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Edward Crisp #4

Death In The Closet

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Shouldn't it be safe to come out of the closet?

Kieron Juniper is one of the most promising young footballers in England. Quickly leading his football club, Beachy Head United, to incredible Premiership success, he has become a local and national hero.

But he has a secret. One that will make history. He is about to come out and become the first openly gay Premier League footballer.

Until he is murdered by someone who doesn’t want that to happen.

Murder mystery enthusiast, Edward Crisp, and his loveable teenage sidekick, Noah, face their toughest case yet.

Can they navigate a world of WAGs, gossip and misbehaving millionaires to solve the DEATH IN THE CLOSET?

And can YOU?

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2021

103 people are currently reading
58 people want to read

About the author

Peter Boon

11 books43 followers

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5 stars
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113 (36%)
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55 (17%)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Donna Morfett.
Author 9 books71 followers
June 4, 2021
Kieron Juniper is seemingly about to come out as the first gay premiership football player, when he is murdered after his brakes are cut.
Edward Crisp, his ever eager sidekick Noah and local newspaper reporter Fiona Turtle work together to get to the bottom of it.
There are plenty of twists and turns and when you find out who the killer, it wasn't someone I'd pegged.
A lot of very important issues are tackled, mental health in footballers, gambling, racism, along with being gay.
There are still no openly gay footballers and in 2021, that is the saddest thing of all.
Another great read by Peter Boon, a fantastic writer. Very much on the cosy end of the crime scale and all the more enjoyable for it.
Profile Image for What Is Chelle Reading.
250 reviews9 followers
June 5, 2021
Kieron Juniper is one of England’s most promising footballers - leading his club, Beachy Head United to the Premiership, making him a national hero.  He has a secret that will make history - he is about to come out and become the first openly gay Premier League footballer.  Until he is killed by someone who wants to stop this from happening.

Firstly, thank you to the wonderful @peterboonauthor for the advanced copy of Death in the Closet - I am always eager to get my hands on the next Edward Crisp book and I’m very honoured to be part of your ARC team!

The Edward Crisp series is an absolute winner and Death in the Closet has only solidified that feeling even more for me.  I love Edward and Noah - the dynamic duo return with a cracking team up on the case of Kieron Juniper!  Noah’s outspokenness is incredible and always brings laughter to a murder mystery! This book introduces character Fiona Turtle - a retro dressing journalist for the Chalk Gap Observer and she is wonderful!! I just know that she and Linda, Edward’s mum, are going to be a force of nature in the future!
Now, I have to talk about the subject matter of the book - sexuality.  My mind boggles at the fact that even today so many people face judgement, hatred and even aggression for being who they are!  I cast my mind back to when I was 16 and my best friend telling me that he was gay - it never phased me! It never occurred to me to treat him any differently and frankly it made me love him more that he told me.  I was there through a lot of the bullying he received when our classmates discovered this and it always bothered me that no straight person ever has to “come out” that they’re straight - so why does society make it so difficult for a person to speak out that they are gay?  The fact that this book is released during Pride month is a testament in itself - it is a fabulous read with a twisty murder mystery but not only that it gives you that little nudge to be proud of who you are, whether you’re gay, straight, non-binary, bi-sexual, transgender - who cares what anyone thinks?  Be true to yourself and be happy!  We need more people like Peter Boon in the world to beautifully incorporate such an important topic in such a gentle and discreet way.  And also, the cover is fantastic!  It’s gorgeous, I love how bright it is and looking at it just makes me happy! 

Death in the Closet is available as of Monday 7 June! And while you’re at it, treat yourself to the previous Edward Crisp novels, Who Killed Miss Finch, The Snow Day Murders and The Mystery of Jackson King - they are all fabulous, I promise you! And also, as a final note, you don’t need to have read the first three books to understand Death in the Closet - you can dive in at any point and everything will be clear for you! And I really hope you love this book as much as I do!
5 reviews
June 7, 2021
Another great story

I really love this series of books, Edward is clever in a quiet reserved way and Noah is such a great character. I hope there are many more books to come.
Profile Image for Alice.
351 reviews2 followers
June 14, 2021
First of all, I just want to say thank you to Peter for the ARC and for featuring my review on the Death in the Closet Book Tour!

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Shouldn't it be safe to come out of the closet?

Kieron Juniper is one of the most promising young footballers in England. Quickly leading his football club to incredible Premiership success, he has become a hero. But he has a secret. One that will make history. He is about to come out and become the first openly gay Premier League footballer. Until he is murdered by someone who doesn’t want that to happen. Murder mystery enthusiast, Edward Crisp, and his loveable teenage sidekick, Noah, face their toughest case yet.

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When I first found Who Killed Miss Finch? (the first in the series), I had a look through the Edward Crisp novels and discovered this one. Since that day I’ve been waiting for this book to be released. Football has been a huge part of my life since I was young, going to games every weekend and it wasn’t until I was older and less naive, did I realise how little LGBTQ+ representation there was. It’s the elephant in the room. Everyone knows there’s a problem, but no one wants to have that conversation and I’m happy that someone finally is in a light-hearted manner.

“I’ve no idea what I’m supposed to do. Do you stay true to who you are, or go through with a lie for the sake of someone else?”

Not only is this book a great murder mystery in itself (which, again, I had no idea who it could be), it also explores themes such as homophobia, internalised homophobia, online hate, influencers and mental illnesses. It sounds like a heavy book, and sometimes it can be. But there are moments of relief, mainly through the comedy and also the relationship between Edward and Noah. Their relationship has taken many twists and turns through the series and I’m loving the character development between the pair of them, and individually. 

The ending is probably my favourite part of the storyline - it gave me a sense of hope for the future and a reminder that no matter what you’re going through, you’re not alone. Whether that’s someone who is struggling with their identify, someone in the closet afraid (or unable) to come out, a footballer, professional or otherwise, even a sportsperson, this book feels like a message of hope - even amongst the who done it murder mystery.

“It’s finally time to be who I was born to be.”
Profile Image for Lisa.
162 reviews15 followers
June 6, 2021
Kieron Juniper is Captain of newly promoted Premiership side Beachy Head United. He is a local hero, loved by his fianceè, his team mates and his legions of fans. Kieron has been keeping a secret from everyone and is about to reveal that he is gay but Kieron is found dead before the announcement. Was Kieron killed to stop him making the announcement? Who killed him? It's up our beloved amateur detectives, Edward and Noah, to find out who!!

This is by far my favourite in the Edward Crisp series. Once again we have our beloved Noah, with his inappropriate comments making me laugh out loud and our Edward, who is certainly developing as a person and is gaining more and more confidence as the series progresses. In this story we are introduced to local journalist and vintage clothing loving Fiona. I absolutely love her as a character and I am so excited for this threesome to continue in the next book!!

Now, the main part of the story is Kierons sexuality. Now I can honestly say I never thought about this but there are currently no openly gay professional footballers. Now, lets wonder why. Its clear to see the abuse that footballers take on a daily basis, not just on the field but also through social media (as portrayed in this book). You can only imagine the abuse that would be hurled at a gay footballer. Is it easier to live the lie?

What I loved about this book is, it really made me think. What are people going through? I suppose being straight, I don't have to 'come out' so I will never fully understand what people go through. I do truly believe you should be who you are, never pretend to be something/someone you're not. There will always be support out there, even if it doesn't come from the places it should. I always tell my kids 'just be you, you can't be anyone else' and I hope they take that on board as they grow. I hope you do too.

It's #pride month so if you need a fun, quirky murder mystery with an important meaning behind it, I strongly recommend getting a copy of Death In The Closet. While you're at it, you could grab a copy of Who Killed Miss Finch and The Snow Day Murders, they are definitely worth a read.

Again, my big thanks go to my pal Peter Boon. I'm so proud to be part of your ARC team and love our chats! Already looking forward to the next one!!
1,404 reviews22 followers
June 2, 2021
4.65* which I have rounded up to 5*

#3 in the Edward Crisp Mysteries
I have read the others in the series and enjoy the amateur detective duo of Edward and Noah. They are popular YA books, I turn to this category for lighter,easy,quick reading relaxing books, so for me they work well for adults too. I like the humour from the 2 social misfits who share a passion for classic crime novels and mystery solving. I enjoy the humour in them.

I love the eye catching and relevant cover, and even starting to appreciate the retro (slightly corny) classic Christie style titles, as again it fits with their love of the classic mystery writer.

This book sees Noah as an unpaid apprentice journalist, which he has thrown himself into. We get to know Fiona the journalist who is a great character and a good addition.
This book brings up an LGBT issue, the lack of openly gay professional footballers.
A professional footballer ends up dead shortly after being ‘outed’ by his vindictive girlfriend.
The section around his death is quite moving.
Noah comes up with some ace one liners, a favourite from this book :-

‘does she take milk and sugar? I don’t want to get her drink wrong, she’s been through enough’ 😂

It’s got a great twist, and as usual I never guessed the murderer.
I loved it, I think it’s my favourite of the series.
Profile Image for Mike Strong.
317 reviews4 followers
July 13, 2024
This is the fourth installment in the Edward Crisp murder series by Peter Boon. All the same lovable characters return in this mystery, including Edward, Noah, and Mum as well as some of the less lovable ones, like DI Appleby. Yet again, a murder happens that the local police seem to have difficulty solving and Edward (the school librarian) has to step in to fill in the gaps. And, no surprise to anyone who likes these books, Edward solves the case!

Peter Boon always represents in his stories. His cast is diverse and engaged. He deals with social commentary in creative but firm ways. His characters, even DI Appleby, experience growth as the story progresses from one novel to the next, but one of the good things about the stories is that you don't have to read them in order if you don't want to. It's better if you do but there are nuggets added in just the right places for those who don't have the history.

I don't want to ruin anything specific about this book but it touched upon an issue quite important to me. Given its setting and time, I'm honestly shocked that the presence of a gay footie player is still a big deal. Boon deals with this admirably and in a way that any young reader can feel inspired by.

I really can't wait for this to become a tv series! Amazon--are you reading?
Profile Image for Ann.
1,735 reviews
May 30, 2024
This Kindle Unlimited series continues to entertain. Edward is a school librarian and his 'partner' Noah is a student on the autism spectrum who's obsessed with crime fiction. Together they seem to have a real knack for solving murders in the area. It's another case of a small English village that seems to have more murders than would statistically be likely!

In this case, the local Football team is about to sign a student from the school. But at the event at the stadium to welcome the young man to the team, there's a bit of a scene by one of the players' girlfriends and later another player is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. It all has to do with rumors that someone on the team is gay.

As usual, the local constabulary 'officially' tells Edward to butt out, but, at the same time, shares some information and is happy to hear anything Edward has learned. Helping the pair out this time is a journalist, Fiona, who looks to become something resembling a love interest.

It's all very well put together with a satisfying and logical conclusion. Definitely recommend the series.
Profile Image for Cattie Whaley.
302 reviews2 followers
November 17, 2022
Great mystery! Great message

Edward and Noah are at it again. How is it they are always surrounded my murder? Hope Edward doesn't develop a complex! I really enjoy the characters. I can relate to Edward on the whole anxiety attacks and Noah, well he is a character, I just love him! This mystery involves a football team and the death of one of their own. Was he gay and is that why he was killed? This book brought to the forefront just how few players have ever come out of the closet. It is something that I never really thought about, but then again, I am American and we have several female football players that are out and proud. It bugs me that people can't just be who they are for fear of being judged or bullied. We as humans need to do better. Great book, great characters, great storyline and great message! Highly recommend!
3 reviews
November 19, 2021
Having enjoyed the previous two Edward Crisp books, I was looking forward to book 3 and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, it's the best one yet in my view.
The main characters have become like old friends you haven't seen for a while, but when you do, they are so familiar it seems like only yesterday that you last spent time with them. Edward's mother and Noah in particular never fail to disappoint with their honest reactions to events and their support of Edward.
The storyline is compelling and exceptionally well thought out - enough red herrings to make you reconsider but enough prompts to give you a fighting chance of working out who done it.
I throughly recommend this book, go read it now!
1,491 reviews25 followers
June 12, 2022
I really enjoy this series and this one is another great read. Kieron Juniper is about to come out as the 1st openly gay footballer in the premier league when he is suddenly murdered, his car brakes having been cut.

Edward and Noah are once again determined to get to the bottom of things, this time assisted by local reporter Fiona Turtle. As usual, there are lots of twists and plenty of laughs with Noah's constant precise and unfiltered comments. Despite the light natured and cozy story, this does tackle important issues such as homophobia, racism and the shallowness of people in general and not just those in the public eye.

I thoroughly look forward to reading about more of Edward and Noah's investigations.
323 reviews4 followers
June 9, 2021
Another great book by Peter Boon my favourite so far. Although it’s only 131 pages it’s still a cracking read the main characters as always get enough time in the book to grow as characters and the characters involved within the mystery itself are all well written and all serve a purpose.

I like Peters books as they just get straight to the mystery and the plot is always to the point and not dragged out for the sake of it.

Fast becoming one of my favourite authors

Profile Image for Leanne Fisher.
196 reviews1 follower
June 20, 2021
Another wonderful book in the Edward Crisp series.

I found the story itself a really interesting and thought provoking read. It centres on the death of a footballer who was on the verge of revealing he was gay.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the chemistry between Edward and Noah is delightfully funny. I could see these books as a TV series as they have everything needed to make a cosy Sunday afternoon murder mystery drama.
Profile Image for Clare.
1,294 reviews6 followers
April 21, 2022
This book hit on some really important issues that in this day and age really shouldn't be happening. People should be able to live as they are and just be happy and get on with life. It breaks my heart.
The issues aside this was a great little read, it was fun, quirky and as ive said before it's like watching your favourite TV on a Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to the next one coming out.
181 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2021
Great to be back in Chalk Gap with Edward and Noah!

Huge congratulations to Peter Boon for shining a light on such an important subject and one that I know is very personal to him.

It's another triumph!! Well done ☺
434 reviews
October 4, 2021
The on going investigations of Edward and Noah are a delight. Sorting out the problems of gay footballers along with the murder/suicide of the team captain, makes for a great cosy mystery. A new possible romance for Edward certainly adds to the fun. I am now hoping for number four.
Profile Image for Toni.
114 reviews
October 20, 2021
Amazing sorry

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one go and having read the author's note I can understand why.

Yet again Edward and Noah been the DI to the punch. I was also over joyed nwith the love interest at the end.

Fab book Peter, looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Adrienne Naibauer.
67 reviews3 followers
October 12, 2022
A Don't Miss Series

I just can't get enough of the Edward Crisp series! So many interesting characters and such engrossing stories. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for!
Profile Image for Jerry Summers.
840 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2022
I’m a fond supporter of the English Premier League and their fight to end Racism. This book goes a step further to include openly gay footballers. Edward and Noah need to solve the case involving this very topic. I liked Fiona, reporter, being added to the team and the online articles.
Profile Image for Mandy Davies.
17 reviews
June 28, 2021
Really enjoying these books and love the Edward and Noah characters and the relationship they have. Look forward to the next book.
38 reviews
July 12, 2022
Great read. Not only the plot with all the twists and turns but the outcome. I'm saying no more, don't want to give away any spoilers.
132 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2023
Good book I enjoyed the introduction of social media and newspaper articles it added an extra dimension.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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