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Staging Death
Actress Vena Burford is 'resting' between jobs. But needs must, and with few voice-over jobs in the pipeline, Vena takes on a few jobs for friends and family around the idyllic Stratford-Upon-Avon. But interior design leads her to violent threats and showing prospective buyers around houses ushers in a drug-smuggling ring. Vena comes to know all too well that the countryside is far from quiet...
- GenresMystery
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2010
12 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Judith Cutler
88 books93 followersJudith Cutler was born and bred in the Midlands, and revels in using her birthplace, with its rich cultural life, as a background for her novels. After a long stint as an English lecturer at a run-down college of further education, Judith, a prize-winning short-story writer, has taught Creative Writing at Birmingham University, has run occasional writing course elsewhere (from a maximum security prison to an idyltic Greek island) and ministered to needy colleagues in her role as Secretary of the Crime Writers' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 22, 2017
I have read several books by Judith Cutler and have especially enjoyed her Fran Harman and Lina Townend series. This book is a standalone crime novel narrated by 'resting' actress Vena Burford who manages to keep her head above water financially by showing clients round upmarket houses for sale in the Warwickshire area for her brother's estate agency and by carrying out interior decorating commissions.
When the same selection of houses are viewed by couples behaving unlike couples in search of a house Vena starts to wonder what is going on. Then she thinks she is being followed and feels threatened by one of the couples she is accompanying on a viewing.
It seems little enough information to take to the police but when someone breaks into her car she decides she is going to have to do something about it. Vena has definitely stumbled across something criminal. The way the people behind the crime are finally tracked down makes interesting and exciting reading.
Vena herself is a strong woman with a nice line in humour and self-deprecation and I warmed to her immediately I started reading the book. I can't help feeling it is a pity there isn't a series featuring Vena Burford. This is an enjoyable read and it shows that crime novels can still be valid even if they do not include murder.
When the same selection of houses are viewed by couples behaving unlike couples in search of a house Vena starts to wonder what is going on. Then she thinks she is being followed and feels threatened by one of the couples she is accompanying on a viewing.
It seems little enough information to take to the police but when someone breaks into her car she decides she is going to have to do something about it. Vena has definitely stumbled across something criminal. The way the people behind the crime are finally tracked down makes interesting and exciting reading.
Vena herself is a strong woman with a nice line in humour and self-deprecation and I warmed to her immediately I started reading the book. I can't help feeling it is a pity there isn't a series featuring Vena Burford. This is an enjoyable read and it shows that crime novels can still be valid even if they do not include murder.
April 22, 2019
I Love This Book!
Purchased this book years ago in hardback and made the mistake of lending it to someone who swore she would return it. She never has. So when I noticed the title in KU, I decided what better way was there to spend a weekend day than rereading a favorite. Loved it even more the second time around. One of my favorites by this author.
Purchased this book years ago in hardback and made the mistake of lending it to someone who swore she would return it. She never has. So when I noticed the title in KU, I decided what better way was there to spend a weekend day than rereading a favorite. Loved it even more the second time around. One of my favorites by this author.
June 17, 2019
This was quite a good read but I felt something was lacking compared to her other books.
I'm puzzled over what to say about this book. It was very busy - a bomb, thefts, an excess of interpersonal relationships, houses galore (well quite a few) both being lived in and those up for sale. Perhaps that was what I found negative, quantity over depth. I think many readers may enjoy the story but it seemed to lack the the undertones, the subtext, that gives me such pleasure. It is just a good story, nothing more.
I'm puzzled over what to say about this book. It was very busy - a bomb, thefts, an excess of interpersonal relationships, houses galore (well quite a few) both being lived in and those up for sale. Perhaps that was what I found negative, quantity over depth. I think many readers may enjoy the story but it seemed to lack the the undertones, the subtext, that gives me such pleasure. It is just a good story, nothing more.
May 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this book .Maybe people came with preconceptions about how the book will be based on the genre and Judith cutler's previous work .
I have not read Judith cutler previous work and I didn't even know this was thriller /crime and thanks to that I enjoyed the book very well.
It's kind of refreshing to see older protagonists .Most books seem to have young main characters .Nothing against them it just good to see a bit of change
I have not read Judith cutler previous work and I didn't even know this was thriller /crime and thanks to that I enjoyed the book very well.
It's kind of refreshing to see older protagonists .Most books seem to have young main characters .Nothing against them it just good to see a bit of change
August 22, 2020
GREAT BOOK
I've read a lot of Judith's books and also am from the Black Country.
I found the character and wit in this book a rare treat.
Very interesting and complex character in Vena.
I've read a lot of Judith's books and also am from the Black Country.
I found the character and wit in this book a rare treat.
Very interesting and complex character in Vena.
August 7, 2022
Fun light murder mystery all the more so for being set in a familiar area local to me
May 17, 2010
Judith doesn't seem to know how to write a bad book and in this new book, featuring mature aged actress Veena Burford, she has hit the heights.
As always, her characters are beautifully drawn, particularly Vee herself and her old and dear (but not as dear as both of them would have liked) Toby, a successful and famous actor who is in his fourth marriage.
Vena is still well known and loved, but, due to problems caused by a faithless, corrupt and violent ex husband, has been having trouble getting acting work, so is showing beautiful old homes to rich customers for her Real Estate agent brother, Greg. Whilst showing a series of homes to a series of couples who seem determined to separate as they look at the houses, Vena comes to the conclusion something fishy is going on.
In the meantime, she is working for Toby's latest wife, Allyn, in redecorating their mansion.
Things get strange on more than one front and Vena finds her life is in danger. Enter handsome Chief Inspector Martin Humpage and the excitement increases on all fronts.
If you like to delve into the lives of the theatricals or just love to read a book set in Shakespeare country, you will love this book. If you love clever, charismatic and sympathetic characters with interesting friends and an adventure to boot. You will love this book as I did.
Highly recommended!!
As always, her characters are beautifully drawn, particularly Vee herself and her old and dear (but not as dear as both of them would have liked) Toby, a successful and famous actor who is in his fourth marriage.
Vena is still well known and loved, but, due to problems caused by a faithless, corrupt and violent ex husband, has been having trouble getting acting work, so is showing beautiful old homes to rich customers for her Real Estate agent brother, Greg. Whilst showing a series of homes to a series of couples who seem determined to separate as they look at the houses, Vena comes to the conclusion something fishy is going on.
In the meantime, she is working for Toby's latest wife, Allyn, in redecorating their mansion.
Things get strange on more than one front and Vena finds her life is in danger. Enter handsome Chief Inspector Martin Humpage and the excitement increases on all fronts.
If you like to delve into the lives of the theatricals or just love to read a book set in Shakespeare country, you will love this book. If you love clever, charismatic and sympathetic characters with interesting friends and an adventure to boot. You will love this book as I did.
Highly recommended!!
June 16, 2011
There's lots to criticise in this book - it doesn't function terribly well as a crime novel/thriller, IMO. I felt zero tension throughout and although there were lots of subtle clues dropped throughout which added together in the end, most of them were so uninteresting, I still didn't care, even when I found out their relevance to the denouement. There also seemed to be quite a few loose ends which were never entirely tied up - characters who were introduced and then lost, problems that were raised and then never mentioned again. These could, of course, have been intentional red herrings, but it felt more like the writer had started a thread, then got bored with it and couldn't be arsed to edit it out before publication. There was an odd mismatch of tone to content, with quite a jaunty, lighthearted, comic feel which felt wildly inappropriate when "nice" characters we'd grown to know and care about started getting horribly injured.
But the actress heroine, through whose voice the novel is narrated, was hugely likeable and kept making me want to read on and i loved the portrayal of her life. In fact, I was set on giving this novel 3 stars until the horrible melodramatic car crash of an ending.
But the actress heroine, through whose voice the novel is narrated, was hugely likeable and kept making me want to read on and i loved the portrayal of her life. In fact, I was set on giving this novel 3 stars until the horrible melodramatic car crash of an ending.
January 21, 2016
It was OK for the most part but the plot is pretty silly and the protagonist is a 'resting' actress of a certain age and darling, I'm simply not cut out for life with the luvvies; darling, dearest. It all got a bit tedious and I almost started rooting for the baddies to wipe out all of them & their fragile little egos.
August 13, 2013
I have read other books from this author, the Lina Townend series, and just didn't enjoy this as much. It took me to the middle of the book to really get things going. I will read some others from her but was disappointed with this one, altho it did end well.
March 9, 2013
Twee. Undemanding. A bit infuriating at times. I prefer Cutler's grittier earlier work.
February 19, 2014
Read 110 pages but could not see where it was going or what the point of the book was so gave up.
Read
March 23, 2016This was a pleasant book with a likable main character, an aging actress who has posh tastes but lives a practical life.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews