Death in the Dressing Room

Fethering #22

by Simon Brett

Neighbours Carole and Jude investigate murder most horrid in the theatre in the latest Fethering village mystery from the original king of British cozy crime, internationally best-selling, award-winning author Simon Brett, OBE. For fans of Richard Osman – but with added bite!

Carole Seddon, a very respectable retired woman living in the English seaside village of Fethering, doesn’t care for the theatre. But her neighbour Jude counts the job of actress among her many and varied past careers. So when Jude attends the closing night of a new play based on a classic TV sitcom, Carole is interested – but only because she suspects the leading man, Drake Purslow, is one of her scandalous friend’s ex-lovers.

The night turns out to be more dramatic than either Carole or Jude could have ever predicted. After the performance, Jude makes her way to Drake’s dressing room, only to find him dead – in what, to Jude’s experienced sleuthing eye, seem very suspicious circumstances.

Did one of the play’s cast – made up almost entirely of the original sitcom’s actors – have a long-held grudge against the show’s star? Or are more recent hatreds to blame? Jude is determined to find out – and Carole, who despite protestations is almost pathologically nosy, is right there to investigate alongside her.

Not met Carole and Jude yet? Dive right in, and discover why The Guardian called Simon Brett “one of British crime’s most assured craftsmen”. Fans of Janice Hallett and M.C. Beaton are in for a treat.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, British Literature, Audiobook

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Simon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.

He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.

He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.

After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.

He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read most of the books in the Fethering series, and by now I know what to expect regarding Carole and Jude. Their dynamics has not changed although Carole does try to leave her comfort zone occasionally. I am used to their ways and interactions, and the fact that there is always a murder behind the corner. This time readers are taken behind the soap opera which used to be a hit decades ago, and whose characters are asked to play it again. The reason for the demise of one of the actors is hidden in the past, and the cold case is interestingly solved by the two protagonists.
*Many thanks to Simon Brett, Severn House, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat to read the 22nd novel in Simon Brett’s great series featuring bohemian healer Jude and her strait-laced neighbor Carole Seddon! With many other mysteries, the series gets tired long before the 22nd book, but Brett makes readers long to be reunited with Jude and Carole.

Drake Purslow, a onetime castmate of Jude’s from her previous life as an actor, is appearing at a nearby theater, starring in a play based on a 40-year-old hit TV sitcom. Jude attends the play’s closing, only to discover Purslow dead in his dressing room nearly immediately after the curtain falls. In the ensuing chaos, a bloody footprint next to Purslow’s body is obliterated. Does that mean Purslow was murdered? Jude and Carole fully intend to find out, and readers are lucky to come along for the ride. Highly recommended, as usual.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Severn House in exchange for an honest review.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something magically and strangely addictive about these Fethering mysteries. The writing is crisp, economical and always entertaining. The characters of Carole and Jude, neighbours and amateur sleuths are imaginative, making for compulsive reading.

In this latest book, their relationship is filed with competitive appreciation underscored with a collective desire to solve a suspicious death that happens at the end of a stage production which Jude attends.
The tension in this detective duo is heightened by Jude’s comfort around theatre people with her own background as an amateur actor, while, Carole feels like an outsider in an alien environment until she steals a crucial advantage.

I really enjoyed this one, set as it is, reflecting the history of light entertainment and the struggle of provincial theatrical productions. The cast of characters is cleverly explored and it is clear that Simon Brett is at home in this world of stalled tv careers, and the hopes for a play on tour, making it as a West End show.

The storytelling in all consuming; bringing you into this fictional realm of familiar characters and routine, something that never gets boring for me, twenty-two books in and each read in publication order with affection and lasting pleasure.

I have read other offerings of this prolific author, but the books I pick up with most anticipation are these ones and “Death in the Dressing Room” is right up there with the best. This latest title enhances the series and demonstrates why I love these books so much.

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon Brett for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Death in the Dressing Room coming out April 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Carole Seddon, a very respectable retired woman living in the English seaside village of Fethering, doesn’t care for the theatre. But her neighbour Jude counts the job of actress among her many and varied past careers. So when Jude attends the closing night of a new play based on a classic TV sitcom, Carole is interested – but only because she suspects the leading man, Drake Purslow, is one of her scandalous friend’s ex-lovers.

The night turns out to be more dramatic than either Carole or Jude could have ever predicted. After the performance, Jude makes her way to Drake’s dressing room, only to find him dead – in what, to Jude’s experienced sleuthing eye, seem very suspicious circumstances.

Did one of the play’s cast – made up almost entirely of the original sitcom’s actors – have a long-held grudge against the show’s star? Or are more recent hatreds to blame? Jude is determined to find out – and Carole, who despite protestations is almost pathologically nosy, is right there to investigate alongside her.

I didn’t realize there were so many books in this series. This was the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love cozy mysteries! This was a really fast read, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the seaside English town. The theatre setting was fun. I really enjoyed the zany characters. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

[Peter Baran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assumed that this would be a Charles Parris mystery, since it is set in a regional theatre. I have a long history with Charles Parris, and haven't read any of the Fethering mysteries, which it surprises me that there are more that the Parris ones. So whilst I don't know the character dynamics between the two key sleuths here, it is absolute simplicity to pick up. I read this whilst travelling on the Brighton to Littlehampton line, where Fethering is nominally (the regional theatre feels like Worthing to me). Beyond that Brett is still in his comfort zone as the play the murder takes place within is a touring update and adaptation of a partially beloved 90's sitcom - and he knows actors, TV and their world so well that it is a perfect backdrop. (The same can be said in Mrs Pargetter's Patio where its delve into competitive reality shows felt very real).

Brett is such a dab hand at this stuff I was a little surprised that the pacing seemed off to me, but actually it all works to bulk out his suspects and give his regular cast some proper character beats. I've probably read too many modern cosy mysteries recently which whizz through a lot of this stuff. The work is put in though for a nicely twisty denouement. Along with the joy of trying to match up the archetypes of his characters with known real actors and writers, and a proper British denouement, its great to read someone who knows how to do this stuff so well.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one although not the best in the series.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jude discovers the body of an old actor friend she was due to catch up with, she knows that his death was not an accident.
Her and Carole's investigation takes them to the realms of sitcom from the 1980s and the possibility of a connection with a previous death in the cast.
Plenty of red herrings are thrown up until the killer is revealed.
A nice quick read.

[The Cookster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.4/5

If you have read any of Simon Brett's work previously then you will have a pretty good idea what you are going to get. There is nothing pretentious about his cosy mysteries. They are easy to read, entertaining and don't take themselves too seriously - but there is always a sound mystery structure at the heart of things.

This latest offering from the Fethering series is no exception. It is a predominantly character-driven story set in and around the world of acting. As you would expect from Simon Brett, there some nice examples of light-hearted humour as the mystery is investigated by Fethering residents, Carole & Jude. There are also a number of social observations along the way too, including in-jokes relating to the acting and writing professions.

This is unlikely to win - or even be nominated for - any literary prizes, but it is a reasonably entertaining comedic cosy mystery that does what it says on the tin. That said, I don't think it is the author's most engaging offering. At just under 200 pages I would have expected to fly through this in a couple of reading sessions, but as a result of finding myself drifting and losing interest at certain points, it actually took me a few days to finish it. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the 22nd book in a series is going to lack a degree of freshness, but I am sure the stalwarts will thoroughly enjoy it, nonetheless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good cosy mystery in the Fethering Mysteries... I enjoy reading Jude & Carol's adventures

[Susan Amper · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the latest Fethering mystery from Simon Brett, OBE—king of British cozy crime—nosy neighbors Carole and Jude take center stage when murder strikes backstage.

Carole Seddon, proper and retired, doesn’t care for the theatre. But her bohemian neighbor Jude once trod the boards, so when a new play based on a vintage sitcom hits the local stage, Jude insists they attend. Carole agrees—mainly to see if the star, Drake Purslow, is one of Jude’s many scandalous exes.

But the curtain truly falls when Drake is found dead in his dressing room—and Jude smells foul play.

Was it an old grudge from the sitcom days? Or something more recent and deadly? Either way, Jude is on the case—and Carole, despite her protests, can’t resist joining the investigation.

The story moves along.

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 4 out of 5]

British mystery author Simon Brett’s best-known character is second-rate actor Charles Paris, who gets involved in all sorts of theatrical mysteries. However, the Paris series isn’t the author’s longest-running. Instead, that honor goes to the tandem of Carole Seddon and her neighbor, Jude, who are the protagonists of the Fethering mysteries (named for the town where they live). Carole is a somewhat uptight, retired civil servant, and Jude, whose past is murky, has a more eclectic background, including stints as an actress and model. The pair have little in common besides their general age, geographical proximity, and enjoyment of solving mysteries. Fortunately, one or the other has a habit of stumbling across murders they can then solve. In the latest Fethering novel, “Death in the Dressing Room,” Jude is the stumbler, who walks into an ex-boyfriend’s backstage dressing room and discovers his recently dead body. The result is an entertaining puzzle mystery that provides readers with many of Brett’s usual insights into regional theater and the television industry.

“Death in the Dressing Room” is set against the backdrop of the performance of a play at a regional theater near Fethering. The play is the stage version of “House/Home,” a popular 80s television series (imagine a cross between “Three’s Company” and “Friends”). The stage show features most of the original cast, including Drake Purslow, Jude’s former boyfriend, who played the landlord on the series. When Jude goes backstage on closing night to congratulate him, she discovers instead that his head has been bashed in, apparently the result of a falling prop (a mid-80s bulky computer). Jude spots a bloody shoe print near the body and suspects foul play, since no one reported the death. That’s all Jude and Carole need to begin their investigations. And when Carole discovers another TV series cast member had died of an apparent overdose after attending another show at the same theater a few years after the TV series, the pair suspect the deaths are connected.

Simon Brett’s Charles Paris stories are popular largely because of the author’s background in the theater, which gives them an authentic feel and allows him to include many bits of interesting stage trivia. “Death in the Dressing Room” has that same insider feel. The Clincham Theater, where Purslow meets his demise, is not a shoebox venue for local players; it’s a 1,000-seat edifice suitable for hosting touring productions originating in London. Brett gives readers an insider’s insight into how the theater operates. He also gives his readers a better feel for the workings of British television, at least in the 1980s. “Death in the Dressing Room” isn’t a relic of the 1980s, though. The author brings social media into the storyline and other plot developments that are very much a product of the current decade. I really enjoyed the book’s authentic feel for its background subject matter.

As a mystery, “Death in the Dressing Room” is good, but those who enjoy the challenge of figuring out whodunit may be a bit frustrated. In the best Detection Club fair play tradition, the author reveals all the clues readers need to figure out what really happened 30 years earlier and in the present day. However, some crucial details aren’t revealed until very late in the book, just before Jude and Carole describe what happened. (Whether either death is a murder is one element of the ultimate puzzle Carole and Jude solve.) I figured out part of the mystery in advance, but not the last elements, which relied on the last information the author provided.

The author’s humor is clear throughout “Death in the Dressing Room.” For example, Carole describes her feelings about X (the former Twitter): “Everything she read about X made it sound like the gateway to a contemporary form of hell. A hell where scammers were out to scam you, trolls were out to vilify you, and crooked salesmen would blackmail you into buying bitcoins.” Observations like that abound in the book, much to my (and probably most readers) amusement. The highlight is a charity function that one of the “House/Home” actors arranges in memory of the deceased Drake. The event features something I’d never heard of: a celebrity tug-of-war.

I have not read any previous Fethering novels, so I hadn’t been exposed to Carole and Jude. However, when I began “Death in the Dressing Room,” I realized some background research might be in order. The relationship between the pair has developed over 22 books, and newcomers to the series and its amateur detectives might sometimes get confused. The two don’t consider each other friends, but friendly rivals in a game of sleuthing one-upmanship. Carole’s favorite research method is Googling (not X, as she noted), although she reluctantly goes to the Clincham Theater as a volunteer, so she can poke around in their old records. (Not surprisingly, she discovers a significant clue in those records.) By contrast, Jade relies on her background and charm to interview potential witnesses and gain their confidence. Both methods lead to the story’s ultimate solution.

One problem with the book was the author resorting to unwarranted shortcuts to move the story along. Neither Carole nor Jade is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. Sometimes, their deductions are a matter of plot convenience. The most egregious example is how Carole figured out Drake’s death was related to the one that occurred 30 years earlier. Since her internet research into Drake’s death had gone nowhere, she decided to research the previous death… because she could. I doubt Hercule Poirot adopted many lines of inquiry in his career merely because he could.

“Death in the Dressing Room” is an amusing trifle for those who enjoy this type of cozy mystery. Readers’ enjoyment of this book will depend on their tolerance for the main characters. I wasn’t overly impressed by Jude and Carole. Perhaps I’d have enjoyed the book more if I had read any earlier books in the series. However, it’s a short work (under 200 pages) that moves quickly. The author’s industry insights and humor, along with the good central mystery, are enough for me to give the book a solid recommendation. Simon Brett can take another bow.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Simon Brett’s popular Fethering mysteries, so named because of the small English town in which his protagonists reside. This is a relatively light mystery, a shortish novel, but containing a twisty mystery and some sharp insights into human nature.

I always enjoy the Fethering books, as they’re just plain fun to read, even as they also provoke a little thought. Jude and Carole, the slightly mismatched friends who investigate murder and mayhem, are a delight to follow around.

A local theatre is hosting the last night of a touring play. A revival of a successful 80s television show, the play has had reasonable success. After the show, some actors went on to great success while others slipped into obscurity. This tour has raised hopes for some of them of a revival of the TV show (and thus their careers), while for others it was more of a kind gesture to their less successful castmates.

Jude’s long ago theatre career means she’s worked with some of the cast, and she seizes the opportunity to catch up with one she remains friendly with. But when she goes backstage, she finds him dead in his dressing room. Although dismissed as an accident, Jude and Carole think it’s murder – and they set out to prove it. Before long, all sorts of long held secrets are tumbling out.

Although Brett has some acerbic things to say about actors, and television and theatre people in general, this is a murder mystery that tends towards the cosy. There’s not a lot of gore or explicit violence. Carole and Jude are older women, and although I’d never call Jude sedate, they’re certainly not sprinting around like twenty year olds. They bring a different kind of experience to bear on the problem.

Carole and Jude are delightful characters. Carole, retired after a long career as a bureaucrat, is buttoned down, reserved, and disapproves of a remarkable range of things. Jude has led a far more unstructured life, and remains very tolerant and open to new people and experiences.

Both are vividly brought to life. Although Carole could easily become a dislikable character, Jude views her prickliness with such affection, and Brett writes of her with such understanding, that most readers will instead empathise with her. Jude’s more casual approach to life will spark envy in some readers, and most will find her checkered past of great interest.

The mystery is interesting and credible, and just tricky enough that most readers will find it a challenge. The resolution is both believable and satisfying.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read, and offered just enough challenge to be absorbing. I’m very fond of Carole and Jude, and look forward to reading more of their adventures. Highly recommended for crime readers who want something at the gentler end of the spectrum.

If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll notice this this is the twenty-second book in the series. You’ll also notice that I’ve only tucked into four other books featuring Jude and Carole, so please don’t be put off by the dauntingly high number of books in this series. Like many long-running murder mystery series, while you’ll doubtless gain more information and background if you read all the books in the correct order – as the murder mystery is contained within the book’s narrative arc, you don’t flounder all that much if you haven’t had the pleasure of picking up one of these stories before.

Apart from anything else, Brett is far too experienced and canny a writer to allow any of his readers to struggle with who is doing what to whom. That said, this isn’t one of my favourites. As Carole and Jude get caught up in the politics and backbiting surrounding the local theatre, I felt increasingly distanced from the poor chap who got walloped on the head by his main prop. Though there is always the bonus that the fictional village of Fethering is literally a couple of miles up the road from where we live, so I had extra fun working out exactly which of our local theatres this one is based upon.

Another plus is Brett’s commentary on the social dynamic within contemporary Britain, which is often caustically to the point. The tension between withdrawn and pathologically shy Carole and free-spirited Jude didn’t seem so sharp in this story. The person who stole the show for me is one of the stars of the current run, the ghastly Babs, who made me laugh while wondering exactly who Brett was basing her upon. I thought the pacing was a tad rushed during the denouement, which was a shame and a mistake the very technically adept Mr Brett rarely makes. That said, it’s still a solidly four stars out of five – and I’ll still be keen to get hold of anything this gifted, experienced author writes. While I obtained an arc of Death in the Dressing Room from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
7/10

[Miss Bluejeanlottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

☕ Review: Death in the Dressing Room

🧁Rate: 5 Stars!!

📖Praise: This was definitely the delicious and delightful mystery read I definitely needed! I have never read this author before and now I will definitely be coming back for more! When it comes to mystery series I love when books that involve a murder actually either on a movie set or on stage! I was really excited to find a mystery with magic and mischief that ruled on stage! And took a turn for the wicked worse next!

😎Naturally when I read the characters were doing a revival of a 1980s TV show, which is my favorite era, I definitely delved into this mystery right away!

🍩I will not give away spoilers! LOL The author did a great job writing out the emotions of each character to where I can envision them structured and both sorted and unsorted in the best way possible!

🎙️Characters: Meeting Jude and Carole was a ride I would spend all my tickets on! Very entertaining and very seize the moment spirits!! These characters had a sugar and spice effect that made the book more an engaging read! Characters that are always the opposites tend to make things like a video game! You never know what level they're going to be on next and how they're going to conquer getting through to the next level. Love them!!

🧁Trope: The author truly has a gift for bringing together a light-hearted scene in a moment and grinding it into shocking twists and turns the only make me want to keep reading this book over and over!

🍪Cozy Mystery
🍪 Who done it?
🍪 Adventure

Bravo Simon!! 💖
THANK YOU NETGALLEY!!!

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

✒️📖ARC REVIEW📖🖋️

3.5

I haven’t read anything by Simon Brett before, and it didn’t seem to be too much of an issue that this mystery was part of a series. There is enough context provided throughout the book about the nature of our two amateur sleuths Carole and Jude relationships.

Once I realized the dialogue and setting was in Britain, I was curious to see if compared to the winding, engaging investigations of DCI Barnaby and his rotating apprentices (or other British mystery series). This story did have a solid storyline that was easy to follow, it was filled with roundabout relationships typically of murders decades apart, and had a satisfying conclusion.

However, the prose was a bit dry at times. The dryness definitely caused a delay in picking the book back up again. (This rounded the 3.5 down to a 3 for me instead of up to a 4) The conclusion, while satisfying, seemed a bit rushed and could have been drawn out a bit more.

No sure if this is how all of Simon’s book go or end, but I’m quite tempted to read a few other books in this series since the two main characters have good chemistry despite their differences.

I was provided a free advanced reader copy courtesy of Severn House and Simon Brett via NetGalley. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

#arc #advancedreadercopy #NetGalley #DeathintheDressingRoom #SimonBrett #SevernHouse

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read most of the Fethering books and they tend to be pretty well written but undemanding cosy crime that get the occasional chuckle out of me. Unfortunately, I suspect Simon Brett might be getting a little tired of his own characters after 20 odd books. Even the setting is partially recycled as he's already written a (better) earlier entry set within an am-dram production.

I found this one to be by far the weakest of the series. It just descends to the point of characters engaging in one unnatural expository dialogue after another, with the bare minimum of anything else in between until the case is resolved. The series has occasionally been guilty of this at times but Death In The Dressing Room is the first book I've read that I thought had very little else to it beyond that.

The character traits of Carol and Jude are so well established that we're now at the point of Carol refusing to use a laptop computer outside of her study counting as characterisation.

I remember an ending to another recent Fethering novel that seemed to imply the author was going to wrap up the series and end it there or shortly after. I've really rather enjoyed the books so it doesn't give me much pleasure to say it, but I wish he had.

I didn't guess the killer but I think that's largely because, by about the half way point, I didn't much care.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death in the Dressing Room by Simon Brett is book #22 in the Fethering Mystery series. The series revolves around two neighbors in an English seaside village. Tentatively they’re friends but their many differences make it hard for them to truly be close. Carole, a retired government employee, is quite prim and proper while her neighbor, Jude, is a free spirited woman who has had a variety of experiences throughout her life. But, somehow they still make their friendship work.

Death in the Dressing Room involves the demise of an actor that Jude once worked with. At first his death seems to be an accident but Jude is suspicious, which means Carole is, too. With plenty of suspects and more than a few unanswered questions, the friends are investigating.

I've enjoyed this series over a period of years but my interest may be waning. While I like the characters, it feels as though they have run their course. The dialogue has less sparkle and the plot is weak and uninteresting. Part of the story includes Jude’s acquaintance with a woman who is a practicing shaman. I found this to be particularly distracting and it didn’t enhance the story or the plot. It simply felt like filler.

I’ve had a good time with Carole and Jude but this latest book didn’t hit the mark with me. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I look forward to the next mystery by Simon Brett! Death In The Dressing Room is a solid addition to the Fethering series. I have read this series from the start and this book, his 22nd entry, was as enjoyable as the first. Our two amateur sleuths, Carole and Jude, work to solve the mysterious death of an actor in a local playhouse. From the start of the series the two sleuths are portrayed as very different personalities and the oft times difficulties this affords has remained. Jude is a go with the flow woman with a hazy, intriguing background who works as a healer. Her next door neighbor could not be more different. Carole, a retired government servant, lives a rigid life and has a difficult time understanding Jude's lifestyle. Carole has such a prickly nature and, honestly, so many issues a good therapist could help with, I think that is what I have come to enjoy so much in this cozy series. The enduring friendship between these women and the fact that their foibles remain even while the reader wishes that Carole could loosen up a bit. I look forward to the next installment to this series.

[Homerun2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a longtime Simon Brett fan and have followed several of his series including this Fethering series from the beginning. Basic British village cozy with the setup being the two amateur sleuths are poles apart. Jude is somewhat Bohemian. She is a healer, with a background of all kinds of occupations and friends, open-minded and New Agey. Her neighbor Carole is retired Home Office and suitably buttoned up. She is rigid, judgmental and socially conservative. But they both are incurably nosy when it comes to solving murders (of which there are an astonishing number for one little village).

After 22 of these mysteries, Carole and Jude seem to be running out of steam. The series has become not particularly compelling, although Brett's writing is sometimes deliciously snarky.

One of Jude's past lives included a stint as an actress and she is at a community theater offering to say hi to some old friends when she discovers a dead body and she thinks the circumstances are suspicious. Since the local police don't agree, it's up to Jude and Carole to solve the crime. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fethering may not be my favorite of Simon Brett's series, but I have been really enjoying it. The oddly mismatched friendship between Jude and Carol is great, even if they never seem to grow much as a result of their long friendship. Jude is always so smugly superior, in a 'nice' way, while Carol is always so predictably stubborn and closed-minded, set in her ways no matter what the circumstances. This far into the series the shtick is starting to feel a bit tired, though maybe not as tired as the silly catchphrases the actors in this book are laden with. I did enjoy this book, especially the theater setting that reminded me of the Charles Paris books (yeah, I know, Paris was getting older, his alcoholism was becoming just sad, etc., but I really liked that series). The ending felt really rushed, which made me wonder if this book is wrapping up the Fethering series, or prepping us for the final book. I guess we'll just have to see what happens next. Meanwhile, this was a fun, fast read, and a chance to revisit the Fethering characters.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 22nd book in the Fethering series and is a great addition. Jude goes to a play in which an old friend, Drake Purslow, is an actor. After the play she goes up to his dressing room to find him dead. She sees a bloody shoe print and a heavy portable computer nearby. When Fiona, the stage director comes up, she puts down tissues to kneel on obliterating the shoe print. When Jude gets home, she asks her neighbor, Carole to help her investigate what she believes is a murder. Carole volunteers to help the theater archivist with her research, and finds information about who was in the same plays with Drake in the past. They even find out there might be a connection to another murder in the theater several years before. At the end Jude and Carole solve the case and there is a very interesting funeral celebration with most of the cast. I love the Fethering series and the books are always fun and clever.

I thank Netgalley and Severn House for providing me an ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

[Mrs Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 22nd in Simon Brett's Fethering Mysteries series and, as always, I looked forward to catching up with Jude and her neighbour Carol. The mystery surrounds the death an actor who is appearing in a stage version of an old TV comedy show in which he starred years ago. The women's investigations reveal a number of motives stemming from events that took place when the original series was being made. And, inevitably, they eventually solve the crime. However, not much has changed in the lives of Jude and Carol which is not surprising after so many stories so the descriptions of their lives and relationship was a little flat this time round. Nevertheless, Simon Brett's light-hearted approach to his characters made this a very cozy read - a book to curl up with - which I really enjoyed .

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death in the Dressing Room is book 22 in Simon Brett’s A Fethering Mystery series.

While I have no doubt that the earlier books are interesting, and may give more insight into the relationship between Jude and Carole, as well as insight into their individual characters, it is easily read as a standalone.

I enjoyed this mystery, which begins with Jude attending a reunion of sorts, of the cast of an old television show as they close out a theatrical tour. At the end of the performance, Jude goes backstage to meet her friend and finds him dead.

Due to the longtime relationships between many of the cast members, there are plenty of suspects in the death for Jude and Carole to investigate. In addition, they suspect the actor’s death may be related to the mysterious death of another actor twenty years before, and they set out to prove it.

I found the relationship between Jude and Carole to be the most interesting thing in this novel. Jude must be a saint, because Carole’s attitude in many situations would have tried my patience. Still, they seemed to make a great pair when it came to investigating so obviously their relationship works for them.

Death in the Dressing Room was an interesting mystery with a great cast of characters and I think most lovers of cosy mysteries will enjoy it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clincham Theatre in Fethering, England, is renowned for its theatre versions of old television shows. But murder has a funny way of changing the script. Carole and Jude, neighbours and amateur sleuths, participate in investigating the death of someone from Jude's past The two ladies are very different from one another yet make a great team.

Sadly, this book did not grip me as I had hoped it would. The characters sound intriguing on paper but fell short, possibly due to the brief time I spent with them. Rituals such as smudges aren't my wheelhouse but learning bits about theatre was interesting, especially as a fan of Oscar Wilde and Wilkie Collins. Though the novel didn't click with me, it will with others.

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jude and Carole are back and they’re attending the opening night of play , when Jude goes back stage she finds one of the actors dead.
Is it an unfortunate accident or something more sinister?
Carole and Jude begin their investigation who could want the actor dead? Is it related to the death of a cast member years ago?
No need to worry the intrepid neighbours will route out the culprit.
The writing is excellent as always but I did feel Carole was wanting to be the top investigator more then usual and found the character a bit childish at times.
This didn5 detract from the story and this a great addition to the Fethering Mystery series.
Looking forward to the neighbours next investigation.
A excellent read for all cozy mystery fans .
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House .

[ssloves books - Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable cosy mystery. I was lucky enough to be gifted this from the publisher and although it’s Book 22 on a series I don’t think I missed anything from that.

I loved the relationship between the two main characters Carole and Jude and it’s obvious they are two very different women but work so well together to uncover the death of an actor in a local theatre. I may go back a read the start of the series to see how their relationship started.

It was full of characters who I liked and the theatre life was very well brought to life. I didn’t pick up on the character who eventually was uncovered as the murderer but I did enjoy the dynamics of Carole and Jude trying to put the pieces together.

Not my usual genre but an enjoyable short read nonetheless. Well written and engaging I would recommend.

[E W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carole and Jude are back for a whirlwind visit in this brief and breezy installment in the long-running Fethering series. Carole is as Carole as ever, while also slightly extending the perimeter of her comfort zone, only in service to sleuthing, of course. We also learn a bit more about Jude’s vague past, when she stumbles on the corpse of a former colleague at the closing night of a play based on an earlier vacuous sitcom. There is much to enjoy in this visit with old friends, including Brett’s usual commentary on various matters, such as the decline and fall of theater. To be honest, the mystery itself is secondary to the Jude and Carole show, and that is just fine. It’s always a good show.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brett's fiction is usually short, clear-cut and entertaining. This entry in the Fethering series is enjoyable. Jude and Carole are on a search for a murderer in the local acting scene. The victim was known to Jude in one of her many personas as an actor and she discovers the body when she goes backstage to resume her friendship. The characters are bright and engaging, including a cluster of actors engages in a staging of a once-popular TV series. Carole gets to see what other people do as a living, though she is her usually uptight middle class self. Jude is eccentric in her tastes, including these stage and TV veterans. Both play great roles in solving the case.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jude plans a night at the theatre, to see her old friend Drake in a play based on an old television sitcom, after watching the performance Jude heads backstage to see Drake, but when she gets there Drake is lying on the floor surrounded by blood.
Just and her friend and neighbour Carole decide to investigate as Jude is not convinced by the accident that the theatre is pushing. This leads them to look at another death linked to the theatre.
A lovely cosy mystery, well written and with plenty of interesting characters.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series I have read which didn't much matter for the mystery but not sure about the relationships. I found the sleuths a bit on the wooden side and Im not sure if this is because I dont know them and are missing something or what. So all I can say is the mystery was solid and came to a satisfying conclusion but I didnt care about the characters enough to want to go back and catch up on more about them. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.