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Death at the Theatre : A Miss Hart and Miss Hunter Golden Age mystery
In the glamorous world of the theatre, two clever sleuths are looking for a killer …
The thrilling second book in the historical mystery series set in the 1930s by bestselling author Celina Grace
London, 1932. Kitchen maid, Joan Hart, and lady's maid, Verity Hunter, intend to enjoy their trip to the theatre, especially as Verity's uncle Tommy is one of the leading men in the play. Unfortunately, Act Two of the play is curtailed when the lights come up in the interval, and the girls realise a man has been stabbed to death almost under their very noses.
The case reunites the servant sleuths with their old ally, Detective Inspector Marks, and whilst the girls do their best to solve the case whilst keeping their jobs, the glitz and glamour of the theatre may prove to be as dangerous as any battlefield …
The thrilling second book in the historical mystery series set in the 1930s by bestselling author Celina Grace
London, 1932. Kitchen maid, Joan Hart, and lady's maid, Verity Hunter, intend to enjoy their trip to the theatre, especially as Verity's uncle Tommy is one of the leading men in the play. Unfortunately, Act Two of the play is curtailed when the lights come up in the interval, and the girls realise a man has been stabbed to death almost under their very noses.
The case reunites the servant sleuths with their old ally, Detective Inspector Marks, and whilst the girls do their best to solve the case whilst keeping their jobs, the glitz and glamour of the theatre may prove to be as dangerous as any battlefield …
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2025
79 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Celina Grace
62 books455 followersI’ve been trying to get published as a writer since…. um… er…um…see, it was that long ago I can’t remember. A long time. I make it fifteen years and counting….
I’ve also been writing for as long as I can really remember. I wrote my first story, The Blue Ruby, when I was about seven (if I can find that deathless prose scribbled in an exercise book somewhere, I might upload it here for a bit of light relief). Throughout college and university, I experimented with screenplays and scripts (I was studying Film and English at the time at the University of East Anglia), as well as other more short stories. In my twenties, I started my first novel, finished it, then my second, then my third. In my thirties, I was slightly side-tracked by the birth of my son but, leaving aside that trifling distraction, managed to write my fourth..
I didn’t bother trying to get the first novel published as I saw it as more of a practise run at this business of being an author. With the second, I entered the 2004 Lit Idol competition and got to third place. That was my ticket to publication, I thought, surely? Hah! Just the first in a long line of disappointments, of which every writer must be familiar… hopes built up to then be smacked down again. I had an agent approach me after the competition and on their encouragement, I finished, edited and polished the manuscript, sent it off to them with happy hopes – to be told months later that they didn’t think it was quite right for them..
Gutted, but enthusiasm relatively undimmed, I started on a new novel, inspired in part by the dramatic events of 2005 – the London bombings. I also wrote a short story at the same time on the same subject – it was on my mind a lot that summer (unsurprisingly. Freedom Fighter is the story – available on Amazon as part of The Mourning After short story collection). This novel The House on Fever Street (written under my maiden name Celina Alcock) was shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. Aha, I thought, a fairly prestigious and industry recognised award. This will get me published. Did it? Did it buggery!.
The House on Fever Street was also longlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award of that year, which garnered me some nice reviews and a much needed ego boost but didn’t advance my career as a published author much further..
So what next for our doughty heroine? She ups and writes her fourth novel, gains an agent and thinks now, now I have finally made it as a published author! And she waits. And waits. And waits some more. And then waits a bit more. And a bit more. Finally, for variety, she waits a bit more..
So, after two years of waiting, reading about self-publishing on Amazon and other platforms, I believe a phrase that ends in ‘…for a game of soldiers’ passed my lips and I decide to publish myself. So I did. And here I am on Amazon, making sales. No publisher. No agent. Just me..
And that makes me VERY happy.
I’ve also been writing for as long as I can really remember. I wrote my first story, The Blue Ruby, when I was about seven (if I can find that deathless prose scribbled in an exercise book somewhere, I might upload it here for a bit of light relief). Throughout college and university, I experimented with screenplays and scripts (I was studying Film and English at the time at the University of East Anglia), as well as other more short stories. In my twenties, I started my first novel, finished it, then my second, then my third. In my thirties, I was slightly side-tracked by the birth of my son but, leaving aside that trifling distraction, managed to write my fourth..
I didn’t bother trying to get the first novel published as I saw it as more of a practise run at this business of being an author. With the second, I entered the 2004 Lit Idol competition and got to third place. That was my ticket to publication, I thought, surely? Hah! Just the first in a long line of disappointments, of which every writer must be familiar… hopes built up to then be smacked down again. I had an agent approach me after the competition and on their encouragement, I finished, edited and polished the manuscript, sent it off to them with happy hopes – to be told months later that they didn’t think it was quite right for them..
Gutted, but enthusiasm relatively undimmed, I started on a new novel, inspired in part by the dramatic events of 2005 – the London bombings. I also wrote a short story at the same time on the same subject – it was on my mind a lot that summer (unsurprisingly. Freedom Fighter is the story – available on Amazon as part of The Mourning After short story collection). This novel The House on Fever Street (written under my maiden name Celina Alcock) was shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. Aha, I thought, a fairly prestigious and industry recognised award. This will get me published. Did it? Did it buggery!.
The House on Fever Street was also longlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award of that year, which garnered me some nice reviews and a much needed ego boost but didn’t advance my career as a published author much further..
So what next for our doughty heroine? She ups and writes her fourth novel, gains an agent and thinks now, now I have finally made it as a published author! And she waits. And waits. And waits some more. And then waits a bit more. And a bit more. Finally, for variety, she waits a bit more..
So, after two years of waiting, reading about self-publishing on Amazon and other platforms, I believe a phrase that ends in ‘…for a game of soldiers’ passed my lips and I decide to publish myself. So I did. And here I am on Amazon, making sales. No publisher. No agent. Just me..
And that makes me VERY happy.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 21, 2025
I enjoyed this story as much or more than I did the first one. The characters are intriguing, the plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who killed the strange man up in the balcony where our main characters sat. The answers were hard one and strange as well as convoluted. I most definitely recommend this book.
March 21, 2025
Very enjoyable
I always enjoy
Celina Grace’s writing. It is original and fun. The characters are lovely and believable. The plots good and surprising endings.
I’m glad there are a couple more.
I always enjoy
Celina Grace’s writing. It is original and fun. The characters are lovely and believable. The plots good and surprising endings.
I’m glad there are a couple more.
February 10, 2025
A quick interesting read
A theatrical setting for with a range of characters of class and wealth and those who serve that’s you up for following relationships and investigations.
A theatrical setting for with a range of characters of class and wealth and those who serve that’s you up for following relationships and investigations.
March 25, 2025
Good mystery
Interesting and very well written. A very nice read. I enjoyed this book and will read more of Celina Grace books.
Interesting and very well written. A very nice read. I enjoyed this book and will read more of Celina Grace books.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews