This appears to be the 3rd in the Maisie Cooper crime books, well she isn't anything really but seems to be solving crimes as an amateur in the same place with the help of the local police, one of whom Jack Wingard is clearly smitten with her. I think the books need to be read in order as this book harps back on events in books 1 and 2.
However I ploughed on. Maisie is staying in Chichester and meets a lady in reception who is looking for a french actress, Adelaide Amour, who is going to play the lead in their new production of A Beggar's Opera. Maisie speaks french and finds herself engaged to be an aide to her whilst she works her way around the British theatre system and being an actress rather than a singer. Maisie and Adelaide Amour head to the theatre and she begins to find out a little more about the actress. It turns out that what she really needs is someone to fend off the men who seem to find her irrestible (probably the french accent) and Maisie looks as if she could do this. What does Maisie look like?
Anyway there is much discord amongst the players, none of them seem happy doing this production and being out of London. The book does get a little boring in places and you find yourself drifting off or wandering away to do the washing up (dishwasher having one of those off days) or emptying the washing machine or making a cup of tea. Or fussing the cat. Resuming reading I felt the slow drag of the story and the urge to start skim reading, I didn't, I faithfully read every word on every page and fell asleep twice. (It was all the household duties I went off to do). I was glad to see the end in sight and felt slightly disappointed, well this is a cozy book which is light hearted and nothing too dramatic or drastic to raise either your heart rate or your fervent interest in the storyline. Well that's what the definition of cozy seems to be to me.
I won't be reading the first two books in the series and will probably give any more a miss too. I think on probability I like my murderous books to be a tad more murderous!