Funeral of Figaro

by Ellis Peters

When Figaro is killed in a plane crash, it seems nothing can save the London production. A world-class baritone arrives from Europe to take over, then he too is killed - in mid-performance. Detective Inspector Musgrave embarks on a quest to discover who is responsible.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Music, Crime, British Literature, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

A pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.

Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.

During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.

Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stereotypes and tired old tropes around gender and sexuality. Some stuff about opera that would possibly amuse an opera fan. A very unlikeable policeman and a slightly confusing ending (I think I know who did it).

It had moments of being fun to read. Hero/Cherubino/Butch is a fun character if only she'd put her impetuous charm into any project other than chasing the irritating young man. At one point I almost had faith in her to think better of it, but no. Of course she succumbed after all. :( After that anything i half-liked fell apart and there was a whole lot of emotional stuff with moral double-standards so obvious it surprises me the author didn't notice them.

It's better written than a lot of the "boy meets girl amidst dead bodies" genre but it's still predictable and uninspiring in the way it portrays (gendered) humans. The fact it was written more than 20 years before I was born makes it less unforgivable than similar stuff written (more badly) in 2019.

[Sep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johny Truscott owns an opera company because Hero, his daughter, can sing like a bird. One of the operas this season is Marriage of Figaro. Familiarity with the opera is not a must, but does enrich things a little. (God bless Wikipedia) Ms. Peters went on to write the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but traces of her later themes waft through this one: young lovers, brotherhoods of men (in this case Johnny's shipmates), bending the law a little for a better justice.

Published in the early 1960s, this mystery features a lot of WWII vets still in the prime of life, a youngish Holocaust survivor and a war criminal who is not too old to be prosecuted. The trip to the past was an interesting one of this reader. The women wear skirts and gloves. Two of the minor characters race out the door each night to get to a pub 5 minutes before last call which I'm assuming was at eleven, and no EMPs protecting either bodies or corpses.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this mystery intrigued with a quick pace, variety of characters, and unusual setting backstage at a production of The Marriage of Figaro. After the murder, though, despite an opera loving detective who took periodic breaks from the investigation to critique the production, the plot lost steam and fell into predictable developments

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery set in England and the fictional opera house, the Leander Theater. Johnny Truscott owns it and gathered a hodgepodge of WWII mates to man the various jobs required in the running of the theater and putting on productions. It's been about a 20yr collaboration of love, despite a lack of profit. This "family" is upended when Marc Chatrier, baritone, arrives to play Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro. Despite his talent, he is not well-liked and a secret is revealed that could damage one if not all the players. Marc ends up dead and who dunnit begins. Almost everyone has secrets that like the proverbial onion, are pealed away little by little as the investigation into the death progresses. I challenge you to figure out who did it!!!

[Trawets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series, both in books and on TV, however this slim novel written in 1960 was a bit lightweight for me. Full of stereotypes and cliches it never really engaged me, ok for an airport with one eye on the departures board.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery / police procedural set in an opera company. Good mystery towards the end when things are summed up but hard to follow somewhat unless the reader knows a lot about opera and its world. A satisfying although not great read.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and read it very quickly. It's a bit dated now - well, first published in 1962 I suppose it would be - but very entertaining. I kept thinking it could well be an episode of the Father Brown TV series, with its going back to the war for relationship and motivation details. It's not really a detective novel as we don't learn much about D I Musgrave, other than his being an opera fan, and it might help if you have at least a slight knowledge of the plot of 'The Marriage of Figaro'! I saw it on a school trip in the mid-1970s and studied 'The Barber of Seville' for French A level and it's amazing what comes back to you! So definitely worth a read, especially for fans of Edith Pargeter's / Ellis Peters' other work.

[Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare Ellis Peters featuring neither Cadfael nor Felse. One rather roots against the investigator, so you can see why she didn't implicate them, but I'm pretty sure George Felse could have handled the situation with the requisite discretion.
Good characterization; the narration is a bit breathless and could be hard to follow if you know nothing about opera, classical music or the theater. The version I read had inept cover design suggesting death in a plane crash (another singer is mentioned who had died in that way, but no one in this mystery dies in a plane crash).

[Rachael Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Peters sure knows her classical music and this one hinges on a performance of ""The Marriage of Figaro"" at Leander Theater - owned by a former smuggler & pirate from WWII. When Figaro ends up dead, the suspense is unbearable for those in its shadow…
Peters winds a wonderful tale of intrigue and justice. I love her stories because they always bring justice in the end - but not what you expect! And in this case, the police don't quite have the whole solution either! Just when you think you figured it out - you realize there is another 100 pages left. And there is still much to unravel. "

[Janice Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be an opera lover to enjoy this mystery, with its convoluted plot, lies, secrets, and misdirection. All's well that ends well, but I couldn't guess the ending nor are most of the characters aware of whodunnit. I'm a fan of the author's Cadfael mysteries; this is my first of her other books, but I see I'll have to seek out the rest and add them to my permanent (hard copy) collection.

[Helle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some older novels can withstand the test of time very well, but unfortunately Funeral of Figaro is not one of those. It might help if you are more familiar with opera in general and The Marriage of Figaro in particular, but I have my doubts. The plot is pretty thin, except for a short uplifting in the middle and the conclusion at the end. The characters are flat, and though I can often enjoy good stereotyping, it did not come out well in this case.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I did read this at some point in the murky past, but I had satisfactorily forgotten everything.

I do have a childish love of this trope, the murder onstage of which the mystery novel is so fond...this is a standalone novel in which the detective is both unsympathetic and incorrect by the end, so that was a bit unusual. Peters' portrayal of the different characters and their motivations is deft and sympathetic.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special singer is brought in to be Figero at a London Theater. When he is killed the troup is subjected to extensive police investigations.

Long list of suspects, and reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

☺

[Emg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit dated

[Barbara Howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

An early Ellis Peters mystery, and not one of her best. The mystery itself is an interesting puzzle, but the views on gender and courtship feel quite dated.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this immensely. The characters are realistic and the plot has some great twists and turns.

[Shug · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting plot but too many characters using different names.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Judy Trenkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funeral of Figaro

Excellent! Worth reading! I was completely involved, and pleasantly so! You will like it, I’m sure!
A lot of surprises!

[Stephen Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was pleasant enough, but apart from in small sections this story just didn't capture my imagination and I skim read large parts as I was bored not captivated.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funeral of Figaro, by Ellis Peters, was first published in 1962 as "operatic whodunnit", as it says. It tells of the events at Leander Theatre, near London, and the murder of one of the best Figaros in the world, right during the fourth act. The theatre company are a very tight-knit group, held together by Johnny, who started all this after the war. It's his war activities, smuggling goods and people, and not always strictly for his country, that bring him trouble with this Figaro, who doesn't belong to the original crew. That Johnny's teenage daughter seems to be interested in the man, who is as old as her father, doesn't simplify matters at all. But those are not the only motives for the murder, and Johnny certainly isn't the only suspect...
Detective Inspector Musgrave, who was in the audience as the crime happened, dives head-first into the investigations, using his time at the theatre to comment on the plays probably more than he comments on the case. No wonder everyone is happy to see him go once all is cleared, the man who prefers Wagner to Mozart!

Yes, I took another break from my Terry Pratchett quest. I found Funeral of Figaro at a jumble sale and, being a huge fan of Ellis Peters, was delighted to learn that she was British and I could include her in the British Books Challenge.
If you'd ever care to ask me for my favourite author, I'd have to name three: Terry Pratchett for his wit and the wisdom in his words, Oscar Wilde also for his wit and for almost making me cry in public, and Ellis Peters (or Edith Pargeter), whose talent with words and descriptions I deeply admire.
I read Funeral of Figaro during two five-hour train rides, almost unable to put it down to get some rest. If you've never read one of Ellis Peter's novels, but want to give her a try, this might be a good place to start.

[Lucy Barnhouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oddly less satisfying than the Cadfael series, with which I'm more familiar. I missed what I think of as Peters' typical sensitivity in characterization; here, many ostensibly vibrant individuals were hastily sketched, with restatement taking the place of development. The affectionate take on backstage anxieties in an opera company, though, I found enjoyable. The prose lavished on Nozze is purple, but praise for it can hardly be too fulsome (the police inspector's dismissal of it instantly sets company and readers against him.)

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this for sale at the library - I imagine it's out of print. Very early Ellis Peters - the work of a talented amateur rather than the master she later developed into. So, a curiosity for Peters' fans rather than a recommendation for mystery fans. Interesting to see seeds of her later themes.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got it! No wait.

A wonderful mystery murder. I pretty much had it figured out who the murderer was. But it turned out to be somebody else after all. Poetic justice.

[Maureen E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing like as good as her best mysteries, but it's still Ellis Peters.