Close-Up On Death

Inspector John Bright #1

by Maureen O'Brien

Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Author and actress, Maureen O'Brien began writing in 1989 with her debut novel, Close-Up on Death, after rising to fame as Vicki, in Doctor Who.

Reviews

[``Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just discovered an incredibly talented author. This Crime Classic reprint of the author's first DI John Bright book in this series does not disappoint either.

The body of talented actress Liza Drew is found in an empty house in north London. Her family and friends are stunned. Liza had no enemies. Sent to investigate, DI John Bright concentrates on the motives of the 3 people closest to her: her mother, her lover Paul, and her best friend Millie.

Told from the POV of Millie Hale, best friend to Liza since their days at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts the galloping pace and tempo of this book makes it impossible to put down once started. Is Liza Drew really the sweetest most adorable person that everyone loves or is she reminiscent of Du Maurier's Rebecca? DI John Bright is on the case and he won't give up until he discovers her killer. There's just one problem for this brilliant DI, he's falling for Millie Hale even though she is immune to his many charms.

The author was also an award winning English Actress who starred in the original Dr. Who series on BBC. Her inside look into the world of acting and those involved is very authentic and fascinating.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who killed the beautiful and successful actress Liza Drew? By about page 150 of this book I was past caring. There are only 3 suspects- the mother,the lover and the best friend who is also the narrator. She has an annoying habit of referring to the investigating policeman by the nickname 'knife-blade'. He has the equally irritating habit of preceding most of his sentences with A-ha. It made the story heavy going for me.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this much more than I was expecting. I like the pulp crime novels of the 40s and 50s and read modern lesbian mysteries but I haven't read much modern crime fiction. The first thing that drew me in was the style of this book. I really liked it, the way it was written gave a very clear picture of the protagonist and the way she looked at the world. The characters seemed real and interesting, the description of acting created a vivid world for them. After the first 80 or so pages I strongly suspected that our narrator was in fact the murderer, for one thing there were few other options, and she just didn't seem to be the most reliable. She immediately got hostile when the detective wanted to solve the murder, which is not something a friend would normally feel. Though I have to say as strong as my suspicions were I wasn't entirely convinced and I found I devoured the last two thirds of the novel to find out if I was indeed right. I really liked this and ordered the 2nd in the series as soon as I was finished.

[John Peel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at first because I thought "Oh, the author has the same name as the Doctor Who actress". Then I saw it actually was the actress, and simply had to read it. So - it's fun. She has a slightly odd style that takes a bit of getting into, but tells a good story with interesting characters. An actress is found murdered, but everyone apparently loved her. So who would kill a paragon of virtue? The main character is also an actress, so the writer clearly stuck to what she knew, and there are a lot of nice little details about the actor's life. It's difficult to put down once you get into it, so if you like mysteries, this is a rather nice one. Try it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly enjoyable book!! And finally a good ending, keeps you guessing till the end and then still somewhat doubtful

[Ivana Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up. Being a Dr Who fan who loves murder mysteries, I eagerly got all of Maureen O'Briens books years ago - and they've sat on my shelves ever since. Having read this one, the rest may stay there. It's not a bad book, by any means, but it's not much of a detective story either. To be honest, the final 70 pages drag somewhat, and the ending isn't great. Worth adding to your collection if you're a Dr Who nut, as I'd imagine these are quite collectable by now. I may eventually give book 2 a go to see if they improve, but not for a long time - she was much better as Vicki than an author.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After stopping by the real estate agent's office to pick up the keys, Millie finds the house that her best friend Liza was looking at. After unlocking the door, she finds Liza's body on the floor of the entry way. Who did it? To say any more would be to say too much. Though this is the first Inspector John Bright novel, he is something of a secondary character in the novel. A fascinating psychological drama. Recommended.

[Marie-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given it a 4-star, but oh, how I hated the ending.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot and characters. The down side is I'm still trying to figure out why the book is listed as "A John Bright Mystery" when that character is basically a minor character.

[Helen Hanschell Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best piece of writing about sex I have ever read, just a scene in this interesting crime novel.

[Steve Matthewman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't even get through two chapters. Not for me.

[Jason Arbuckle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 128 - Maureen O’Brien - Close Up on Death

The death of an actress…murdered…and the only suspects ? Her mother, her best friend and her lover.

What follows is a tight and taut 250 page thriller that introduces the world to Inspector John Bright…and it is brilliant.

He is a side character in a game of chess that stars the three main protagonists. The story is told through the eyes of Millie Hale, an actress who finds the body of her best friend. We see her interact with the dead actress’ mother who blames Millie for everything…and the lover who says he knows Millie did it out of professional and personal jealousy.

We meet Bright as he attempts to close in on the true culprit…dismissing irrelevant clues and ignoring dead ends that try to distract him from finding the murderer. Brilliantly brought to life with vocal ticks and a description that allows you to completely picture him…his job and how he goes about it in such a clinical way…and yet there was something of Columbo in him too.

Then with just a few chapters to go, as with all good murder mysteries, the tale changes, the inquest and the investigation goes nowhere and time seems to move on for all our characters…until…the most wonderfully brilliant ending…nope…never saw it coming…not once…completely fooled.

Told almost as a play and I could imagine this being something portrayed in a theatre…the murder mystery in the vein of Christie…or Vera…or Endeavour…

Wonderful…another series I will return to in the years ahead

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millie Hale finds her best friend, Liza's mutilated body. What follows in the weeks and months is a trail of suspicion. There are no physical clues for the police to follow. The inspector focuses on Millie, Liza's mother and Paul, her common-law wife. The investigation slows down and is finally basically filed in the "not-filed" box. Who actually killed Liza? The suspense lasts till the very last pages.

[Rakshith Adiga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book is not as good as i had expected it to be.First 100 pages are pure Court Room Conversation stuff. No Action at all. I felt i was reading a diary of a person and story pics up pace in the later half.

[Christine Jacques · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paru en français sous le titre Les fleurs sont faciles à tuer chez HB Editions.