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A Georgina Drake Mystery #3

The Body Under the Stage

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Georgina Drake – photographer, proud mum, and amateur detective – tackles a case that’s a little too close to home. Georgina Drake is taking promo photos of a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, and her daughter Bea’s first starring role. But the drama becomes distressingly real when one of the actors, Neil Faulkner, is found stabbed to death. And Georgie is dismayed to see a faint spatter of blood on her daughter’s arm. Georgie knows Bea isn’t a murderer, but the local police don’t seem inclined to trust her admittedly biased opinion. And when a distraught Bea admits that Neil was blackmailing her, things start to look serious. Undaunted, Georgie decides to prove her daughter’s innocence, even if she has to solve the case herself. But if Bea isn’t the murderer, then who is? Someone is more than happy to let Bea take their place behind bars, and they aren’t happy about Georgie’s snooping. If she doesn’t tread carefully, she might end up as the next body beneath the stage…An addictive and completely gripping cosy crime novel. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Midsomer Murders.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2024

305 people are currently reading
119 people want to read

About the author

Kate Hardy

934 books263 followers
Kate Hardy is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for Harlequin Mills & Boon and the Georgina Drake cozy crime series for Storm. Her novel 'Breakfast at Giovanni's' won the RNA Romance Prize in 2008, 'Bound by a Baby' won the RNA RoNA Rose in 2014 and ‘A Will, A Wish, A Wedding’ won the RNA Liberta Books Shorter Fiction award in 2021. She's been shortlisted six more times for the award, as well as for two Romantic Times awards.

She lives in Norwich in the east of England with her husband, two grown-up children, springer spaniels Archie and Dexter, and too many books to count. She's a bit of a nerd who loves cinema, live music, the theatre, ballet, history and cooking, and adores anything Italian. She loves doing research, particularly if it's hands-on and means experimenting with cooking. Reviewers say that her books are full of warmth, heart and charm - and also that you'll learn something new and interesting from them!

Kate also writes bestselling local history books under the name of Pamela Brooks.

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5 stars
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106 (29%)
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43 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,100 reviews3,021 followers
June 9, 2024
Georgina Drake was in London, staying with her daughter Bea who was starring in her first role in Macbeth at the theatre. Bert, Georgie's dog, had come with her, as well as Doris who accompanied Georgie everywhere. Georgie was a professional photographer and taking photos of the rehearsals, plus the head shots for advertising. But the first day of rehearsing went badly wrong when one of the actors was discovered, dead, under the stage.

When Georgie discovered the dead actor had been blackmailing Bea, she immediately suspected he wouldn't have only blackmailed one person. In other words, there were a number of people who would have motive. With the London police interviewing everyone, including Georgie, she knew she had to work hard herself to discover the killer. Otherwise they might go after someone else. But could she do it?

The Body Under the Stage is the 3rd in the Georgina Drake Mystery series by Kate Hardy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mystery, intrigue, a touch of ghostly nudging and some great characters make this a series I'm keen to continue. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Helen.
2,916 reviews66 followers
June 14, 2024
I do love Georgina, Doris and Bert, this episode takes them to London as daughter Bea makes her first starring role in Macbeth and Georgia has agreed to take the photos for the production, but as we have gotten to know Georgie nothing every runs smoothly and again there seems to be bodies showing up everywhere and Georgie is back to sleuthing.

First dress rehearsal and one of the main characters is found stabbed, not only that but you gotta love Bert he discovers bones under the floor, there seems to be a few contenders for murderer but one of them is Georgie’s daughter Bea but Georgie knows that is not the case and will go to all lengths to find the killer or could it be killers.

Georgie also has her sidekick Doris on board who is very good at helping uncover old deaths and Georgie is in her element uncovering some things about the victim and the suspects, with Colin not around Georgie is offering her help to the main lead detective but soon Colin has arrived in London.
This one is fast paced with a lot going on, deaths, past mysteries and with so many suspects will the play go on and will Georgie be safe this time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I do really hope that there are more in this series, I am sure there will be lots of deaths for Georgie and I am loving Colin and Georgie.

My thanks to Storm Publishing for my digital copy to read and review via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Rosie Lee.
974 reviews10 followers
June 25, 2024
I’m totally hooked with this series especially the main character Georgie #KindleUnlimited
Profile Image for Jan.
6,531 reviews100 followers
May 7, 2024
Blame it on The Scottish Play.
One actor died of a stab wound during a current rehearsal (good riddance) and another was found under the floorboards who had been there since The Blitz (also stabbed).
Helping Georgina is the audio presence of a young woman who became a ghost fifty years ago but is rarely heard from and then only by Georgina due to her new hearing aids.
There is a tangled web to be sorted out and learning that her daughter was being blackmailed by a member of the cast does nothing good for her peace of mind. Now throw in attempts to track some people now of advanced age and more deaths! Good story!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
#GeorginaDrakeMysteriesBk3 #BritishCozyMystery #Ghost #StageActors


Profile Image for TheLisaD.
1,110 reviews20 followers
June 21, 2024
This story had murder and mystery it also did a good job of giving you a story that had so much to it with many layers. There were several suspects and it’s all surrounding a theatre. So the guest get a murder and a show!
Profile Image for Linniegayl.
1,368 reviews32 followers
March 31, 2025
This was another good entry in the series. This time Georgina's serving as official photographer a theater production of The Scottish Play with her daughter Bea in a key role. Of course, once Georgina's on the job, a murder occurs on stage, impacting the play. And like the previous books, another much older skeleton is discovered by her dog underneath the stage. Georgina soon begins to investigate both murders, with the help of the ghost Doris.

Things also progress in the story of how Doris came to be murdered, with some genuine sadness related to that storyline.

I am really enjoying this series, and look forward to the next.
Profile Image for Janet.
5,193 reviews64 followers
June 15, 2024
Georgina Drake is taking promo photos of a dress rehearsal of Macbeth at the restored Regency theatre and her daughter Bea’s first starring role. But the drama becomes distressingly real when one of the actors, Neil Faulkner, is found stabbed to death & then Georgie’s spaniel Bert is interested in the corner of the room. Doris tells Georgie that there’s a body there. So Georgie finds herself once again in the middle of murder investigations plus she’s still trying to find out what happened to Doris half a century ago.
The third outing for Georgie & a very well written cosy mystery. I love Georgie who is sympathetic & has a way of drawing people out, maybe cake helps too. She is ably aided by Doris the eighteen year old ghost who helps her with the skeleton under the floorboards. I also love how Georgie & Colin’s fledgling romance is progressing. I found the modern day case intriguing & there were twists & turns but it was the two past murders which I found to be quite emotional & I’m glad the mystery surrounding Doris was solved & Fred’s family had closure.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
Profile Image for Anna.
648 reviews
May 12, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read "The Body Under The Stage" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the third book in the Georgina Drake series and in all honesty this series hooked me with the first book and it just gets better and better. Each story is more interesting than the previous one. I especially enjoy that there is a current, present day murder for Georgie to solve and that there is a historic cold-case that she works on. The way she finds all the pieces and puts them together makes for riveting reading.

Georgie tracks down Irene Taylor who apparently doesn't look like a murderer but neither did the previous murderers that Georgie encountered. Georgie has no solid evidence that Irene pushed Doris down the stairs. There are no witnesses to 10 week pregnant Doris falling down the stairs. And no one can hear Doris who died 52 years ago, except Georgie through her hearing aids.

Georgie learns that Irene has had no visitors at the Lake View Nursing Home where she's been for 3 years. She feels that Georgie is her social inferior. She also feels that Lady Sybbie and her husband are "terrible snobs" but Lady Sybbie is a dear friend to Georgie. Irene states that Doris was only after their money. Her plans to keep her son Trevor with her forever failed because he left town after Doris died.

Georgie has finally tracked down Trevor, who now goes by the name of Harrison Taylor and had a recording studio in LA which he calls Dorian Studios.

Georgie and Colin Bradshaw have been friends since a guest was found dead in her holiday cottage. In this story Georgie travels to London to take photos of the production of the Scottish Play that her daughter Bea is playing Lady Macbeth in. But Georgie has a habit of finding dead bodies according to Colin. First her husband Stephan, then the guest at the Rookery Barn, followed by a woman in an ice house. This time it's a body of an actor below the stage at the Regency Theatre. Then Bert who has travelled with her sniffs something under one of the floorboards and they find a skeleton. An actor named Friedrich Schmidt - stage name Fred Smith was stabbed at a matinee the day of the Blitz. He was married to Esther Bailey a nurse who was pregnant with their first child.

There was a lot of blackmail going on at the Regency making almost everyone a suspect. The victim it seems had something on everyone. There were a lot of "accidents" at the theatre as well. Bea broke her wrist, Rebekah had food poisoning, John the carpenter had a accident with a set, Elias was nearly beaned by a weight dropping from the flies, Leo the technician was blamed for broken bulbs.

By the time everything is sorted, half the cast will need to be replaced because they are either in jail or on their way there. Georgie closure to the family of Fred Smith. She also finds answers for Doris.

A truly wonderful story and I can't wait to see what happens to Georgie and Doris next!
Profile Image for Dizzy Bee.
333 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2024
A lovely cozy murder story with a Shakespeare play production. My favourite crime solving ladies - Georgie and Doris in action again to get justice for the new and old murders.

Great read and loveable characters. In this book, I got to read about Doris's past life. The series is definitely getting better
Profile Image for K. East.
1,294 reviews15 followers
November 24, 2025
This is the third book in the series that I've listened to on Hoopla and it was as good as the first two books. I enjoy the characters and the change in location. It was also good to have a little less of Colin's over-protectiveness intruding into the plot over and over and over again. I can see why Georgina gets a bit wearied by his concern. I was thinking that Doris' ghost character might finally find a rest now that the history of her death has been verified and her Harrison is gone, but we'll have to see if she turns up in book four. I think the author might depend a bit too much on her as a sounding board for Georgie's suspect ruminations, so perhaps Doris will remain indefinitely. Time will tell.
118 reviews
July 16, 2024
This is book number 3 in the series with Georgina Drake. The setting is the Regency Theater, where a Shakespeare play is being rehearsed. One crime happened, and another one that had happened during World War II. Georgina finds herself involved in the investigation of one of the crimes. Characters from previous books in this series participate in the story. I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Maryann Forbes.
314 reviews25 followers
June 14, 2024
The Body Under the Stage is Kate Hardy's third book in her Georgiana Drake Mystery series. I was hooked on Georgiana when I read The Body in the Ice House. When I finished it I was already looking forward to the next book, and The Body Under the Stage didn't disappoint. Kate Hardy undertakes a unique perspective in this series, writing a current mystery and a mystery that took place many years ago; its intriquing having two storylines taking place simultaneously. Georgiana Drake is a 57 year old widow, mother of 2 adult children , Bea and Will, a professional photographer and an amateur sleuth as a result of discovering dead bodies at her photo gigs. There is a paranormal element to the series; while I'm not usually a fan of the paranormal it's perfect in this series. Georgie is assisted by a lovely ghost named Doris, who died in Georgie's house when she was 17 years old and pregnant. Someone pushed Doris down the stairs, and together Doris and Georgie are determined to discover the culprit and hold him/her responsible. In The Body Under the Stage, Georgie and Doris travel to London to take photos of the actors in a production of Macbeth; Bea is starring as Lady Macbeth. Macbeth has a history of being a cursed play and when an actor is found dead, and then to top it off Georgiana's dog, Bert finds a skeleton, that appears to date back to the late 1930s early 40s., everyone's concerned that the longstanding rumor just might be a fact. The Body Under the Stage is a very satisfying read, well crafted with believable characters- a very captivating book. Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Kate Hardy for the opportunity to read and review this ARC; my review reflects my honest opinion. 3.5
Profile Image for Sarah.
403 reviews7 followers
June 25, 2024
I love a good Kate Hardy book! I got introduced to her through the first Georgie Drake book and haven't looked back since.
The books are such a mix of detective, cosy and the paranormal with a great community feel and some real head scratchers of stories.
I love the way that there is always a fresh murder and a cold case in each book, often at the same scene. This book involves my passion of theatre and includes quite a bit of Doris' story as well.
I loved reading about the history of other nations in London during the war and found Fred's story both fascinating and extremely sad.
All in all, a smash! I can't wait for the next installment!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for bexbooklover.
905 reviews10 followers
May 15, 2024
This book combines a cozy murder mystery with a Shakespeare play production and it does so beautifully.

In this story you're dealing with Georgia whose daughter Bea is cast in Macbeth and Georgia as a professional photographer is doing headshots and photos for free. Then one of the members of the cast is murdered and her daughter is considered a suspect so Georgia sets out to solve the murder herself.

Full of twists and secrets as well as humor and some banter. This is definitely a must read for any fan of cozy mysteries or even mysteries in general.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc of this book.
Profile Image for Linsey Toney.
623 reviews40 followers
June 23, 2024
The Body Under the Stage is a good read.

I didn't pay attention to notice this was book 3 in a series that said I can be read as a standalone but probably best to read the first two books first although I really didn't notice lol.. I did enjoy this read. It included real life elements like how Covid effected businesses, and prices. There is a bit of fictional history that really added to the storyline. I think this series is worth the read if you enjoy books with historical fiction, real life events, and mystery. I think the author did a good job bringing the story together while keeping it interesting.
Profile Image for Susanne Baker.
728 reviews30 followers
June 19, 2024
I do love this series of cosy mysteries with a sprinkling of supernatural moments. It was wonderful to be back with Georgina and Doris , this time in London as she helps with her daughter’s theatre group who are acting in the famous Shakespeare play that cannot be named!
Like the play that they are acting there is an abundance of bad things going on! And a murder occurs on stage with a selection of people who had a motive……
Also a historical murder is also discovered and this adds a further layer of mystery to what happened many years ago the theatre.
Such brilliant characters and a very well researched backstory had me invested throughout.
I also loved catching up with Doris and getting a resolution to her own murder mystery.
Loved the Shakespeare embellishments too, it set the scenes up perfectly!
A wonderful engaging and entertaining story.
Profile Image for Jade Farmilo.
20 reviews5 followers
June 18, 2024
I loved this book. Each book I’ve read in this series just gets better & better. It was so nice to see more of Bea & Will this time too. I loved the storyline, I enjoyed it so much I couldn’t put this book down and I finished it in an afternoon. I felt so many emotions reading this. I loved that we finally came full circle with Doris & her story, even if it was a sad one. The very last paragraph of this book broke my heart in the best way possible. It was so emotional I couldn’t help but cry. I can’t wait for more books in this series. Another fantastic book. Please please keep them coming.
18 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2024
I am gutted to say I have now finished this brilliant book. I enjoyed every page I read and wish i had a Doris. As with the other two books in the series they are well researched written with love of their characters. I love the Theatre and so enjoyed the descriptions of both theatre and actors. I wanted go go and see their performance of the Scottish Play! Thank you Kate for writing these brilliant books and I look forward to reading your next book.
Profile Image for Christina.
484 reviews8 followers
May 13, 2024
My favourite Crimesolving Duo, Doris and Georgie!

Great read, with new and old murders. Loved also that the story around Doris progressed and we got to know more ( even though I hoped for a happier ending ).

Only reason why this one it's only 4 stars it's because it was set in London, so the Golden girls group was missing this time.

Thank you Netgalley!
Profile Image for Adrienne Vaughan.
Author 11 books39 followers
October 18, 2024
Gripping, twisty and engaging!

Well written, expertly plotted and completely gripping, I loved The Body Under the Stage - the third book in the Georgina Drake Mystery series. Set against the backdrop of a production of 'The Scottish Play' by William Shakespeare, it skilfully blends the past and the present, as Georgina - such a great character - sets out to solve not one but two murders, and a few other mysteries besides. With a burgeoining romance, a couple of ghosts and the most delightful spaniel - such a clever boy - it's the perfect snuggle down, cosy crime read. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Theresa Dudley.
199 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2024
This one is my favourite. The series just got better. A beautiful read. A lovely ending to the book. I hope it's not the end of the series. I want more Georgie and Doris 🥰
Profile Image for Jackie Braun.
Author 255 books77 followers
November 13, 2025
I can't get enough of Kate Hardy's Georgina Drake mysteries. They are well-paced with an endearing cast of characters, including a ghost. I love all the twists and turns. I listened to this one and the narrator was perfect. (Nothing ruins an audio book more than bad narration.) On to read the next and the next and the next. Keep them coming, Kate Hardy.
Profile Image for Lavada Haga.
161 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2025
Good book

These books are so good I can't put them down until I have finished them! There are a lot of mysteries in this one, cold cases and current ones. Good endings.
Profile Image for Kylie.
131 reviews1 follower
August 11, 2024
This is such a fun cozy mystery series — in each book the murder somehow unearths an unsolved, century-old murder, and our main characters Georgie and ghost Doris work together to solve it. I’m so invested in this story and these characters!
Profile Image for Louise E Smith.
25 reviews
February 2, 2025
I am now totally addicted to this series, the characters are so beautifully crafted and believable. This book had me crying with the emotional journey that some of them went on. Can’t wait to read the next book.
Profile Image for Susanne.
444 reviews9 followers
September 7, 2024
Excellent! Georgie is up to her neck in it again. She's in London to watch Bea act in Macbeth and take photos for the theatre. One of the actors is murdered and Bert finds another skeleton (the dog's as bad as Georgie for sniffing out trouble!). Lots of twists and turns, trying to find out who the murderer is and discovering the skeleton's identity. Doris helping out too. Such an entertaining series.
Profile Image for Ifeoluwa  Shobande .
716 reviews
June 7, 2025
My love, well done. This is, hmm 😒 .

Okay, let's go into this, the storyline, that woman is a busy body. Is she the only one who always finds dead bodies, but she always solved it. 🤔 😏

Thank you, Kate Hardy 😘 💖 . Seriously, you write very well, and I know the work you put into. So well done, I know this is not enough, but well done. 👌 😊
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