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Played to Death
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26It’s curtains down for one actor when preparations for a new murder mystery play at the local theatre take a chillingly real twist . . .
The Librarian<.b>
Retirement was beckoning until local lawyer Adam Cunningham – aka the Hopewell Players’ pantomime dame – requested my professional opinion on the script of their next play that he's been given.
The Lawyer
The script is terrible! And it rips off a number of Golden Age mysteries. With Roly’s knowledge of crime fiction, I might be able to get the whole thing cancelled.
The Producer
I couldn’t believe it when I learned that my late father had written a play of all things! And now the players will perform his work – until one of them is found dead. . .
The Inspector
A body on the stage of the local playhouse doesn’t happen often round here. Was it a pre-rehearsal accident, suicide . . . or is the spotlight about to fall on a murderer?
Told from the point of view of four unreliable narrators, most of whom can't be trusted – The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer and The Inspector – this cunningly inventive novel is a refreshingly fun, subversive take on the crime fiction genre.
The Librarian<.b>
Retirement was beckoning until local lawyer Adam Cunningham – aka the Hopewell Players’ pantomime dame – requested my professional opinion on the script of their next play that he's been given.
The Lawyer
The script is terrible! And it rips off a number of Golden Age mysteries. With Roly’s knowledge of crime fiction, I might be able to get the whole thing cancelled.
The Producer
I couldn’t believe it when I learned that my late father had written a play of all things! And now the players will perform his work – until one of them is found dead. . .
The Inspector
A body on the stage of the local playhouse doesn’t happen often round here. Was it a pre-rehearsal accident, suicide . . . or is the spotlight about to fall on a murderer?
Told from the point of view of four unreliable narrators, most of whom can't be trusted – The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer and The Inspector – this cunningly inventive novel is a refreshingly fun, subversive take on the crime fiction genre.
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 2, 2026
About the author
Mike Ripley
67 books54 followersMike Ripley is the author of the award-winning 'Angel' series of comedy thrillers which have twice won the CWA Last Laugh Award. It has been said that he 'paints a picture of London Dickens would recognise' and that 'he writes like the young Len Deighton, wierd and wonderful information and very, very funny'. Described as 'England's funniest crime writer' (The Times), he is also a respected critic of crime fiction, writing for the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times and the Birmingham Post among others.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Another delightful tale of murder in a small village.
"Played to death" is the follow-up to Mike Ripley's book "Buried Above Ground", and features again librarian and crime fiction expert, Roly Wilkes. This time he is approached by a local solicitor to provide a critique of a play said solicitor's amateur dramatics group have been asked to perform. In his opinion, the play is terrible, and plagiarises many Golden Age detective novels, thus placing the theatre at risk of being sued, and so is hoping expert Roly can spot all the stolen ideas and declare it a flop.
Things start to go badly wrong when a death occurs at the theatre, suspiciously like one of the deaths in the play. And the reader is once again invited to view the events of the investigation from the viewpoint of four unreliable characters - Roly, the Librarian, Adam, the Lawyer, Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector.
Fans of the author's previous book will be pleased to know this is another story, full of sardonic wit, wry observations and laugh-out-loud moments (especially if you are of a certain age). Roly is still defined by his choices of thirty years ago, but is looking forward to retirement and even deeper anonymity. It's definitely a case of "more about the journey, than the destination" since most diehard detective novel fans will guess the murderer early on - but that's okay, because the journey is a delightful collection of character studies, observations on the world of am-dram, and personal motivations. Not one of the characters is fault-free, some are downright nasty, in a farcical way, and life in a small English village is captured beautifully. As the story unfolds, and more of the background emerges, the reader is drawn into the hidden currents of village life.
There are a few links back to the previous book, but new readers are given enough background to jump right in. This book isn't cosy crime, nor is it a police procedural. What is is, is a light-hearted, bittersweet, and lyrical tale of people caught up in events.
If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one.
"Played to death" is the follow-up to Mike Ripley's book "Buried Above Ground", and features again librarian and crime fiction expert, Roly Wilkes. This time he is approached by a local solicitor to provide a critique of a play said solicitor's amateur dramatics group have been asked to perform. In his opinion, the play is terrible, and plagiarises many Golden Age detective novels, thus placing the theatre at risk of being sued, and so is hoping expert Roly can spot all the stolen ideas and declare it a flop.
Things start to go badly wrong when a death occurs at the theatre, suspiciously like one of the deaths in the play. And the reader is once again invited to view the events of the investigation from the viewpoint of four unreliable characters - Roly, the Librarian, Adam, the Lawyer, Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector.
Fans of the author's previous book will be pleased to know this is another story, full of sardonic wit, wry observations and laugh-out-loud moments (especially if you are of a certain age). Roly is still defined by his choices of thirty years ago, but is looking forward to retirement and even deeper anonymity. It's definitely a case of "more about the journey, than the destination" since most diehard detective novel fans will guess the murderer early on - but that's okay, because the journey is a delightful collection of character studies, observations on the world of am-dram, and personal motivations. Not one of the characters is fault-free, some are downright nasty, in a farcical way, and life in a small English village is captured beautifully. As the story unfolds, and more of the background emerges, the reader is drawn into the hidden currents of village life.
There are a few links back to the previous book, but new readers are given enough background to jump right in. This book isn't cosy crime, nor is it a police procedural. What is is, is a light-hearted, bittersweet, and lyrical tale of people caught up in events.
If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Played to Death was a really fun murder mystery. A lovely way to spend a few hours reading a great book that was thoroughly enjoyable and witty. This was a follow up to 'Buried Above Ground,' which I hadn't read. But this works perfectly fine as a standalone. I found this to be not only an ode to the Golden Age detective novels but also I thought to the wonderful world of the Amateur Theatre. I volunteer behind the scenes at my local Amateur Theatre and I really enjoyed all the references to the theatre and productions. That was so much fun with wry and acerbic observations that I really laughed out loud at.
Local librarian and Crime Fiction expert Roly Wilkes is called upon by solicitor Adam Cunningham, who also enjoys being an actor at the local theatre to provide a critique of a script for the next play that has been proposed for production to see if this has been plaguarised. Adam really doesn't want the show to go on but needs expert evidence to take to the Producer to get the play replaced with something different. But life soon imitates art when fictional murder mysteries becomes something far more real.
The book is told through four potentially unreliable characters – Roly, the Librarian; Adam, the Lawyer; Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector. It was such a brilliant way to introduce us the characters. I always enjoy multiple POVs, you really get to see the motives and reasoning behind the character's actions. It was also highly amusing trying work out if any of the unreliable narrators ever spoke a word of truth.
The writing was really entertaining and light hearted. There were several references to authors and books throughout the novel and it was like a game spotting them all. There's also a handy appendix highlighting all of there references made in the book.
Overall a delightfully absobing murder mystery, quick pace and an easy read. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this eARC.
Local librarian and Crime Fiction expert Roly Wilkes is called upon by solicitor Adam Cunningham, who also enjoys being an actor at the local theatre to provide a critique of a script for the next play that has been proposed for production to see if this has been plaguarised. Adam really doesn't want the show to go on but needs expert evidence to take to the Producer to get the play replaced with something different. But life soon imitates art when fictional murder mysteries becomes something far more real.
The book is told through four potentially unreliable characters – Roly, the Librarian; Adam, the Lawyer; Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector. It was such a brilliant way to introduce us the characters. I always enjoy multiple POVs, you really get to see the motives and reasoning behind the character's actions. It was also highly amusing trying work out if any of the unreliable narrators ever spoke a word of truth.
The writing was really entertaining and light hearted. There were several references to authors and books throughout the novel and it was like a game spotting them all. There's also a handy appendix highlighting all of there references made in the book.
Overall a delightfully absobing murder mystery, quick pace and an easy read. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Last year Mike Ripley moved away from his Albert Campion continuation books, and provided a fresh, cheeky twist on the British murder mystery with Buried Above Ground. Now he has provided an even better follow-up with Played To Death.
Played To Death features a similar structure to the earlier book, with the story being told through four viewpoints. Once again librarian and crime fiction expert, Roly Wilkes is central to the story. This time Wilkes is approached by a local solicitor to read and analyse a play that is due to be performed by the solicitor’s amateur dramatics group. The solicitor is of the view that the play plagiarses classic crime novels and wants Wilkes’ perspective. Of course things are not that simple and murder soon ensues.
The first part of the book is told progressively from the viewpoint of four potentially unreliable characters – Roly, the Librarian; Adam, the Lawyer; Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector. After an intermisison the second part is told mainly from the perspective of the police detective, Inspector Toni Walker, and Roly.
It is a very clever structure that works well. Ripley keeps the story ticking over at a good pace and there is a solid mystery around who the killer is. There is also a good dollop of suspense at the end. The main pleasure from the book, however, comes from Ripley comprehensive knowledge of classic crime ficiton and publishing. The book is full of fascinating references to novels and authors, there is even an appendix at the end explaining some of them, and plenty of wry humour. The cultural references are cleverly woven and often quite amusing, as well as being astute.
In all, Played To Death is a real treat.
4.5 - rounded up
See full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/m...
Played To Death features a similar structure to the earlier book, with the story being told through four viewpoints. Once again librarian and crime fiction expert, Roly Wilkes is central to the story. This time Wilkes is approached by a local solicitor to read and analyse a play that is due to be performed by the solicitor’s amateur dramatics group. The solicitor is of the view that the play plagiarses classic crime novels and wants Wilkes’ perspective. Of course things are not that simple and murder soon ensues.
The first part of the book is told progressively from the viewpoint of four potentially unreliable characters – Roly, the Librarian; Adam, the Lawyer; Jemma, the Producer, and Toni, the Police Inspector. After an intermisison the second part is told mainly from the perspective of the police detective, Inspector Toni Walker, and Roly.
It is a very clever structure that works well. Ripley keeps the story ticking over at a good pace and there is a solid mystery around who the killer is. There is also a good dollop of suspense at the end. The main pleasure from the book, however, comes from Ripley comprehensive knowledge of classic crime ficiton and publishing. The book is full of fascinating references to novels and authors, there is even an appendix at the end explaining some of them, and plenty of wry humour. The cultural references are cleverly woven and often quite amusing, as well as being astute.
In all, Played To Death is a real treat.
4.5 - rounded up
See full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/m...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Played to Death is a wonderfully clever, slightly mischievous mystery that revels in its love for theatre, crime fiction, and the unreliable people who tell the story. Set against the charming chaos of a local playhouse preparing for a new murder‑mystery production, the novel quickly turns its fictional crime into something far more real — and far more entertaining.
The joy of this book lies in its four narrators: The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer, and The Inspector. Each one is delightfully untrustworthy in their own way, offering slanted truths, half‑confessions, and just enough ego to keep you guessing. Their voices bounce off one another with wit and warmth, creating a layered, playful narrative that feels like sitting in on backstage gossip… if the gossip involved plagiarism, secrets, and a body on the stage.
The script at the heart of the story — a dubious, Golden Age–inspired play discovered after the producer’s father’s death — becomes the perfect catalyst for tension. What begins as a debate over its quality quickly spirals into something darker when one of the Hopewell Players turns up dead. Suddenly, the petty squabbles, theatrical rivalries, and amateur sleuthing take on real stakes.
There’s a lovely, old‑school charm to the mystery, but it’s paired with a modern, self‑aware twistiness that keeps the story feeling fresh. The shifting perspectives add humour and intrigue, and the final reveal lands with the satisfying click of a well‑placed stage cue.
A fun, inventive, and delightfully subversive take on the classic whodunnit — perfect for readers who enjoy their mysteries with a wink, a nudge, and a cast of characters who may or may not be telling the truth.
My thanks to Mike Ripley, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The joy of this book lies in its four narrators: The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer, and The Inspector. Each one is delightfully untrustworthy in their own way, offering slanted truths, half‑confessions, and just enough ego to keep you guessing. Their voices bounce off one another with wit and warmth, creating a layered, playful narrative that feels like sitting in on backstage gossip… if the gossip involved plagiarism, secrets, and a body on the stage.
The script at the heart of the story — a dubious, Golden Age–inspired play discovered after the producer’s father’s death — becomes the perfect catalyst for tension. What begins as a debate over its quality quickly spirals into something darker when one of the Hopewell Players turns up dead. Suddenly, the petty squabbles, theatrical rivalries, and amateur sleuthing take on real stakes.
There’s a lovely, old‑school charm to the mystery, but it’s paired with a modern, self‑aware twistiness that keeps the story feeling fresh. The shifting perspectives add humour and intrigue, and the final reveal lands with the satisfying click of a well‑placed stage cue.
A fun, inventive, and delightfully subversive take on the classic whodunnit — perfect for readers who enjoy their mysteries with a wink, a nudge, and a cast of characters who may or may not be telling the truth.
My thanks to Mike Ripley, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
We start with local lawyer Adam cornering librarian Roly about a play that his am-dram theatre group is being asked to perform, and which is being produced by Jemma. After a nasty rehearsal gone wrong we also hear from the Police Inspector Toni. Which completes our quartet of narrators.
The initial query from Adam to Roly is one of the play's content as it appears that the majority has been borrowed (plagiarised) from several other, mostly, golden age novels.
I have to say that I mostly enjoyed this book's connections to local theatre and the inclusion of several classic crime books, both of which I am very familiar with. I am luck that we have a wonderful thriving local community theatre scene where I live which delivers many top quality productions - dare I say even better than their professional counterparts! Nothing like the Hopewell Players, I hasten to add...!
It's a fun read which, although a tad convoluted and with quite a bit of unreliable narration, did amuse me along the way. I think more due to the aforementioned connections rather than to any of the characters, all of whom were pretty much instantly dislikeable!
The plot was a tad bonkers in places but, tbh, that actually fitted in well with the rest of the atmosphere created by the characters. There was a bit of unnecessary pontificating, but on the whole it flowed well enough. Culminating in a relatively satisfying conclusion.
I realised at the end that this is actually a follow up book to Buried Above Ground - which I haven't actually read. Whether this marred my enjoyment of this book, I have no idea. But, tbh I am not going to rush to find out.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
The initial query from Adam to Roly is one of the play's content as it appears that the majority has been borrowed (plagiarised) from several other, mostly, golden age novels.
I have to say that I mostly enjoyed this book's connections to local theatre and the inclusion of several classic crime books, both of which I am very familiar with. I am luck that we have a wonderful thriving local community theatre scene where I live which delivers many top quality productions - dare I say even better than their professional counterparts! Nothing like the Hopewell Players, I hasten to add...!
It's a fun read which, although a tad convoluted and with quite a bit of unreliable narration, did amuse me along the way. I think more due to the aforementioned connections rather than to any of the characters, all of whom were pretty much instantly dislikeable!
The plot was a tad bonkers in places but, tbh, that actually fitted in well with the rest of the atmosphere created by the characters. There was a bit of unnecessary pontificating, but on the whole it flowed well enough. Culminating in a relatively satisfying conclusion.
I realised at the end that this is actually a follow up book to Buried Above Ground - which I haven't actually read. Whether this marred my enjoyment of this book, I have no idea. But, tbh I am not going to rush to find out.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A small town's amateur drama group is getting ready to stage a newly discovered play written by their producer’s late father. The issue is, it raises concerns from the very beginning, with a possible plagiarism, and certain offensive elements. And, of course, the death that occurs at the theatre, which happens to be suspiciously similar to that on the script.
When it comes to these kind of books, I always find it so hard to find ones that I enjoy and are surprised by, so I was a little sceptical going in, especially as this was my first title by this author, but I was so pleasantly surprised. It is such an interesting premise, and it was so cleverly developed, with such fun, witty writing, which made it so easily bingeable. It was such a pleasurable read to jump back in every time, and it was so quick and entertaining. The story is told with such a fascinating structure that works so incredibly well; the four narrators truly were the backbone of this story to me, I enjoyed all of their point of views, and they were all incredibly amusing in their own ways. It's more about being deceived along with the rest of the characters than anything else, and I really liked how that was done. I think this would be a gem of a read for anyone who is passionate about this genre, as it is oh so full of references to other authors and their work. Honestly, such a good cosy, warm read.
Many thanks to Severn House & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
When it comes to these kind of books, I always find it so hard to find ones that I enjoy and are surprised by, so I was a little sceptical going in, especially as this was my first title by this author, but I was so pleasantly surprised. It is such an interesting premise, and it was so cleverly developed, with such fun, witty writing, which made it so easily bingeable. It was such a pleasurable read to jump back in every time, and it was so quick and entertaining. The story is told with such a fascinating structure that works so incredibly well; the four narrators truly were the backbone of this story to me, I enjoyed all of their point of views, and they were all incredibly amusing in their own ways. It's more about being deceived along with the rest of the characters than anything else, and I really liked how that was done. I think this would be a gem of a read for anyone who is passionate about this genre, as it is oh so full of references to other authors and their work. Honestly, such a good cosy, warm read.
Many thanks to Severn House & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“I was used to a diet of crime fiction: murder, mayhem, blackmail, obsession, cruelty and deliberate deception. The world of amateur dramatics was sounding far too brutal for my taste.”
Played to Death is a mischievous murder mystery that wears its theatrical heart on its sleeve.
The plot revolves around a small village’s amateur dramatics group as it prepares to stage a newly discovered play that just so happens to have been written by their unpopular producer’s late father. What begins with concerns over possible plagiarism and certain offensive elements takes a darker turn when a death occurs at the theatre, suspiciously echoing one of the deaths in the play.
Mike Ripley tells the story through the shifting perspectives of four narrators – the Librarian, the Lawyer, the Producer and the Inspector – all of whom feel playfully unreliable in different ways.
There’s a self-aware and often cynical tone running throughout the novel, which keeps things feeling light-hearted, even when it leans towards farce.
All in all, it was a fun little read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the digital review copy.
Played to Death is a mischievous murder mystery that wears its theatrical heart on its sleeve.
The plot revolves around a small village’s amateur dramatics group as it prepares to stage a newly discovered play that just so happens to have been written by their unpopular producer’s late father. What begins with concerns over possible plagiarism and certain offensive elements takes a darker turn when a death occurs at the theatre, suspiciously echoing one of the deaths in the play.
Mike Ripley tells the story through the shifting perspectives of four narrators – the Librarian, the Lawyer, the Producer and the Inspector – all of whom feel playfully unreliable in different ways.
There’s a self-aware and often cynical tone running throughout the novel, which keeps things feeling light-hearted, even when it leans towards farce.
All in all, it was a fun little read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the digital review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sadly, not quite up to Ripley's usual standard.
While his homage to the world of crime fiction, from the Golden Age through to more modern book, and including theatrical greats as well, was a lot of fun, the barbs were a little too heavy-hitting to be truly amusing. His diatribes on the decimation of library services, whilst completely on the mark, reminded me of my own (who saw my library work as a vocation rather than a job) complaints in the staffroom; sadly, few people, either public or management, care nowadays. And the portrayal of modern police work, and its political correctness, whilst also on the mark, was, again, too heavy-handed to be funny.
Belabouring the point, in both cases.
The plot - or, at least, the murderer - was rather thin too, and the climax rather rushed.
Nevertheless, his prose was, as usual, well-crafted, and his many references a delight.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
While his homage to the world of crime fiction, from the Golden Age through to more modern book, and including theatrical greats as well, was a lot of fun, the barbs were a little too heavy-hitting to be truly amusing. His diatribes on the decimation of library services, whilst completely on the mark, reminded me of my own (who saw my library work as a vocation rather than a job) complaints in the staffroom; sadly, few people, either public or management, care nowadays. And the portrayal of modern police work, and its political correctness, whilst also on the mark, was, again, too heavy-handed to be funny.
Belabouring the point, in both cases.
The plot - or, at least, the murderer - was rather thin too, and the climax rather rushed.
Nevertheless, his prose was, as usual, well-crafted, and his many references a delight.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oh dear.
Amazing ideas but not a brilliant execution.
I genuinely would love to meet Mike Ripley. His ideas seem amazing. I loved the idea of this plot. The blurb really reeled me in. I loved the intricate research he had done. It shows he has a true love for the genre.
I'm just a little - and I hate to say it - disappointed.
Were the footnotes necessary?
What benefit did it really provide?
Could more time not have been spent executing this plot?
I'm not a crime writer and I honestly do feel a bit harsh writing this review but I don't think this book was for me and I'm sorry about that.
Oh dear.
Amazing ideas but not a brilliant execution.
I genuinely would love to meet Mike Ripley. His ideas seem amazing. I loved the idea of this plot. The blurb really reeled me in. I loved the intricate research he had done. It shows he has a true love for the genre.
I'm just a little - and I hate to say it - disappointed.
Were the footnotes necessary?
What benefit did it really provide?
Could more time not have been spent executing this plot?
I'm not a crime writer and I honestly do feel a bit harsh writing this review but I don't think this book was for me and I'm sorry about that.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“Played to Death” is a fun little murder mystery. Having multiple viewpoints in a novel isn’t new, but the author, Mike Ripley, makes the most of it to add to the fun.
There are quite a few funny lines and quips throughout the novel. It’s not the best murder mystery. It’s not earth-shattering literature. But for a few hours of fun reading, this is an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
There are quite a few funny lines and quips throughout the novel. It’s not the best murder mystery. It’s not earth-shattering literature. But for a few hours of fun reading, this is an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews