to be too coincidental - if not wildly improbable. But we are rooting for our disreputable amateur sleuth, and if this is your sort of thing, a Charles Paris mystery in either form will put a smile on your face.
Note:
The ISBN for this audio recording is 978-1785292545 and here is the cover.
I am not uploading it to the Goodreads database as it is technically not a book, as it is dramatised. I shall review the book separately when I read it.
This gap in the career of our favourite slightly disreputable amateur sleuth Charles Paris, is explained away as a long period of “resting”. He is relieved when he is cast as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father and First Gravedigger (a double role) in a new touring production of “Hamlet”. Life seems to be looking up for Charles Paris. But rehearsals are tense and fraught. The cast do not get on, either with each other, or with the director. The lead role of Hamlet is played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root, and the part of Ophelia has been allocated to Katrina Selsey, who has won instant fame through a television talent show. Their opinions on their celebrity status, and the place of the theatre as a tool to their rising stardom, differ quite a lot from the views of the director and the regular actors, and provide much of the hilarity in this dramatisation.
The scene is set for simmering resentment, and sure enough a near-fatal accident to do with the set ensues, followed by not just one but two suspicious deaths. Could they both be accidents, or do we yet again have a murderer at large in the very theatre where Charles Paris has had his latest break? Red herrings abound and almost everyone has a motive for murder. It is up to Charles Paris once again, to play the role of detective, and investigate the mystery, and possibly track down a real killer.
All the dramatisations are enjoyable, but in a different way from the printed word. This one, A Decent Interval incorporates a lot of rock and folk-rock music from an earlier time (the late 1960s), yet the setting is contemporary. For instance there are several references to Twitter, which is probably Jeremy Front and not Simon Brett. In this sense, the adaptation is anachronistic, but I personally find this acceptable, and that it adds to my enjoyment if it is done well, as it is here. In the same way I accept that historical films use modern English, or adaptations of books in other languages are often translated into English. Specifically, one feels here that this is the music the main character would be listening to, so it is in keeping. Since it is set in the present day, Twitter would also be very much on his radar, and true to his curmudgeonly nature, much disliked.
The character of Charles Paris, the familiar world-weary, hopeless, louche whom we all feel exasperation and affection for in equal measure, is played superbly by Bill Nighy. His performance is a definite attraction in these dramatisations, as is the music, for those of a similar age to the protagonist. Suzanne Burden plays his long-suffering wife, Frances, with whom he has an on-off relationship.
Think not so much cosy, but candyfloss mystery, and you have it about right. There are no complicated crimes here. You may even judge them to be too coincidental - if not wildly improbable. But we are rooting for our disreputable amateur sleuth, and if this is your sort of thing, a Charles Paris mystery in either form will put a smile on your face.
Note:
The ISBN for this audio recording is 978-1785292545 and here is the cover.
I am not uploading it to the Goodreads database as it is technically not a book, as it is dramatised. I shall review the book separately when I read it.
March 30, 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070htsrDescription: Charles, bit part actor and amateur sleuth, returns to the stage as the Ghost in Hamlet, but rehearsals are fraught as both Ophelia and Hamlet are being played by reality TV stars and soon it's not only Shakespeare's lines that are being murdered. As the body count rises so do Charles suspicions.
1/4: Whilst at home Frances fears she may have come to the end of allowing her semi-detached husband to remain as her lodger.2/4: Charles is playing The Ghost and the Gravedigger in Hamlet but when the reality star playing the young Dane is badly injured he begins to suspect that the accident may have been deliberate and other members of the cast may be in danger.3/4: Charles has eventually got a job in Hamlet but within a week the reality star playing Hamlet has been hospitalized and the one playing Ophelia found dead. Charles may not have been a fan of their acting abilities but he doesn't want the show to close and he suspects foul play, but who would want to kill them?4/4: Charles has joined the cast of Hamlet but the two leads played by the winners of a Reality Show have been eliminated from the production by injury and death. Charles is determined to find out who wanted them dead and there are plenty of suspects.
The charm of these radio dramatisations is the background sound track and Bill Nye, so they are termed as comfort encounters. Not sure I would willingly read the books because the crimes are pretty ludicrous.2* The Body on the Beach (Fethering, #1)
3* A Nice Class of Corpse (Mrs. Pargeter, #1)
3* Mrs, Presumed Dead (Mrs Pargeter, #2)
3* Mrs. Pargeter's Package (Mrs. Pargeter, #3)
3* Mrs. Pargeter's Pound of Flesh (Mrs Pargeter, #4)
3* Mrs. Pargeter's Plot (Mrs Pargeter, #5)
3* Mrs. Pargeter's Point of Honour (Mrs. Pargeter, #6)
2* Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris, #1)
3* So Much Blood
3* An Amateur Corpse (Charles Paris, #4)
3* The Dead Side of the Mike (Charles Paris, #6)
3* Murder Unprompted
3* A Reconstructed Corpse (Charles Paris, #15)
3* Sicken and So Die: A Charles Paris Mystery
2* A Decent Interval (Charles Paris, #18)
3* A Series of Murders
3* Murder in the Title: A Crime Novel
June 12, 2016
Simon Brett's books had been on my radar for quite some time, so when I found a BBC radio production of A Decent Interval - starring Bill Nighy - I had to give it a shot.
The story basically focused on an out-of-work actor who finds work as a minor part in a production of Hamlet - to his annoyance the leading roles are given to two reality tv "celebrities" who can't act. As the story goes on, Hamlet is found seriously wounded and Paris (the actor) is dragged into the who-dunnit.
As far as murder mysteries go this one was decent, but nothing to shout about. I am not sure it would have held my interest if I had read this in book form.
The story basically focused on an out-of-work actor who finds work as a minor part in a production of Hamlet - to his annoyance the leading roles are given to two reality tv "celebrities" who can't act. As the story goes on, Hamlet is found seriously wounded and Paris (the actor) is dragged into the who-dunnit.
As far as murder mysteries go this one was decent, but nothing to shout about. I am not sure it would have held my interest if I had read this in book form.
July 13, 2021
I really liked the first two-thirds of the book, which provided a fascinating glimpse into the behind the scenes aspects of theater including tech that the audience aren't usually privy to. However, my interested waned and the last third seemed to meander and lack luster.
Favorite lines:
"A new generation of thrusting young directors hogged the limelight by doing things like setting J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls in a collapsing doll's house."
These young directors demonstrate a "complete contempt for the text. This play they seemed to be saying is so bad that it can only be salvaged by my genius, my own particular brand of pyrotechnics."
"a grubby sleeping bag, unzipped and opened out like a kipper."
Favorite lines:
"A new generation of thrusting young directors hogged the limelight by doing things like setting J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls in a collapsing doll's house."
These young directors demonstrate a "complete contempt for the text. This play they seemed to be saying is so bad that it can only be salvaged by my genius, my own particular brand of pyrotechnics."
"a grubby sleeping bag, unzipped and opened out like a kipper."
March 30, 2016
From BBC Radio 4:
by Jeremy Front
based on the novel by Simon Brett
Directed by Sally Avens
1/4: Charles, bit part actor and amateur sleuth, returns to the stage as the Ghost in Hamlet, but rehearsals are fraught as both Ophelia and Hamlet are being played by reality TV stars and soon it's not only Shakespeare's lines that are being murdered. As the body count rises so do Charles suspicions.
Whilst at home Frances fears she may have come to the end of allowing her semi-detached husband to remain as her lodger.
2/4: Charles is playing The Ghost and the Gravedigger in Hamlet but when the reality star playing the young Dane is badly injured he begins to suspect that the accident may have been deliberate and other members of the cast may be in danger.
3/4: Charles has eventually got a job in Hamlet but within a week the reality star playing Hamlet has been hospitalized and the one playing Ophelia found dead. Charles may not have been a fan of their acting abilities but he doesn't want the show to close and he suspects foul play, but who would want to kill them?
4/4: Charles has joined the cast of Hamlet but the two leads played by the winners of a Reality Show have been eliminated from the production by injury and death. Charles is determined to find out who wanted them dead and there are plenty of suspects.
Jeremy Front (Magnificent Women, Sword of Honour) continues his successful adaptations of Simon Brett's novels starring
Bill Nighy (Marigold Hotel, Dad's Army)as Charles Paris
Suzanne Burden (Fresh Meat, Tis Pity she's A Whore) as Frances - Charles ex-wife from whom he's never been able to detach himself
Amelia Bullmore (Scott and Bailey, Down The Line) as Geraldine - an actress that Charles finds very attractive and who moves in to Frances' house.
Jon Glover (Episodes, Hitchhikers) as Maurice - Charles' long suffering agent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070htsr
by Jeremy Front
based on the novel by Simon Brett
Directed by Sally Avens
1/4: Charles, bit part actor and amateur sleuth, returns to the stage as the Ghost in Hamlet, but rehearsals are fraught as both Ophelia and Hamlet are being played by reality TV stars and soon it's not only Shakespeare's lines that are being murdered. As the body count rises so do Charles suspicions.
Whilst at home Frances fears she may have come to the end of allowing her semi-detached husband to remain as her lodger.
2/4: Charles is playing The Ghost and the Gravedigger in Hamlet but when the reality star playing the young Dane is badly injured he begins to suspect that the accident may have been deliberate and other members of the cast may be in danger.
3/4: Charles has eventually got a job in Hamlet but within a week the reality star playing Hamlet has been hospitalized and the one playing Ophelia found dead. Charles may not have been a fan of their acting abilities but he doesn't want the show to close and he suspects foul play, but who would want to kill them?
4/4: Charles has joined the cast of Hamlet but the two leads played by the winners of a Reality Show have been eliminated from the production by injury and death. Charles is determined to find out who wanted them dead and there are plenty of suspects.
Jeremy Front (Magnificent Women, Sword of Honour) continues his successful adaptations of Simon Brett's novels starring
Bill Nighy (Marigold Hotel, Dad's Army)as Charles Paris
Suzanne Burden (Fresh Meat, Tis Pity she's A Whore) as Frances - Charles ex-wife from whom he's never been able to detach himself
Amelia Bullmore (Scott and Bailey, Down The Line) as Geraldine - an actress that Charles finds very attractive and who moves in to Frances' house.
Jon Glover (Episodes, Hitchhikers) as Maurice - Charles' long suffering agent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070htsr
August 2, 2013
It has been many years since I last read a Charles Paris. Two hundred pages with no murder until at least half way through, then I kept thinking I had figured it out and then being wrong. So, for me at least, Brett was good at subtly laying down red herrings and misdirections, because the clues were all there. But the joy of reading Charles Paris is the humor, the snarky take on reality t.v. and the state of the theater today and the wry comments on his past reviews, always bad.
September 2, 2017
Just my cup of tea! Charles Paris, the world-weary, lugubrious, narrator, observes the modern world and comments on it, pretty much as I do - oh, dear, getting old.
The GR blurb:
"After a long period of ‘resting’, life is looking up for Charles Paris, who has been cast as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father and First Gravedigger in a new production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are fraught. Ophelia is played by Katrina Selsey, who won the role through a television talent show. Hamlet himself is also played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root – and the two young stars have rather different views of celebrity and the theatre than the more experienced members of the cast.
But when the company reach the first staging post of their tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery."
The GR blurb:
"After a long period of ‘resting’, life is looking up for Charles Paris, who has been cast as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father and First Gravedigger in a new production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are fraught. Ophelia is played by Katrina Selsey, who won the role through a television talent show. Hamlet himself is also played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root – and the two young stars have rather different views of celebrity and the theatre than the more experienced members of the cast.
But when the company reach the first staging post of their tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery."
July 20, 2018
I found this at the library and, since I had never read a Paris mystery, decided to give it a try. While the whodunit was fine and the insights to an actor's world were interesting, I found the lead character unsympathetic. The repeated references to the amount of alcohol Paris consumes and the resulting physical consequences were, I guess, too well written. As a result, I found Paris to be a tragic, sad individual. I read mysteries to be entertained. Alcoholism, for me, is not entertaining. Too bad because, apart from that, I enjoyed the book,
September 22, 2021
It's been years, probably decades, since I've read a Charles Paris mystery, but I remember enjoying them more than I did this one. I love the theatre setting and the bits of humor. Perhaps I'll explore one of his other series--I do remember enjoying Mrs. Pargeter...
June 8, 2013
I was really pleased when my wife recently brought me this one that she had spotted on the library shelf. I think that I have been through the rest of the Charles Paris series and it was quite exciting to find a new one.
Unfortunately, one little warning bell rang at the back of my mind because of the disappointment I had felt with the last two of the author's Feathering Series (see reviews).
I didnt enjoy this one as much as I had hoped. It seemed to take ages to set the stage for the action (pun intended)pretty much like the cranium set in the story and was it really necessary to go on so much about Charles' drinking?
When my path has crossed with Charles' in the past, he has always been a cheerful and happy character but he has now changed into a sad person. Although I acknowledge that this is the way that the author wants to portray him now, it does affect the lightness of the book that I had come to enjoy. What next? Are the police from Operation Yewtree going to arrest him with accusations of sexual misconduct back in the 60's ?
By the end of the book, I wasnt sure that all of the Questions that had been raised had been solved, but, in truth, I wasnt that concerned.
Unfortunately, one little warning bell rang at the back of my mind because of the disappointment I had felt with the last two of the author's Feathering Series (see reviews).
I didnt enjoy this one as much as I had hoped. It seemed to take ages to set the stage for the action (pun intended)pretty much like the cranium set in the story and was it really necessary to go on so much about Charles' drinking?
When my path has crossed with Charles' in the past, he has always been a cheerful and happy character but he has now changed into a sad person. Although I acknowledge that this is the way that the author wants to portray him now, it does affect the lightness of the book that I had come to enjoy. What next? Are the police from Operation Yewtree going to arrest him with accusations of sexual misconduct back in the 60's ?
By the end of the book, I wasnt sure that all of the Questions that had been raised had been solved, but, in truth, I wasnt that concerned.
October 14, 2013
Usually genre fiction gets 3 stars. It is the rare book that gets 4 or 5. I'm giving this one 4 stars because it surprised me. While I found the protagonist rather unlikable, he wasn't completely unsympathetic and by the end of the book I didn't really feel sorry for him, but I certainly found him more likable than Travis McGee (especially Travis' earlier incarnations). I also was pleasantly surprised at the plot twists. I was thinking the book was going to be rather predictable and it wasn't. I am going to sample a few more of Mr. Brett's novels when I need some good, light reading.
October 31, 2016
A quick read, about an actor that gets caught up in a minor mystery while doing a theatrical production of Hamlet. Charles Paris is past his prime and glad for the chance to do a small part in a play produced by a thinly disguised Simon Cowell character when disaster strikes, twice. Slowly the alcoholic letch uncovers the mystery involving various theatrical types.
The main character is pretty unlikable, and in fact, pretty much everyone in the book is. Its an interesting and entertaining enough read but not one that recommends reading any more of the series to me.
The main character is pretty unlikable, and in fact, pretty much everyone in the book is. Its an interesting and entertaining enough read but not one that recommends reading any more of the series to me.
June 22, 2013
I first came across this series in the late 1970s and I read all the books up to the end of the 1990s. I have read many of the books several times. I had not expected there to be any more books featuring Charles Paris so I was delighted to see that there was a new one. I like Charles Paris but he is a sad character. I am not sure if the story quite deserves four stars but it gets them because I was so pleased to see Charles Paris again.
April 3, 2016
I listened the radio adaptation of it on BBC radio, It was amazing hilarious with nice suspense.
February 27, 2021
Look behind you! There’s a body in the room, where did it come from, there’s blood everywhere, a seemingly innocuous visit to the star actor’s room has made you the number one suspect in a murder case! Taking eighth place for our 2020 recommendations, Simon Brett's A Decent Interval .
A Decent Interval occupies a similar space as Sayonara Slam, being a cozy murder mystery following the exploits of one Charles Paris, a character whom Simon Brett has admitted is styled after many of his own mannerisms, though admittedly exaggerated for comedic effect. Charles is a man getting on in years who can’t understand technology or the latest cultural trends, and spends far too much of his time hammering the difference between an actor and an actress into his own brain. This leads to hijinks that threaten to turn this tale farcical but with a deft hand and an authorial patience manage to blend together seamlessly to create an unforgettable murder mystery where the most unlikely of heroes down on his like is able to use his seeming disadvantages to seize the day.
The novel picks up as the eighteenth of the Charles Paris series, and does an excellent job of catching you up to speed. His emotionally distanced wife, his waning acting career, his lack of charisma, these all contribute to the feeling of hopelessness that is Charles’ life. He is offered an opportunity at the onset of this story, to play in Hamlet as the titular character’s father, as well as the first gravedigger. Both parts can be played by the same actor because there’s a handy interval between both performances. It’s not exactly glamorous but it’s work, and what’s more it puts Charles right in the middle of the acting crew, the most prominent characteristic of everyone here being their age. Simon Brett has tactfully constructed a cast where you’re either in the young crowd, or the old crowd. You’re hip, or you’re on the outside. Very early a conflict is established between the experienced actors who nobody knows but who are genuinely talented, and the younger celebrities who are just being brought in for the star power attached to their name. Simon Brett uses the narrative here to shine a spotlight on a most pressing issue of the theatre community, as the younger cast members Jared Root (who plays Hamlet) bickers near constantly with the Ophelia actress, Katrina Selsey. The tension brought between the two of them alone is enough of a powderkeg, but with plenty of cast members and stagehands and managers and PR reps all with their motivations clashing and every person trying to get theirs we’re given plenty of suspects to choose from.
By far our favourite scene of the novel is a close look at just one of these groups, the PR agency of the deceased victim in this case, when Charles canters up to the PR department he’s sweating, he’s nervous, he knows he’s only got one shot in this and he’s way in over his head. But slowly and surely Charles figures out how he can use his base understanding of human nature and his natural skills as an amateur detective to get a leg up on these social media savvy new age upstarts. He figures out the human element and uses it to turn a losing situation into a triumphant victory that makes the price of admission worth it for just this moment. The biggest strength of A Decent Interval is how this mostly average aging man is able to use simple observation skills and a shot of confidence now and then to bumble his way through a complicated mystery setup.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that this was Flex’s very first novel that he attempted to solve with his tried and true methods, and I know how highly we both regard the story at this point, that said I did have a couple of sticking points as a now veteran of the detective fiction genre. The mystery is excellently woven in with the themes of the story and with Charles’ personal story, but in doing so the solution is almost too clean cut. I pinged on the culprit almost as soon as they were introduced and as so many scenes are dedicated to visiting each and every suspect individually and spending roughly a scene establishing their lack of guilt you are left with hardly any suspects at all by the time it comes to Charles to declare his proper verdict. Everything fits in just a bit too cleanly but I would compare it moreso to a mountain climb in which you can always see the summit and know where you’re going and are properly strapped in with a safety harness, contrasted with the cavedive that many murder mystery stories can devolve into and which become almost completely unpredictable.
You can hear our full thoughts on A Decent Interval and our discussion with Simon Brett about it up on the Death of the Reader podcast. Thanks to Simon for joining us on the show again!
A Decent Interval occupies a similar space as Sayonara Slam, being a cozy murder mystery following the exploits of one Charles Paris, a character whom Simon Brett has admitted is styled after many of his own mannerisms, though admittedly exaggerated for comedic effect. Charles is a man getting on in years who can’t understand technology or the latest cultural trends, and spends far too much of his time hammering the difference between an actor and an actress into his own brain. This leads to hijinks that threaten to turn this tale farcical but with a deft hand and an authorial patience manage to blend together seamlessly to create an unforgettable murder mystery where the most unlikely of heroes down on his like is able to use his seeming disadvantages to seize the day.
The novel picks up as the eighteenth of the Charles Paris series, and does an excellent job of catching you up to speed. His emotionally distanced wife, his waning acting career, his lack of charisma, these all contribute to the feeling of hopelessness that is Charles’ life. He is offered an opportunity at the onset of this story, to play in Hamlet as the titular character’s father, as well as the first gravedigger. Both parts can be played by the same actor because there’s a handy interval between both performances. It’s not exactly glamorous but it’s work, and what’s more it puts Charles right in the middle of the acting crew, the most prominent characteristic of everyone here being their age. Simon Brett has tactfully constructed a cast where you’re either in the young crowd, or the old crowd. You’re hip, or you’re on the outside. Very early a conflict is established between the experienced actors who nobody knows but who are genuinely talented, and the younger celebrities who are just being brought in for the star power attached to their name. Simon Brett uses the narrative here to shine a spotlight on a most pressing issue of the theatre community, as the younger cast members Jared Root (who plays Hamlet) bickers near constantly with the Ophelia actress, Katrina Selsey. The tension brought between the two of them alone is enough of a powderkeg, but with plenty of cast members and stagehands and managers and PR reps all with their motivations clashing and every person trying to get theirs we’re given plenty of suspects to choose from.
By far our favourite scene of the novel is a close look at just one of these groups, the PR agency of the deceased victim in this case, when Charles canters up to the PR department he’s sweating, he’s nervous, he knows he’s only got one shot in this and he’s way in over his head. But slowly and surely Charles figures out how he can use his base understanding of human nature and his natural skills as an amateur detective to get a leg up on these social media savvy new age upstarts. He figures out the human element and uses it to turn a losing situation into a triumphant victory that makes the price of admission worth it for just this moment. The biggest strength of A Decent Interval is how this mostly average aging man is able to use simple observation skills and a shot of confidence now and then to bumble his way through a complicated mystery setup.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that this was Flex’s very first novel that he attempted to solve with his tried and true methods, and I know how highly we both regard the story at this point, that said I did have a couple of sticking points as a now veteran of the detective fiction genre. The mystery is excellently woven in with the themes of the story and with Charles’ personal story, but in doing so the solution is almost too clean cut. I pinged on the culprit almost as soon as they were introduced and as so many scenes are dedicated to visiting each and every suspect individually and spending roughly a scene establishing their lack of guilt you are left with hardly any suspects at all by the time it comes to Charles to declare his proper verdict. Everything fits in just a bit too cleanly but I would compare it moreso to a mountain climb in which you can always see the summit and know where you’re going and are properly strapped in with a safety harness, contrasted with the cavedive that many murder mystery stories can devolve into and which become almost completely unpredictable.
You can hear our full thoughts on A Decent Interval and our discussion with Simon Brett about it up on the Death of the Reader podcast. Thanks to Simon for joining us on the show again!
September 9, 2017
this is an brilliant, extraordinary whodunit. this book has a actor sleuth that does the investigation of the crime in the book, which I thought was interesting and different form the mysteries that I read. it is also set in London and the UK instead of the states. Charles "Charlie" Paris is a theater actor brought out of semi retirement to perform in a new production of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. the two main actors are reality TV stars and don't know how to really act in the production, they're just there for good publicity. One of the young actors is injured on stage and the other is found dead in the dressing. because Charlie has gotten involved in "detective affairs" in the past, the production people want him to look into it and figure out what happen with the accident and murder. the rest of the story is good and well written for a murder mystery that takes place on a stage play. the characters are good and the setting is interesting and kept me invested in solving the mystery and flowing the clues. the characters are "real" people and life like: not walking, talking clichés.
December 18, 2016
I think the story of Charles Paris and his dissipated drunken state is beginning to wear, not just on his long suffering distant wife, but on the rest of us as well. Charles actually gets an acting job, cast in Hamlet. But the star is not an actor, rather he is the winner of a popular vocal competition and has a huge young fan base. The producers hope that can translate into lots of interest in the play. However, when accidents and death strike the production, this play is seeming more like the Scottish Play than the Danish one. Can Charles figure it all out? The best thing about this book? The past reviews of Charles's work.
May 17, 2020
Paris, a has-been actor, is delighted to get steady work as the ghost/first gravedigger in a new, offbeat English production of "Hamlet" featuring reality show stars Jared Root and Katrina Selsey as Hamlet and Ophelia, and set inside a gigantic model of the Danish prince's skull. Root's lack of acting talent raises the tension level on the production, as do his and Selsey's efforts to out-diva each other. Before long, an "accident" and a murder allow Paris the chance to play amateur sleuth again.
January 6, 2025
( Format : Audiobook )
"Just had to play Hamlet."
"I do enjoy Brett's tales of the aging and frequently out of work thespian, Charles Paris, and his long suffering wife, but I fear that I have been spoilt by the excellent BBC radio 4 dramas starring Bill Nighy as Charles. The narration here is by Simon Brett himself. It is an easy and enjoyable listen.
Jeremy Front's radio play is slightly different and with a more abrupt conclusion. Both are recommended.
.
"Just had to play Hamlet."
"I do enjoy Brett's tales of the aging and frequently out of work thespian, Charles Paris, and his long suffering wife, but I fear that I have been spoilt by the excellent BBC radio 4 dramas starring Bill Nighy as Charles. The narration here is by Simon Brett himself. It is an easy and enjoyable listen.
Jeremy Front's radio play is slightly different and with a more abrupt conclusion. Both are recommended.
.
September 9, 2019
The continual out-of-work actor Charles Paris has a small part in a production of Hamlet where the game show leading actors, who were suppose to bring in the younger crowds, get killed or injured. The theater detail is good, but there is no real interaction between Paris and the police--and the ability of Paris to function while continually drinking is not convincing.
January 26, 2021
Time has not been kind to Charles Paris
I looked forward to picking up a Charles Paris again but was disappointed after reading it. It’s edges and sardonic asides have softened to the point of blandness. It was not a hardening back to the good old days of a new Simon Brett work and that was sad to acknowledge.
I looked forward to picking up a Charles Paris again but was disappointed after reading it. It’s edges and sardonic asides have softened to the point of blandness. It was not a hardening back to the good old days of a new Simon Brett work and that was sad to acknowledge.
July 27, 2017
I found this murder mystery set in the theater entertaining but not so much fun as I was hoping. I think I had read a very early Charles Paris, at the beginning and he was very entertaining to me at that time. I don't know what to think, but I do think I will not be following up on this series.
July 27, 2017
Another enjoyable murder mystery with Charles Paris. Set backstage of rehearsals of Hamlet, first Hamlet is injured and then Ophelia is killed. Charles drunkenly investigates.
I love the details of backstage life.
It would be 5 stars except for the ending.
I love the details of backstage life.
It would be 5 stars except for the ending.
February 19, 2019
First time I've encountered this series, perhaps unfortunately at #18 of 20 in the author's Charles Paris series. Decent action, plot & dialogue. Bit of a surprise ending.
Bought the book at a library book sale a while ago.
Bought the book at a library book sale a while ago.
February 6, 2020
It gets harder and harder to read about Charles Paris. However, I enjoyed the plot of this book more than I usually do with Simon Brett books. The details of theatre world were engaging and interesting. And the ending worked very well.
November 6, 2021
It’s not horrible, her definitely something I wouldn’t want to read again. It wasn’t thrilling or exciting, although face paced and easy to skim. There’s nothing too interesting about the book. And the mystery it’s the some well planed scheme, just a mere accident
August 26, 2017
started out better than it ended. the mystery became thoroughly uninteresting as the book went on
August 16, 2018
Decent story but a bit of a sad ending for Charles personally. Still, he did bring it on himself...
November 6, 2018
another wonderful Charles Paris story - Charles at his mournful, disorganised best
July 9, 2020
Audiobook performed by Michael Page
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