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Curtain Call #1
Curtain Call
On a sultry afternoon in the summer of 1936 a woman accidentally interrupts an attempted murder in a London hotel room. Nina Land, a West End actress, faces a dilemma: she’s not supposed to be at the hotel in the first place, and certainly not with a married man. But once it becomes apparent that she may have seen the face of the man the newspapers have dubbed ‘the Tie-Pin Killer’ she realises that another woman's life could be at stake.
Jimmy Erskine is the raffish doyen of theatre critics who fears that his star is fading: age and drink are catching up with him, and in his late-night escapades with young men he walks a tightrope that may snap at any moment. He has depended for years on his loyal and longsuffering secretary Tom, who has a secret of his own to protect. Tom’s chance encounter with Madeleine Farewell, a lost young woman haunted by premonitions of catastrophe, closes the circle: it was Madeleine who narrowly escaped the killer’s stranglehold that afternoon, and now walks the streets in terror of his finding her again.
Curtain Call is a comedy of manners, and a tragedy of mistaken intentions. From the glittering murk of Soho’s demi-monde to the grease paint and ghost-lights of theatreland, the story plunges on through smoky clubrooms, tawdry hotels and drag balls towards a denouement in which two women are stalked by the same killer. As bracing as a cold Martini and as bright as a new tie-pin, it is a poignant and gripping story about love and death and a society dancing towards the abyss.
Jimmy Erskine is the raffish doyen of theatre critics who fears that his star is fading: age and drink are catching up with him, and in his late-night escapades with young men he walks a tightrope that may snap at any moment. He has depended for years on his loyal and longsuffering secretary Tom, who has a secret of his own to protect. Tom’s chance encounter with Madeleine Farewell, a lost young woman haunted by premonitions of catastrophe, closes the circle: it was Madeleine who narrowly escaped the killer’s stranglehold that afternoon, and now walks the streets in terror of his finding her again.
Curtain Call is a comedy of manners, and a tragedy of mistaken intentions. From the glittering murk of Soho’s demi-monde to the grease paint and ghost-lights of theatreland, the story plunges on through smoky clubrooms, tawdry hotels and drag balls towards a denouement in which two women are stalked by the same killer. As bracing as a cold Martini and as bright as a new tie-pin, it is a poignant and gripping story about love and death and a society dancing towards the abyss.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2015
63 people are currently reading
1336 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Quinn
16 books128 followersAnthony Quinn was born in Liverpool in 1964. Since 1998 he has been the film critic of the Independent. His debut novel The Rescue Man won the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. His second novel Half of the Human Race was released in spring 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
February 10, 2017
The setting is 1930's London, and the main plot is a series of murders committed by the ' Tiepin Killer '. Though chilling and intense, the murders do take something of a backseat to the rich array of characters. Make no mistake though, it in no way detracts from the story.
From MP's and budding society painters, to call girls and theatre critics, Quinn has created some really juicy characters, none more so than Jimmy Erskine, theatre critic of some renown. Erskine is a homosexual, something that was of course illegal at this time. That doesn't stop him sailing very close to the wind at times though, being nicknamed Barrack-Room Bertha, due to his proclivity for young men in uniform. What a delight Erskine is, but for all the wrong reasons. He's conceited, self-indulgent, abrasive, disloyal, yet utterly mesmerising. Quinn has certainly brought this period in history very much to life, capturing the time and place so vividly, you can almost grasp it. An absolute gem.
* I received an uncorrected proof copy from Goodreads first reads giveaway* Thank you so much, it was a real pleasure to read.
From MP's and budding society painters, to call girls and theatre critics, Quinn has created some really juicy characters, none more so than Jimmy Erskine, theatre critic of some renown. Erskine is a homosexual, something that was of course illegal at this time. That doesn't stop him sailing very close to the wind at times though, being nicknamed Barrack-Room Bertha, due to his proclivity for young men in uniform. What a delight Erskine is, but for all the wrong reasons. He's conceited, self-indulgent, abrasive, disloyal, yet utterly mesmerising. Quinn has certainly brought this period in history very much to life, capturing the time and place so vividly, you can almost grasp it. An absolute gem.
* I received an uncorrected proof copy from Goodreads first reads giveaway* Thank you so much, it was a real pleasure to read.
October 19, 2017
'Curtain Call' (2015) by Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn (sadly, not that Anthony Quinn) is also a journalist who first came to my attention, via goodreads friend Mark, and also through a shared enthusiasm for the English writer Patrick Hamilton. Anthony Quinn penned the introduction to the seventy-fifth anniversary edition edition of 'Hangover Square' published in 2016.
'Curtain Call' is a delight from start to finish. Although the activities of a serial killer hold the narrative together 'Curtain Call' is not a crime novel. The Tie-Pin Killer is merely the strand that connects a disparate group of Londoners, and it is as a character study and a period piece that the book really succeeds. Indeed the era is so vividly evoked that it felt as though it was written in the 1930s. There are no hints of modern dialogue or other jarring intrusions. 'Curtain Call' summons a world of nightclubs, boarding houses, pubs, and Lyons Corner House cafes and weaves in quite a bit of contemporaneous history. The clandestine London gay scene features and, along with the looming threat of war, is another memorable aspect of a really satisfying novel.
'Curtain Call' shares a few parallels with 'Hangover Square'. Both are set in the late 1930s when fascism was on the rise across Europe, and in London. There’s a character in 'Curtain Call' called Gerard Carmody who is an MP and he leads the British People's Brigade. The British People's Brigade is clearly based on the National Socialist League (NSL). The NSL being an organisation which broke away from the British Union of Fascists (BUF) shortly after the 1937 elections. Gerard Carmody is based on John Beckett. William "Lord Haw Haw” Joyce was another of the founder members of the NSL, and he makes a short but memorable appearance in 'Curtain Call'.
I loved it, and look forward the rest of the trilogy: 'Freya' and 'Eureka'.
5/5
Anthony Quinn (sadly, not that Anthony Quinn) is also a journalist who first came to my attention, via goodreads friend Mark, and also through a shared enthusiasm for the English writer Patrick Hamilton. Anthony Quinn penned the introduction to the seventy-fifth anniversary edition edition of 'Hangover Square' published in 2016.
'Curtain Call' is a delight from start to finish. Although the activities of a serial killer hold the narrative together 'Curtain Call' is not a crime novel. The Tie-Pin Killer is merely the strand that connects a disparate group of Londoners, and it is as a character study and a period piece that the book really succeeds. Indeed the era is so vividly evoked that it felt as though it was written in the 1930s. There are no hints of modern dialogue or other jarring intrusions. 'Curtain Call' summons a world of nightclubs, boarding houses, pubs, and Lyons Corner House cafes and weaves in quite a bit of contemporaneous history. The clandestine London gay scene features and, along with the looming threat of war, is another memorable aspect of a really satisfying novel.
'Curtain Call' shares a few parallels with 'Hangover Square'. Both are set in the late 1930s when fascism was on the rise across Europe, and in London. There’s a character in 'Curtain Call' called Gerard Carmody who is an MP and he leads the British People's Brigade. The British People's Brigade is clearly based on the National Socialist League (NSL). The NSL being an organisation which broke away from the British Union of Fascists (BUF) shortly after the 1937 elections. Gerard Carmody is based on John Beckett. William "Lord Haw Haw” Joyce was another of the founder members of the NSL, and he makes a short but memorable appearance in 'Curtain Call'.
I loved it, and look forward the rest of the trilogy: 'Freya' and 'Eureka'.
5/5
September 25, 2016
Set in London's theatre district in the 1930s against the backdrop of Oswald Moseley's Blackshirts and other historical moments of importance (the burning of Crystal Palace) this is much more a historical novel than a crime mystery.
The murders are in the news, but do not affect the cast of characters directly. For the majority of it, Quinn's story is of actors, actresses and critics and their relationships. Society's treatment of prostitutes and homosexuals is relevant. There is no detective or police investigation, but the reader suspects that the path of the Tiepin Killer is going to clash with our cast in theatre land.
So it's a very different kind of mystery, and all the better for it. In the crime genre 'different' is very refreshing.
The murders are in the news, but do not affect the cast of characters directly. For the majority of it, Quinn's story is of actors, actresses and critics and their relationships. Society's treatment of prostitutes and homosexuals is relevant. There is no detective or police investigation, but the reader suspects that the path of the Tiepin Killer is going to clash with our cast in theatre land.
So it's a very different kind of mystery, and all the better for it. In the crime genre 'different' is very refreshing.
January 26, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2015
Curtain Call – A Stylish Crime Romp.
Anthony Quinn’s Curtain Call is a stylish crime romp set in the decadent but politically intriguing year of 1936. This is one of the most delightful crime reads in a long time even though set in the 1930s it is not a pastiche of that era’s crime stories. There is a fantastic eye for the details that others forget in historical facts, laws and language all of which is rich makes for a carefully crafted suspense which places Curtain Call in a class of its own. Quinn has written a compelling story with a cast of characters whose separate stories are eventually linked together. It is very clear that at some point or points throughout the story we will meet the Tie –Pin Killer but not actually know he is until the reveal.
The actress Nina Land is having an assignation with her friend society portrait artist and married man Stephen Wyley at the Imperial Hotel when she interrupts an attempted murder in one of the rooms and the girl runs away. Soon Nina released that she had interrupted the Tie-Pin Killer and that she would need to go to the police with a description to stop him killing more women. She gets Wyley to sketch the
Jimmy Erskine is an experienced theatre critic of many years standing writing for The Chronicle, who consistently puts his livelihood by taking risks meeting young men in dangerous places in the darker areas of London nightlife. Erskine’s life is managed and edited by Tom his secretary whose accidental meeting with Madeleine Farewell is who ties the storyline together. Madeleine also happens to be the woman who was being attacked at The Imperial Hotel, when Nina Land interrupted the Tie-Pin Killer.
The way in which Quinn writes draws the reader in to the story and in turn makes us care for the characters and what eventually happens to them. The story and characters set firmly in the tumultuous world of Soho and theatre land when London was at its hedonistic nadir, when being gay meant happy and being queer meant arrest. Home grown fascism was at its rampant best and again examples are in the story reflecting the terror they had brought to the streets of London. Also the big event of the year the eventual abdication of King Edward for the love of a woman, the book ends on a positive with the Coronation of King George VI.
Curtain Call is stylish well written even when reverting to the language of 1930s English the prose is crystal clear the storylines are neat and the characters are well developed. As you read through you will appreciate the incisive wit, the attention to the language of the period and more importantly the aesthetics of the period. This book is nothing but a pleasure to read that I cannot recommend highly enough.
Anthony Quinn’s Curtain Call is a stylish crime romp set in the decadent but politically intriguing year of 1936. This is one of the most delightful crime reads in a long time even though set in the 1930s it is not a pastiche of that era’s crime stories. There is a fantastic eye for the details that others forget in historical facts, laws and language all of which is rich makes for a carefully crafted suspense which places Curtain Call in a class of its own. Quinn has written a compelling story with a cast of characters whose separate stories are eventually linked together. It is very clear that at some point or points throughout the story we will meet the Tie –Pin Killer but not actually know he is until the reveal.
The actress Nina Land is having an assignation with her friend society portrait artist and married man Stephen Wyley at the Imperial Hotel when she interrupts an attempted murder in one of the rooms and the girl runs away. Soon Nina released that she had interrupted the Tie-Pin Killer and that she would need to go to the police with a description to stop him killing more women. She gets Wyley to sketch the
Jimmy Erskine is an experienced theatre critic of many years standing writing for The Chronicle, who consistently puts his livelihood by taking risks meeting young men in dangerous places in the darker areas of London nightlife. Erskine’s life is managed and edited by Tom his secretary whose accidental meeting with Madeleine Farewell is who ties the storyline together. Madeleine also happens to be the woman who was being attacked at The Imperial Hotel, when Nina Land interrupted the Tie-Pin Killer.
The way in which Quinn writes draws the reader in to the story and in turn makes us care for the characters and what eventually happens to them. The story and characters set firmly in the tumultuous world of Soho and theatre land when London was at its hedonistic nadir, when being gay meant happy and being queer meant arrest. Home grown fascism was at its rampant best and again examples are in the story reflecting the terror they had brought to the streets of London. Also the big event of the year the eventual abdication of King Edward for the love of a woman, the book ends on a positive with the Coronation of King George VI.
Curtain Call is stylish well written even when reverting to the language of 1930s English the prose is crystal clear the storylines are neat and the characters are well developed. As you read through you will appreciate the incisive wit, the attention to the language of the period and more importantly the aesthetics of the period. This book is nothing but a pleasure to read that I cannot recommend highly enough.
April 22, 2015
An astute observation of life in London in the 1930s. A descriptive tale revolving around a serial killer called the 'Tiepin' murderer. It brought 1936, the politics and people of that time, alive for me. Liked all the subsidiary characters, especially Tom and Stephen and Madeline and even the irascible Jimmy.
December 30, 2015
This really was a good read! A great relief after the disappointment of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It's another period novel, set in London in 1936, but while it conveys a true 1930s atmosphere, it is not a pastiche. Nor is it really a murder mystery, although the looming threat of the Tiepin Killer is ever-present, especially for two of the characters. What really makes the novel compelling is the wonderful cast of rounded, believable characters whose lives gradually converge. You get to like all of them bar one or two, with all their flaws -- even the obnoxious theatre critic James Erskine, apparently based on James Agate. His character is so cleverly drawn, with his many friends liking him despite his appalling egotism and selfishness -- "because he's Jimmy". A lot of insight here. The story also gains from the sketching of the political atmosphere and events of 1936 and the looming threat of war. Quinn's writing works too; his crisp style and clever shifts between characters keep the story moving along and the reader on the edge of his/her seat. I galloped through it in a couple of rainy days.
It's a pity the ending is a little bit rushed and melodramatic, and I was really gutted at the fate of one of my favourite characters -- unlike many thrillers and murder mysteries, everything doesn't turn out all right in the end. But I'm definitely up for reading more of Quinn's work.
It's a pity the ending is a little bit rushed and melodramatic, and I was really gutted at the fate of one of my favourite characters -- unlike many thrillers and murder mysteries, everything doesn't turn out all right in the end. But I'm definitely up for reading more of Quinn's work.
October 31, 2017
This wasn't my usually kind of book that I'd read but it was chosen as book of the month for my bookclub, so thought I'd give it a go.
It wasn't too bad a book, I quite enjoyed the story plot, although didn't enjoy the whole political aspect within the story. My favourite characters were Tom and Madeline. I was really shocked by what happened to Nina, so didn't see that coming. Oh & I really didn't like Jimmy character at all, he did annoy me a lot.
I didn't find the book predictable in any way. Would I read more by this author, not sure.
It wasn't too bad a book, I quite enjoyed the story plot, although didn't enjoy the whole political aspect within the story. My favourite characters were Tom and Madeline. I was really shocked by what happened to Nina, so didn't see that coming. Oh & I really didn't like Jimmy character at all, he did annoy me a lot.
I didn't find the book predictable in any way. Would I read more by this author, not sure.
January 8, 2015
Not really a mystery or a crime novel and not a romance either - this book is difficult to fit into any of the obvious genres as it has an element of all three in it not to speak of some historical events too. Set in 1936/7, the book starts with Nina Land, an actress, interrupting a murder and giving the victim a chance to escape. The reader finds out more about the potential victim, though Nina herself has to wait awhile before she finds out what actually happened.
All the main characters have something to hide. Stephen, a society portrait painter, is having an affair with Nina and doesn't want the fact that he was in the hotel with her when she interrupts the murder known to anyone including the police. Jimmy - the theatre critic, has to keep his homosexual activities under wraps because it is a criminal offence. Madeleine - the murder victim who escapes - doesn't want it known that she works as an escort and especially doesn't want Tom - Jimmy's private secretary - to find out because she thinks she's falling in love with him.
I found this book interesting reading and it kept me entertained over a couple of days. I thought the background of the Abdication crisis, the rise of fascism and the talk of a possible war with Germany was well done. I liked the characters and the way they interacted with one another and I thought the characters were well drawn. I was less sure about the plot which seemed a bit hit and miss and there weren't really enough clues for the reader to work out who the murderer is. That said I did enjoy it and I think it deserves five stars. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
All the main characters have something to hide. Stephen, a society portrait painter, is having an affair with Nina and doesn't want the fact that he was in the hotel with her when she interrupts the murder known to anyone including the police. Jimmy - the theatre critic, has to keep his homosexual activities under wraps because it is a criminal offence. Madeleine - the murder victim who escapes - doesn't want it known that she works as an escort and especially doesn't want Tom - Jimmy's private secretary - to find out because she thinks she's falling in love with him.
I found this book interesting reading and it kept me entertained over a couple of days. I thought the background of the Abdication crisis, the rise of fascism and the talk of a possible war with Germany was well done. I liked the characters and the way they interacted with one another and I thought the characters were well drawn. I was less sure about the plot which seemed a bit hit and miss and there weren't really enough clues for the reader to work out who the murderer is. That said I did enjoy it and I think it deserves five stars. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
January 24, 2015
From BBC radio 4 - Book at Bedtime:
On a sultry afternoon in the summer of 1936, a woman accidentally interrupts an attempted murder in a London hotel room. Nina Land, a West End actress, faces a dilemma. She's not supposed to be at the hotel in the first place, and certainly not with a married man - the celebrated portrait artist, Stephen Wyley - but once it becomes apparent that she may have seen the face of the man dubbed 'the Tie-Pin Killer' she realises that another woman's life could be at stake.
Jimmy Erskine is the raffish doyen of theatre critics who fears that his star is fading. Age and drink are catching up with him and, in his late-night escapades with young men, he walks a tightrope that may snap at any moment. He has depended for years on his loyal and longsuffering secretary Tom, who has a secret of his own to protect. Tom's chance encounter with Madeleine Farewell, a lonely young woman haunted by premonitions of catastrophe, closes the circle - it was Madeleine who narrowly escaped the killer's stranglehold that afternoon and now she walks the streets in terror of him finding her again.
Curtain Call is a poignant comedy of manners, and a tragedy of mistaken intentions. From the glittering murk of Soho's demi-monde to the grease paint and ghost-lights of theatreland, the story plunges on through smoky clubrooms, street corners where thuggish Blackshirts linger and tawdry rooming houses.
On a sultry afternoon in the summer of 1936, a woman accidentally interrupts an attempted murder in a London hotel room. Nina Land, a West End actress, faces a dilemma. She's not supposed to be at the hotel in the first place, and certainly not with a married man - the celebrated portrait artist, Stephen Wyley - but once it becomes apparent that she may have seen the face of the man dubbed 'the Tie-Pin Killer' she realises that another woman's life could be at stake.
Jimmy Erskine is the raffish doyen of theatre critics who fears that his star is fading. Age and drink are catching up with him and, in his late-night escapades with young men, he walks a tightrope that may snap at any moment. He has depended for years on his loyal and longsuffering secretary Tom, who has a secret of his own to protect. Tom's chance encounter with Madeleine Farewell, a lonely young woman haunted by premonitions of catastrophe, closes the circle - it was Madeleine who narrowly escaped the killer's stranglehold that afternoon and now she walks the streets in terror of him finding her again.
Curtain Call is a poignant comedy of manners, and a tragedy of mistaken intentions. From the glittering murk of Soho's demi-monde to the grease paint and ghost-lights of theatreland, the story plunges on through smoky clubrooms, street corners where thuggish Blackshirts linger and tawdry rooming houses.
November 6, 2016
A lovely depiction of 1930s London. The characters are so well written, each one with bags of personality and their own foibles.
The crime element of the book almost takes a back seat as the relationships between friends and acquaintances develop and paths cross.
The two female characters are wonderfully written, both very different, Madeleine appearing weak and on the wrong track, Nina strong and feisty.
A few twists near the end added to the intrigue, a good book.
The crime element of the book almost takes a back seat as the relationships between friends and acquaintances develop and paths cross.
The two female characters are wonderfully written, both very different, Madeleine appearing weak and on the wrong track, Nina strong and feisty.
A few twists near the end added to the intrigue, a good book.
October 7, 2024
I enjoyed this but it wasn’t exactly overflowing with criminal drama. So don’t be expecting a proper crime novel, but do expect wonderfully absorbing characters in a well realised setting and era. Honestly, I haven’t, in a long time, read an author who has managed to get into the head of his characters so effectively. This is the first and a loose trilogy of books with some connecting characters. Based on the strength of this, I’m definitely interested in reading the second instalment.
September 5, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this ~ beautifully written and well structured. Like an afternoon in front of the fire on a winter’s day.
January 7, 2015
This is a delightful easy read that brings life during a tough economic climate to life for us decades down the line from the actual events that serve as a backdrop to the story we follow here. The characters all worked well and were totally acceptable and believable throughout the whole story and the perspective of the characters has been written into the events that were actually happening during the time the book is set. Not only did we have the interaction of the characters bringing the story to life but they were written in such a way that they very well could have been alive and involved with no hint of fabrication. The story involves the reader from the very beginning and draws you into the discovery of a mass murderer and beautifully keeps the criminal hidden until the very end by using the life and social niceties to cover the deeper flaws of each characters own nature. The reader is thus kept guessing the identity of the killer right to the very end.
I definitely reccommend this to anyone who likes a good old murder mystery
I definitely reccommend this to anyone who likes a good old murder mystery
February 27, 2015
I thought this 30s-set mystery-drama was a beautifully written novel and enjoyed it enormously.
It follows a colourful group of characters flitting in and around Soho's demi-monde, while a serial killer (the tie-pin murderer) is on the prowl. During an illicit tryst at a Bloomsbury hotel, promising actress Nina interrupts a the killer during his attempted strangulation of prostitute Madeleine. This is the story's nexus, and we go on to enjoy the company of Nina, delicate Madeleine, raffish theatre critic Jimmy, his lovelorn secretary Tom, artist Stephen and several secondary characters.
The atmosphere and depiction of the West End of the period is wonderfully done. The characters, all of whom have their faults, are engaging and believable. But it is Anthony Quinn's precise prose that is also a joy to read. Crystal clear and singing, it helps the narrative to spin along.
It follows a colourful group of characters flitting in and around Soho's demi-monde, while a serial killer (the tie-pin murderer) is on the prowl. During an illicit tryst at a Bloomsbury hotel, promising actress Nina interrupts a the killer during his attempted strangulation of prostitute Madeleine. This is the story's nexus, and we go on to enjoy the company of Nina, delicate Madeleine, raffish theatre critic Jimmy, his lovelorn secretary Tom, artist Stephen and several secondary characters.
The atmosphere and depiction of the West End of the period is wonderfully done. The characters, all of whom have their faults, are engaging and believable. But it is Anthony Quinn's precise prose that is also a joy to read. Crystal clear and singing, it helps the narrative to spin along.
January 11, 2015
**** Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.*****
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I liked the murder mystery plot and thought it was well executed. But on the other hand, I found several of the characters really annoying and was irritated when the body count included one of the ones that I did like. But then you don't always want to read about people you like - because they're not always the most interesting people! Still there were enough people that I did like that I persevered, and although I didn't feel that all the threads of the book were satisfactorily wound up, overall I enjoyed the book.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I liked the murder mystery plot and thought it was well executed. But on the other hand, I found several of the characters really annoying and was irritated when the body count included one of the ones that I did like. But then you don't always want to read about people you like - because they're not always the most interesting people! Still there were enough people that I did like that I persevered, and although I didn't feel that all the threads of the book were satisfactorily wound up, overall I enjoyed the book.
May 28, 2016
Loved this-a gift from a friend who obviously knows exactly what I like in a book! A real page turner with wonderful characters set in a fascinating period-1930s London. Looking forward to "Freya".
June 4, 2022
This is a really appealing book with great characterisation, humour and suspense. We follow a varied cast in 1930s London, with a killer on the loose: a West End actress, an acerbic theatre critic and his amanuensis, a girl and her pimp, a society portraitist. The characters come together in satisfying ways, risks are taken, reputations are lost. It's a difficult book to categorise; it's not primarily a thriller or whodunnit though the killings are one important element of the story - it has a broader canvas. It's very well written and really held my interest. Jimmy the critic - gay, outrageous, witty, insecure - is a wonderful creation. A very pleasurable novel.
February 6, 2018
Set in London in 1936, where a serial murderer links various characters with ties to theater, art, fascist politics, prostitution, journalism, film, and underground gay culture. This is wonderful period fiction that doesn't have the usual self-consciousness of period fiction--every detail and character feels real and necessary. It's a suspense novel on one level--and it is very suspenseful, often terrifying. But it's more about the people in this place and time. Completely transporting and engrossing.
May 21, 2025
This book is very well written and that is both its strength and weakness. It is written is a very classical style, which, in my view, doesn't match the subject or story. It never really satisfactorily explains why the murderer did what he did which I found a little frustrating. Some of the relationships between the characters was clever but the one between Jimmy and Tom was probably an exception. Overall though, it was OK.
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February 8, 2022Thrilling
October 29, 2024
Slow start but a good read once fully immersed. Felt real connection with some of the characters.
December 9, 2017
I have mixed feelings about the book! On the one hand, I found it engaging and difficult to put down, especially in the final chapters. On the other, due to the setting I found the book grittier and seedier than the other Anthony Quinn books I have read, which would make me hesitant to recommend it.
May 5, 2024
This was good. Less mystery, more historical fiction than I expected. The mystery is still there (who is the Tie Pin Killer, and can the police catch them before they find Nina and Madeleine?), but it mostly happens in the background amidst all the other stuff happening in these characters' lives.
And their stories are captivating. I found myself cheering on the Tom/Madeleine romance.
I also enjoyed the storyline about Jimmy, his larger than life self-centredness and ego, and the tough realities of being gay during this time period. Yikes that Tom deserves a better boss.
The Tie Pin Killer's reveal was well done. I had honestly gotten to the point where I legit thought the book may end without ever revealing the killer's identity. And it wouldn't have felt out of place; like I said, the mystery was somewhat in the background. Apart from Nina giving the police the sketch Simon made from her description, the characters mostly laid low and hoped the police would catch the killer.
When the identity was revealed, I thought at first it was a totally new character (just coz the name didn't ring a bell, and that's on me for not paying attention), and again that too felt on par with how much the other plotlines had taken over the story by that point. I was wrong, and it was kinda fun flipping back to remind myself of this character's earlier appearances and notice the little clues the author dropped along the way. Were there enough clues that I could conceivably have solved it before the big reveal? I don't know. I don't think so, but at least there was a lot of the "aha" moments of seeing details from earlier appearances take on new significance.
I read a huge chunk of this while waiting in line for a book event on a rainy evening. So for that alone, I have a soft spot for this book for keeping me entertained in an otherwise dreary wait. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and kudos on the author for surprising me with the big reveal. The one thing I didn't like at all was that , but that's more a personal feeling for the character than a fault in the story.
I do see that there's a book 2 and 3 to this series, with book 2 following the story of Simon's daughter Freya. I'm not interested in reading further, mostly coz young Freya in this book is that kind of too-clever and feisty kid that you just know you're supposed to find awesome. She's fine, but not necessarily someone I wanna read a whole book about.
And their stories are captivating. I found myself cheering on the Tom/Madeleine romance.
I also enjoyed the storyline about Jimmy, his larger than life self-centredness and ego, and the tough realities of being gay during this time period. Yikes that Tom deserves a better boss.
The Tie Pin Killer's reveal was well done. I had honestly gotten to the point where I legit thought the book may end without ever revealing the killer's identity. And it wouldn't have felt out of place; like I said, the mystery was somewhat in the background. Apart from Nina giving the police the sketch Simon made from her description, the characters mostly laid low and hoped the police would catch the killer.
When the identity was revealed, I thought at first it was a totally new character (just coz the name didn't ring a bell, and that's on me for not paying attention), and again that too felt on par with how much the other plotlines had taken over the story by that point. I was wrong, and it was kinda fun flipping back to remind myself of this character's earlier appearances and notice the little clues the author dropped along the way. Were there enough clues that I could conceivably have solved it before the big reveal? I don't know. I don't think so, but at least there was a lot of the "aha" moments of seeing details from earlier appearances take on new significance.
I read a huge chunk of this while waiting in line for a book event on a rainy evening. So for that alone, I have a soft spot for this book for keeping me entertained in an otherwise dreary wait. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and kudos on the author for surprising me with the big reveal. The one thing I didn't like at all was that , but that's more a personal feeling for the character than a fault in the story.
I do see that there's a book 2 and 3 to this series, with book 2 following the story of Simon's daughter Freya. I'm not interested in reading further, mostly coz young Freya in this book is that kind of too-clever and feisty kid that you just know you're supposed to find awesome. She's fine, but not necessarily someone I wanna read a whole book about.
November 28, 2017
The historical aspect was really well done and more engrossing than the murder mystery.
November 20, 2017
Definitely passes the page-turny test. A juicy cast takes the stage in a well-made tale that revs up from its slow start to provide a satisfying set of conclusions. Quinn roams around pre-war London and in and out of his characters' heads at will, weaving a plot that touches on many issues of the day. Very enjoyable.
August 26, 2015
Having enjoyed 'Half of the Human Race' previously, I was pretty darn excited when this was given to me by MummyPops, and then recommended highly by the one and only @bibliomouse - those two I would trust to pick all my reading matter for the rest of time, ever.
As ever, they were entirely right. Quinn not only creates a cast of individual, quirky but totally human and thus flawed characters, but he weaves them together into a story that skips along against a backdrop of the rise of Facism. As one does, really. The joy of this book is that each character is totally believable, the reader can relate to each of them in very different ways. From family fall-outs to bolshy teenage daughters trying to find their space in the world, a desperation for sexual expression that surpasses the huge risks that it demands, forbidden love and desperation, it is impossible to hate any of these major characters, even at their worst, because we come to regard them as troublesome but ultimately lovable friends. A huge plot twist two-thirds of the way through the book left me on the edge of tears, but left me desperate to push through in the hope that it would be alright in the end.
Any criticism? Very little. I would have loved it to be just a wee bit longer (the last third felt a bit rushed, as if all the ends needed tying off within a set number of pages). Also, it took me a long while to be convinced that the relationship between Nina and Stephen really was more than just a fling; I struggled to emotionally invest in their relationship, which would have probably actually left me bawling later on in the book, so may be a good thing!
As ever, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is pure escapism, and I loved disappearing into it. I was only sad to finish it, and would have loved to see the characters continue to blossom for longer.
As ever, they were entirely right. Quinn not only creates a cast of individual, quirky but totally human and thus flawed characters, but he weaves them together into a story that skips along against a backdrop of the rise of Facism. As one does, really. The joy of this book is that each character is totally believable, the reader can relate to each of them in very different ways. From family fall-outs to bolshy teenage daughters trying to find their space in the world, a desperation for sexual expression that surpasses the huge risks that it demands, forbidden love and desperation, it is impossible to hate any of these major characters, even at their worst, because we come to regard them as troublesome but ultimately lovable friends. A huge plot twist two-thirds of the way through the book left me on the edge of tears, but left me desperate to push through in the hope that it would be alright in the end.
Any criticism? Very little. I would have loved it to be just a wee bit longer (the last third felt a bit rushed, as if all the ends needed tying off within a set number of pages). Also, it took me a long while to be convinced that the relationship between Nina and Stephen really was more than just a fling; I struggled to emotionally invest in their relationship, which would have probably actually left me bawling later on in the book, so may be a good thing!
As ever, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is pure escapism, and I loved disappearing into it. I was only sad to finish it, and would have loved to see the characters continue to blossom for longer.
April 28, 2016
British author Anthony Quinn's novel, "Curtain Call" is part murder mystery and part character-examination. The murder mystery part - there's a Jack-the-Ripper-like killer in 1936 London - is not the main part of the story, but put in when the author needs an event to involve a character with. Mainly the book is a look at various people, largely involved in the art and theater worlds in London.
The main character, society painter Stephen Wyley, is having an affair with actress Nina Land. He's married, she's not. The two are in a hotel one afternoon, enjoying each other's company, when they hear an argument in the next room. When Nina knocks on the door, she sees a young woman fleeing from a man who had obviously been beating her. This occurs against the back-drop of a serial murder scare. Nina thinks the man is the "Tie-Pin Killer", and wants to go to the police but Stephen persuades her to let him draw a picture from her description to show the police. Nina also meets up with the young woman who had gotten away from the would-be killer. As the story continues, it snowballs, involving neo-Nazi politics, the gay community in London, the theater and arts community, and various friends and family members of the above groups. The plot is almost like looking through a kaleidoscope as the various characters come together and then combine in a different plot point.
The book is set in 1936, but the author only refers obliquely to the Abdication. He's focuses more on the fire that burned down the Crystal Palace and the British Nazi party and their actions.
The characters are all interesting. There are no caricatures among them, and as a reader, I "cared" about them and was interested in their fates. I think the author was, too, as they were so well drawn. This was a strangely satisfying book and I'll look for more books by Anthony Quinn.
The main character, society painter Stephen Wyley, is having an affair with actress Nina Land. He's married, she's not. The two are in a hotel one afternoon, enjoying each other's company, when they hear an argument in the next room. When Nina knocks on the door, she sees a young woman fleeing from a man who had obviously been beating her. This occurs against the back-drop of a serial murder scare. Nina thinks the man is the "Tie-Pin Killer", and wants to go to the police but Stephen persuades her to let him draw a picture from her description to show the police. Nina also meets up with the young woman who had gotten away from the would-be killer. As the story continues, it snowballs, involving neo-Nazi politics, the gay community in London, the theater and arts community, and various friends and family members of the above groups. The plot is almost like looking through a kaleidoscope as the various characters come together and then combine in a different plot point.
The book is set in 1936, but the author only refers obliquely to the Abdication. He's focuses more on the fire that burned down the Crystal Palace and the British Nazi party and their actions.
The characters are all interesting. There are no caricatures among them, and as a reader, I "cared" about them and was interested in their fates. I think the author was, too, as they were so well drawn. This was a strangely satisfying book and I'll look for more books by Anthony Quinn.
December 19, 2015
“Zeppelin-sized clouds bumping across the horizon”
“Curtain Call or The Distinguished Thing” doesn’t quite live up to its sub-title, taken from Henry James’ observation about death and form, but is, nonetheless, very interesting. It is a clever and well-written novel with few formulaic aspects, and is either an attempt to write a novel that crosses genres or isn’t quite sure what it is. The serial killer mystery (“the Tie-pin killer”) gives the novel urgency and a degree of tension that increases near the end, but “Curtain Call” has something of the society novel – the 1930s’ world of London’s theatre-land and artistic circles, underpinned by Soho’s club-land and a vice-ring; something of the family novel, actually a double-family drama; and something of a historical novel as Mosley, Lord Haw-Haw (as he became), and fears of a coming second world war cloud the more superficial spheres of British life, and bring the plight of gay men into even sharper focus. It also has two love affairs in which each of the characters attract sympathy, particularly the two women. All of these stories have potential but need the murder mystery to bring anything like a Henry James type of controlled focus, though the rather shallow hints of religious redemption are regrettable.
“Curtain Call” doesn’t live up to the many pre-publication recommendations, which are almost as unhelpful as the very dismissive one-liner reviews that pepper Amazon’s web-site. However, in spite of a few reservations, the mix of stories and genres is unusual and, in general, there is plenty in “Curtain Call” to keep one reading, especially when the pace picks up in the last third. I look forward to reading other novels by Anthony Quinn.
“Curtain Call or The Distinguished Thing” doesn’t quite live up to its sub-title, taken from Henry James’ observation about death and form, but is, nonetheless, very interesting. It is a clever and well-written novel with few formulaic aspects, and is either an attempt to write a novel that crosses genres or isn’t quite sure what it is. The serial killer mystery (“the Tie-pin killer”) gives the novel urgency and a degree of tension that increases near the end, but “Curtain Call” has something of the society novel – the 1930s’ world of London’s theatre-land and artistic circles, underpinned by Soho’s club-land and a vice-ring; something of the family novel, actually a double-family drama; and something of a historical novel as Mosley, Lord Haw-Haw (as he became), and fears of a coming second world war cloud the more superficial spheres of British life, and bring the plight of gay men into even sharper focus. It also has two love affairs in which each of the characters attract sympathy, particularly the two women. All of these stories have potential but need the murder mystery to bring anything like a Henry James type of controlled focus, though the rather shallow hints of religious redemption are regrettable.
“Curtain Call” doesn’t live up to the many pre-publication recommendations, which are almost as unhelpful as the very dismissive one-liner reviews that pepper Amazon’s web-site. However, in spite of a few reservations, the mix of stories and genres is unusual and, in general, there is plenty in “Curtain Call” to keep one reading, especially when the pace picks up in the last third. I look forward to reading other novels by Anthony Quinn.
August 16, 2016
In a hotel in London's West End a well known theatre actress witnesses the attempted murder of a young woman. The man she is with in the hotel is a portrait artist and, more to the point given that it is 1936, he is married, making it socially impossible to reveal to the police her reason for being there. No matter, he is an artist and from her description produces a sketch of the man she saw which is passed to the police and published. Naturally this is just the beginning of their problems! From this brief synopsis it might be thought this is a straightforward murder mystery, but in fact it is far more. Intermingled with the gory proclivities of the so - called "tie- pin killer", is a story of romance, a social commentary on the giddy and highly illegal gay scene and a study of society manners and mores in a world heading rapidly for conflagration. There is a splendid cast of characters, including the irrepressible Jimmy Erskine, theatre critic of the Chronicle and leading light of the gay community forever dreading exposure, disgrace and probable imprisonment and Nina Land, the actress, highly talented but always worried for her next role and now party to a deception that threatens to unravel at any moment. Moreover, the main characters, flawed as they are, are all likeable (apart from the tie - pin killer, of course) and the tone of the book is somehow light and witty despite the subject matter. There is no great twist to the plot, though the author isn't afraid to lose a main character part - way through but it's a thoroughly enjoyable and easy read ( and has an excellent cover!).
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